Ah, eyebrows— the most important and yet most underrated feature on our face. Thanks to the quarantine, we’ve had a lot of free time on our hands during these past few months, and many of us have used it to research on the various beauty products available in the market. With so many brow products, women…and men have now realized the importance of eyebrows and how they are the unsung heroes that instantly elevate our look. You can achieve a perfectly contoured face and the slickest cat-eye, but the seemingly insignificant step of filling in your brows makes ALL the difference!
Here’s the thing, pencils and powders can only do so much. Just like you need hairspray to tame flyaways, or setting spray to set in your makeup, brow gels are essential in keeping your eyebrow strands in place if you want to achieve those perfect Cara Delevingne like brows. Want to know more? Keep on reading to get all the deets on this one little product and the right way to use it to get fuller, enviable brows without the help of a professional. After all, eyebrows do speak louder than words.
How Is Brow Gel Different From Other Brow Products?
Tweezing and threading are useful when it comes to shaping your eyebrows. Eyebrow pencils and powders, on the other hand, are used to fill in sparse areas and create the illusion of fuller brows while giving them a more natural look. But this is not enough. To set it all in place, you’ll need brow gel. If you want to tame unruly brows and keep them well-groomed all day long, brow gel is a must.
Brow gels come in 2 forms; Coloured — which is great for those who have sparse areas and are looking for a quick and easy way to fill them out and Clear Gel— which is great for those with fuller, bushy brows that need to be tamed, in order to achieve a more balanced, symmetrical look.
Brow Gel 101: The Right Way To Use Brow Gel
Are you a brow gel newbie and have no idea when or how to use this product? Don’t worry, that’s what we’re here for! Learning how to use a brow gel is as easy as learning your ABCs. Just keep in mind that if you’re using a coloured formula, then it’s important to pick the right shade for it to not look fake.
Step #1: Groom Your Brows
Grooming your eyebrows is simple and won’t take up a lot of your time. Grab your dry spoolie and comb your eyebrows upwards. Once you’re done, use a tweezer or scissors to remove any excess hair. Next, comb your eyebrows once again, but this time in the direction they grow — start combing them upwards on the inner corners near your nose, then comb outwards along the arch, and later comb downwards once you reach the tail.
Step #2: Fill Them In
For the next step, take your brow pencil or powder and fill in your brows, using short, hair-like strokes to mimic the texture of your hair. This will help you achieve a fuller, natural look.
This step is optional. Those with fuller or thick brows don’t need to fill them in and can directly jump to the next step.
Step #3: Gel Them Up
Finally, it’s time for the star of the show. Just like your mascara wand, brow gels also come with a spoolie, so the application rules remain the same. Do not pump the wand to get more product, simply swirl the brush around and then remove the excess product by wiping the brush on the inside of the tube. Following the same technique from Step #1, comb your brows upwards at the inner corners, then straight towards the arch, and back down towards the tail, et voila! Perfectly groomed brows, set in place within minutes.
There’s no shortage of brow gels in the market but if you’re in a hurry and need one ASAP, there are a few beauty items that can double as a clear brow gel.
Hairspray: The function of your brow gel is similar to your hair spray—to tame wild strands and set everything in place, so if you are out of brow gel, your hairspray is a great alternative. Just spray a bit on a clean mascara wand and brush your eyebrows in the same way you would use a brow gel.
Petroleum Jelly: That’s right, petroleum jelly is not only useful for treating dry skin but also taming wild stray hair. Using your finger, just apply a bit to your spoolie and comb away. While this product is beneficial for setting eyebrows, it won’t hold for too long as compared to your hairspray or brow gel.
Aloe Vera: Yes, that’s right. Aloe vera has so many uses when it comes to skin and hair and eyebrows aren’t excluded from the list. If you want them to stay in place, simply dip a Q-tip or a clean mascara wand in the aloe vera gel, remove the excess and comb through your brows. Aloe vera gel has much more staying power as compared to petroleum jelly, so if you need to choose between the two, we suggest picking the plant gel.
Soap: Your soap bar can work wonders when it comes to grooming your brows if none of the above options is available. While this hack gained popularity recently, all thanks beauty bloggers *soap brows ring a bell? *, it has actually been used for years, way before brow gels were even invented. All you need to do is wet your spoolie before rolling it around on the soap bar. Then, brush them straight up. Once every strand is coated, use the spoolie to comb them back down in the direction of your hair growth.
Now that you’ve got all the information you need on brow gel and how to use it, go on and add one to your makeup arsenal to instantly get enviable on-fleek brows.
Featured Image: Pexels