How eyebrows can give your face a natural lift

My latest article for Hello is all about eyebrows and how important they are. I’ve posted it below and also added some extra bits that were edited out. You’ve got the full original version here. And FYI, I do not come up with the titles!

I look 10 years younger thanks to this one trick

Before you get started on multistep skincare routines or flawless makeup, I believe that perfect eyebrows are essential for looking and feeling your best.

If your eyebrows aren’t right, it can make you look ten years older

If they’re good, they can make you look years younger.

I found this out the tough way. I was mercilessly teased about my eyebrows as a teenager. They were a few shades darker than my very blonde hair. People pay good money for that look now, but I hated them with a passion. Looking back, they were a lovely shape and the perfect size for my face. And, I now know, having eyebrows a few shades darker is actually very flattering.

But I knew none of this then, so one fateful day, which I came to deeply regret, I plucked those brows with such misplaced enthusiasm that they bled. And never, ever grew back. I was left with misshapen, odd-sized tadpoles. Unbelievably, I was actually happy with them for a couple of years.

I’m not alone in this and have met many women over the years who plucked their eyebrows so ferociously that they never grew back. We are the tadpole generation!

Hating my eyebrows

When I started acting, I had a decade of absolutely hating my eyebrows again. They were completely the wrong shape for the many period dramas I starred in.

It was only after a number of years I decided that I had to do something about it and started filling them in, which anyone who has done this will know, is a time-consuming process.

I struggled to find the right colour and ended up using a powder block to apply tiny little brushstrokes every single day before I would step out of the house.

Eyebrow tattooing

And then hallelujah, I discovered eyebrow tattooing. Also known as semi-permanent makeup, it’s the technique of implanting colour into the skin known as micro-pigmentation, using a digital needle.

There’s also microblading, which uses the same pigment but the needle is attached to a hand tool and is done manually. They are both used to create a realistic textured hairstroke look.

It’s a perfect solution for anyone like me, who has no hair growth and a very sparse brow.

For the first time in years, I would wake up with my eyebrows ready to go for the day. No need for all that time-consuming filling in.

I was given the most wonderful shape by Nilam Holmes, known as the eyebrow queen, founder of Derma Spa in Milton Keys. She was so good, that I would drive all the way up the M1 just to get my brows done – they’re soon to open a London outpost, too. Nilam no longer does brows, sadly, but I now see Cathy Brown at Derma Spa who is also fantastic.

Choosing your brow technician

There are practitioners all over the country, but I would always go to one who comes recommended or who has done a great job you’ve seen on someone else.

The skill of the practitioner is to be able to create the right shape for you. As it’s a tattoo, it’s hard to change the shape once it’s done and it’ll take quite awhile to fade. The practitioner’s skill includes selecting the right needle size, what pressure and speed to use and importantly, the colour choice. It’s quite a skill set and doesn’t come cheaply for that reason.

A good brow shape is everything. It will flatter and make your face look younger. Too thin is ageing, in my opinion, and too thick can be over-powering.

You don’t want your brows to take over your face

There’s a huge trend right now , specially with the younger generation, to have huge, very dark, cookie cutter eyebrows. They don’t look remotely natural and look like a one size fits all. I’m not a fan myself, and I think on a more mature face, it would look overpowering and harsh.

A break from tattooing

As much as I loved my new eyebrows, I ended up taking an unplanned five-year break from my tattooed brows. When the pandemic hit, I hadn’t had a top-up for a year and making an appointment was impossible during lockdown.

Looking for other options, I discovered Studio 10’s ‘Brow Lift Perfecting Pencil’, £25, which was the perfect colour and the perfect texture.

The perfect pencil

For the last five years, that’s all I’ve used. I already had a great shape, so using a pencil was easy – and cost-effective.

There are, of course, many eyebrow pencils on the market. I have friends who swear by Benefit’s ‘Precisely, My Brow’ pencil. Victoria Beckham has also just added some eyebrow products to her makeup range, which I am excited to try.

That said, I finally booked to see Cathy for a top-up this week. After so long without one, I noticed that my brow shape was shrinking and the colour had faded so much that the edges were disappearing and my eyebrows appeared smaller.

It feels great to finally have the full shape restored, though please note that for the first few days after treatment, your eyebrows will be quite dark. Then around day three they will flake and become much paler. The true colour will emerge after three or four weeks after the treatment.

My eyebrow advice

If you are one of the lucky ones with eyebrows that still grow hairs, my advice would be to get professional help to achieve the perfect shape.

Once you have the right shape, it should be easy to maintain yourself. If your eyebrows are light in colour, tinting them a shade darker would be flattering and once again, make you appear more youthful. And, of course, a good eyebrow pencil is a must. It keeps the colour as you want it and fills in any sparse areas.

Very thin brows will make you look older so find a fuller size that you’re comfortable with that doesn’t overpower your face.

Even a lovely, naturally full brow would benefit from an occasional tidy up. Brushed up fluffy brows are a big trend, as is brow lamination, which is a bit like a reverse perm. A relaxing and straightening solution that enables you to sculpt the hair and fix it in place. Ideal if you have brow hairs growing in different directions. The many brow fixes or brow glues on the market help with this too.

And remember, do not underestimate the power of a (slightly) darker brow. I would give anything to turn back the clock and bring back my beautiful dark teenage brows.

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