How to Achieve Bold (But Natural) Eyebrows Using Any Brow Product
Eyebrow trends have varied from 2016 onwards, when the ‘slug brow’ rose to popularity, and, since then, we have seen lamination, tattooing, microblading and even bleaching spread across social media.
Personally, I have always preferred a natural but bolder brow look, where the sparseness and asymmetry in my eyebrows are corrected with minimal makeup.
If you want to learn how to achieve a bold but natural-looking pair of eyebrows with whatever product is in your makeup kit, read my steps below.
Mapping your eyebrows
Firstly, identify where you should draw your eyebrow pencil by mapping lines on your face, this process will help you achieve a symmetrical eyebrow.
To start with, draw a line where you want your eyebrow to begin, then draw a diagonal line on your arch and one at the end of your eyebrow tail, where you want it to end.
A good starting point for this is to hold up your pencil or brush in front of your eye and line it up with with the inner corner of your eye, moving it outwards towards your natural arch, then the outer corner of your eye should be lined up with the tail of your brow, marking as you go along.
Another amazing trick is to use the popular TikTok eyebrow mapping filter!
Image – Courtesy of writer
1. Using a thin brow pencil and brow gel
The first product I recommend using is a thin eyebrow pencil because you can be precise and speedy with the application.
My favourite is the Benefit Precisely My Brow Pencil (£24.50 on the Boots UK website/$26.00 on the Benefit US website) in shade 3. A cheaper alternative I recommend is the NYX Professional Makeup Micro Brow Pencil (£6.67 on the Boots UK website/$11.00 on the NYX US website).
There are thicker eyebrow pencils available to buy that are marketed as even easier to use, although, I have found that thick pencils are more difficult to blend out.
Now to the technique.
Hold the pencil as if you are writing with a regular pencil, and draw lines on the top and bottom of your eyebrow – remember to be delicate by applying a small amount of pressure to increase the overall naturalness of your brows.
Start from the beginning to the arch, and from the arch to the end, to create an outline around your brows. Then, fill in the middle of your brows, erasing any sparseness or missing patches of hair.
Image – Courtesy of writer
The other end of this product has a spolee which helps to smooth the product out across your eyebrow. Using small upward flicking motions, blend the product out throughout your brow.
Next, I apply a tinted brow gel, it adds more colour to my fair eyebrow hair and provides a more realistic effect, rather than just having a blended base colour on its own.
I use the Benefit Gimme Brow+ Volumising Eyebrow Gel (£24.50 on the Boots UK website/$26.00 on the Benefit US website) in shade 3 and then use Benefit’s 24-Hour Brow Setter Clear Brow Gel (£26.00 on the Boots UK website/$26.00 on the Benefit US website) to ensure my eyebrows stay in the same place throughout my day, using the same upward flicking motions from the beginning to end of my eyebrow.
Image – Courtesy of writer
This process takes me roughly 3 minutes every day, but if you want to use one product instead of 3 and do not have the time available your morning, read below to see how I use the products individually to pull off the natural but bold eyebrow look.
Here is a before and after picture, you can see a major difference but both pairs of eyebrows look natural!
Image – Courtesy of writer
2. Using a tinted brow gel
Hold the product with your thumb and index finger and apply using an upwards flicking motion from the beginning to the end of your brow.
I use the Benefit Gimme Brow+ Volumising Eyebrow Gel (as above) in shade 3, and the NYX Professional Makeup Tinted Brow Mascara (£8.96 on the Care Beauty UK website/$8.50 on the NYX US website) is a great alternative.
I recommend keeping the beginning of your eyebrow hairs upright and applying the product horizontally throughout the middle and to the end of your eyebrow. The picture on the right side is what my eyebrows look like with just the tinted brow gel on, as you can see, they look bold as well as natural, and this takes 10 seconds!
Image – Courtesy of writer
3. Using an eyebrow pen
The eyebrow pen is slightly more difficult to use as you have to be more intricate when applying the product, however, it offers a more natural effect than a gel because it mimics the brow hairs more effectively than any other product.
I use the Benefit Brow Microfilling Brow Pen (£24.50 on the Boots UK website/$7.66 on the Benefit US website) in shade 3, again NYX Cosmetics comes through with a great dupe, the NYX Professional Makeup Lift and Snatch Brow Tint Pen (£7.66 on the Boots UK website/$13.00 on the NYX US website).
Begin with the start of your eyebrow by holding the product upwards and lightly brush the product through your brow hairs. Do the same throughout the rest of your eyebrow, focusing on sparse areas.
Image – Courtesy of writer
4. Using a brow pomade
Before picking up the product on a small, angled eyeshadow brush, I mix the pomade with a moisturiser so it is not as thick and pigmented to enhance the more natural effect I want to achieve. For a bolder look, you can just use the pigment rather than mixing it with a moisturiser.
I use the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade (£19.00 on the Boots UK website/$21.00 on the Ulta Beauty US website) in the shade Blonde and their Synthetic Duo Brow Brush to apply the product.
Outline your brows, the same as you would do with a pencil and spoolie the product through your brow.
Image – Courtesy of writer
Next, carve out your eyebrow using a concealer lighter than your natural skin tone and a small concealer brush. This will neaten your eyebrows and prevent them from looking too thick.
I use the Maybelline Fit Me! Concealer (£5.99 on the Boots UK website/$7.49 on the Ulta Beauty US website) and the M421 Mini Concealer Brush and draw lines on the outside of my eyebrow and blend them out using the ZOEVA 145 Concealer brush.
Image – Courtesy of writer
5. Eyebrow powder/eyeshadow
Use an angled eyeshadow brush to outline your eyebrows using the aforementioned method and blend the product through your eyebrows using a spoolie. I use the NYX Eyeshadow in the shade Over The Taupe (£2.99 on the Branded Beauty UK website/$10.49 on the Amazon website).
You can buy eyebrow powder to achieve the same effect, however, these tend to be more expensive and, in my opinion, unnecessary.
Image – Courtesy of writer
The takeaway
So, if you would rather ignore the eyebrow trends and stick with the natural look, you can do it easily and quickly.
All the products mentioned have similar-looking outcomes, too, so it is really about finding which product is easiest for you to use and having fun trying them out!
Get Glowing!
