When it comes to shaping our brows, there are very few people we would trust more than Anatasia Soare, the very woman who tends to the arches of Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Jennifer Lopez.
As the founder of brow brand Anastasia Beverly Hills, and the creator of the brow-centric ‘Golden Ratio’, the technique that helps you to ensure your brow shape is perfectly suited to your features, she’s in a class of her own when it comes to brow wisdom.
Luckily, though, she was generous enough to share some of her DIY brow shaping wisdom with us – very fortunate considering the toll that isolation has taken on our arch upkeep routines.
“I’ve gotten so many questions about DIY brow grooming and upkeep from both clients and the greater ABH community during quarantine,” she explained to marie claire. “[Here are] a few suggestions [around] keeping your brows in check until your next trip to the aesthetician.”
Prep skin appropriately
Success lies in the prep, says Soare. “Tweeze after a shower or apply a hot compress to open up the pores and ease discomfort. Using a warmed chamomile tea bag especially feels like a treat.”
Refine your kit
No, those tweezers you’ve had since high school won’t do… “Since the brow bone is curved, you need a quality pair of slant-tipped tweezers to avoid breaking off the hair close to the base and causing unnecessary pain,” she explains of the best style to shop.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Precision Tweezers, $51 at mecca.com.au
Don’t go overboard
This is where the Golden Ratio comes in; it’s there to ensure no over-tweezing occurs. “Make sure you are tweezing only exactly where you need to be,” says Soare.
“[For example], the ABH Golden Ratio Shaping Technique relies on three measurements: brows should begin directly above the middle of your nostrils, brows should end where the corner of the nostril connects with the outer corner of the eye, and the highest point of the arch should connect the middle of the tip of the nose with the middle of the iris. After you mark these points, fill in your brows and only tweeze the hairs that fall outside this guideline. You may even find that you should be letting hair grow in places you usually tweeze clean.”
Keep direction consistent
Consistency is key to ensuring a clean finish and avoiding ingrown hairs. “Get close to the base and tweeze in the direction of hair growth,” she advises.
Avoid magnifying mirrors
It may be tempting to get as close of a view as possible, but Soare says it can actually be detrimental rather than helpful. “Stay away from magnifying mirrors,” she notes. “It’s the quickest path to getting carried away, and you probably don’t need to tweeze as much as you think.”
Never underestimate aftercare
The work isn’t done when you put your tools down, either; don’t forget to seal the deal and calm your complexion post-tweeze. “Use a toner or aloe vera after you finish tweezing to soothe [and] close the pores,” Soare confirms.
Mario Badescu Aloe Vera Toner, $24 at mecca.com.au
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