{Posting by Julia Bowden, Before the Big Day's Hair & Make-up Expert} It's surprising how the smallest things can make the biggest difference to your wedding day beauty...that's why this post is devoted to getting the best bridal brows. How are yours looking? Mine were a serious bugbear as a teenager, thick and bushy - so I proceeded to pluck the living hell out the poor things! Thankfully mine grew back, but in my work as a professional make-up artist I see all sorts, including some seriously patchy brows. Either way don’t worry - help is at hand to make the very best of what you’ve got for your wedding day. This is a 2-step process. First, call in the experts, and second, make some simple purchases – I promise you won’t look back. It's really worth concentrating on your brows - the right look will give definition to your face, and shave years off your age – a MUST for your wedding day!
{Photo Credit} Chloé Browne of Caught the Light's pictures of Before the Big Day editor Georgia doing her own blusher for her wedding day. {Georgia - As you can see, I should have gone to a brow bar & asked Julia to do my wedding hair and make-up!}.
For fine, patchy or very blonde brows:
* Dying – visit an expert beautician because they'll create the perfect shape for you {you may need to have a patch test 24hrs before}. If you have little or no brows, a beautician can dye the micro-hairs on the skin, with very natural and believable results. The treatment will last a few weeks and you can always top up with a pencil or palette in between. Blink at Selfridges in London offer an excellent service.
* Pencils and eye brow palettes – if you’re a little more confident with DIY-shaping, you can use palettes and pencils to fill in patches and define your arches. For example, No7 Eyebrow pencils {No. 1} or Smashbox Brow Tech To Go {No. 2} are very good.
**Top tip – drop a little toner into a brown eye shadow and use this wet to colour in the brows. Don’t use a solid line technique, instead paint on the hairs in an upward brushing motion for a more natural look.**
For thick, bushy or shapeless brows which need definition:
* Threading – this ancient Indian art uses twisted cotton to pluck and shape the brow. I can’t recommend this enough! Glow is a brilliant eyebrow bar - fast and professional.
**Top tip: Once you've had it done and you're happy with the result, take a picture and you can show the beautician in future so you get the exact shape that you want. Better still, take the beautician's name. I find getting your brows done is a little bit like having a hair cut!**
* Waxing – this is much quicker, and better if you have sensitive brows that feel the pinch of plucking! It's been around forever and is the more traditional way of shaping eyebrows. Visit any local beautician and enquire within.
My Must-Have Pre-Wedding Purchases
* Clear mascara gel to groom your brows. You don’t have to spend a fortune - Boots Natural Collection {No. 3} do a very good one that comes in a non see-through tube {I prefer this as once you’ve used clear mascara a few times it tends to discolour in the tube and look dirty!}. Start by brushing the brow upwards and then skimming across the top and down to neaten them up – this really makes a difference and makes you look perfectly groomed!
* A decent pair of tweezers – I recommend Tweezerman Slant Tweezers {No.4} to get those strays in between waxing or threading.
Enjoy !
JB x
{Photo Credit} Chloé Browne of Caught the Light's pictures of Before the Big Day editor Georgia doing her own blusher for her wedding day. {Georgia - As you can see, I should have gone to a brow bar & asked Julia to do my wedding hair and make-up!}.
For fine, patchy or very blonde brows:
* Dying – visit an expert beautician because they'll create the perfect shape for you {you may need to have a patch test 24hrs before}. If you have little or no brows, a beautician can dye the micro-hairs on the skin, with very natural and believable results. The treatment will last a few weeks and you can always top up with a pencil or palette in between. Blink at Selfridges in London offer an excellent service.
* Pencils and eye brow palettes – if you’re a little more confident with DIY-shaping, you can use palettes and pencils to fill in patches and define your arches. For example, No7 Eyebrow pencils {No. 1} or Smashbox Brow Tech To Go {No. 2} are very good.
**Top tip – drop a little toner into a brown eye shadow and use this wet to colour in the brows. Don’t use a solid line technique, instead paint on the hairs in an upward brushing motion for a more natural look.**
For thick, bushy or shapeless brows which need definition:
* Threading – this ancient Indian art uses twisted cotton to pluck and shape the brow. I can’t recommend this enough! Glow is a brilliant eyebrow bar - fast and professional.
**Top tip: Once you've had it done and you're happy with the result, take a picture and you can show the beautician in future so you get the exact shape that you want. Better still, take the beautician's name. I find getting your brows done is a little bit like having a hair cut!**
* Waxing – this is much quicker, and better if you have sensitive brows that feel the pinch of plucking! It's been around forever and is the more traditional way of shaping eyebrows. Visit any local beautician and enquire within.
My Must-Have Pre-Wedding Purchases
* Clear mascara gel to groom your brows. You don’t have to spend a fortune - Boots Natural Collection {No. 3} do a very good one that comes in a non see-through tube {I prefer this as once you’ve used clear mascara a few times it tends to discolour in the tube and look dirty!}. Start by brushing the brow upwards and then skimming across the top and down to neaten them up – this really makes a difference and makes you look perfectly groomed!
* A decent pair of tweezers – I recommend Tweezerman Slant Tweezers {No.4} to get those strays in between waxing or threading.
Enjoy !
JB x
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