BEAUTY TIPS | Treating your brows with kindness

When people ask me about my biggest skin care and makeup blunders from my youth, I can think of a few. Oh yep, I've been there.

I was always an experimental type. I'd DIY face masks for my problematic teenage skin out of clay masks, toothpaste, tea tree oil and acne cream all mixed together into one scary-as-shit concoction.

I'd hope and pray that smothering that my skin in a thick layer of sludge would scare breakouts awar so hard they'd never even think about coming back. I was quite the little bathroom alchemist. Yikes. Needless to say, it didn't work.

In my late teens, I went through a goth stage where I'd wear mostly black or blue metallic lipstick, with white as a sheet foundation thanks to the most ivory stick foundation I could get my hands on, topped off with a big heavy-handed smatter of baby powder to give it that extra white sheen. I shudder at the thought of all that talc seeping in to my youthful pores.

At the same time, I'd wear my eyebrows arched, thin and almost non existent....I'd pluck at them pretty much EVERY DARN DAY, until they were almost obliterated.

In my defense, it was the 90s, it was the THING. If you weren't there, check out this scary take on modern day celebs with 90s brow makeovers to see what I'm banging on about.

It became an obsession to have really fine thin lines for eyebrows, with hardly any hair. Looking back at old pics, I look more than a bit scary. My eyebrows had such a pointed look they were like signposts pointing to the sky. Groan. Shudder. Facepalm.

If only I'd had someone, like future me, step in tell me to put the goddamn tweezers DOWN.

To not treat my brows like the enemy. To not pluck at every single errant stray hair like it had to be eradicated. To not buy into current trends and phases at the detriment of future me.

Because the thing with brows? You can get away with plucking them to a point- but then they just stop growing back after a while. It's like those little hairs just get sick of the repeated, vicious yoinking of the tweezers and just decide to jump ship permanently, leaving a barren hair follicle in it's place.

Don't be like this with your brows. Treat them well, like a friend who's always there just hanging around.

Give them love, nurture them to grow. Make your brows a safe space.

Don't wax or tweeze the shit out of them and wish them away, because one day? Your wish may just come true. Learn from my mistakes people! Let them GROW.

Be gentle and kind with them, like a mermaid riding a pegasus through the clouds.

Achieving your perfect brow shape, size, and texture doesn't happen overnight. The journey requires patience, self-control, and above all, time.

Bottom line is, you've gotta give those brows some big ol' r-e-s-p-e-c-t if you want to still have eyebrow hair in your late 30s and beyond.

See a pro every now and again to get a beautifully defined shape that’s perfect for your face and your features. Make sure your brow expert comes recommended, and they’re not overzealous with the wax, thread or the tweezers.

If you need to maintain at home, only take away the hairs that take away from the shape. Don’t try and reshape them yourself (that’s where things can go really downhill, quickly- trust)

Day to day, use an eyebrow gel to tame your brows and keep the hairs uniform and in place. Give them some gentle attention in the form of a comb through regularly. At the end of the day, comb a little jojoba oil or a nourishing serum through them for good measure. This will encourage growth, and for the brows to be soft but strong.

If you want some help with your brow makeup and aren't sure how to shape them, define them or fill them in to suit your face or your lifestyle, why not come see me for a makeup masterclass or a brow-lovin' mini session, where I show you all my tricks and secrets to making those brows look better than they ever have.

I'll show you how you can easily re-create GREAT BROWS every day without ever having to worry about looking like a 90s tragic. How to map and shape them, fill them in and groom them, and how to colour match and look after them.

Seriously, your eyebrows deserve it and so do YOU. Yours in eyebrow solidarity, queen!

Got any tricky makeup issues or questions that you just can't get to the bottom of? Feel free to get in touch with me, your local makeup maven, cosmetic junkie and beauty agony aunt!

If you’re stuck in a makeup rut, or have a burning question about hair or skincare, hit me up and I’d be happy to help.

And if it's all a little overwhelming? Don't stress. We've put together some killer workshops to help teach people the foundations of putting on makeup and demystifying products, brands, brushes and techniques. There's so much that's confusing and overwhelming about the beauty world, and it doesn't have to be.

OR Book in for a 1:1 virtual makeup lesson where I'll walk you through a complete look with full guidance- based on what you've already got and what would suit you! Investing in yourself is the BEST investment!

I LOVE helping and supporting others to up their beauty game and empower themselves with knowledge and skills.

Beauty is for all to enjoy- no barriers, no boundaries. Make it your own and back yourself, babe!

Featured

Hey, I'm Danee!

I’m a makeup & hair artist and all-round creative with a serious cheese fetish and a hankering for tequila. A badass beauty disruptor and educator with nearly a decade of clocked miles in the beauty industry. I’m a playlist ADDICT who also stans for writing, drawing, inhaling 70s design and 90s pop culture; and have a mad love affair for thrift shopping, sleeping, and going on roadtrips!