| Peter Lamas' Beauty Solutions |
 | | by Peter Lamas {BeautyWalk Founder} ¤ with Cade Pemberton | |
Browsing Around
The pros, the cons and everything else you need to know to shape and sleek up your brows
Eyebrows are among the most frequently underrated beauty features. They can either add definition and expression to your face or detract dramatically. When it comes to what to do, most women stop short of taking their brow beauty to the max for fear of making a mistake. Relax. Even the worst faux pas is just temporary unless you go to the extreme of say, a permanent tattooed browline (not recommended!).
The bottom line on brows usually comes to "Should I wax or should I tweeze."
The fact is you can go either way today depending on what your need is.
The pros of waxing
It can cover a lot of territory - i.e., hair - fast. A few zips and even thick unruly brows shape up in seconds.
Ouch factor: we won't lie. While it's not painless, waxing is mercifully fast - like pulling off a band-aid (as fast as possible)
Skin feels ultra-smooth
The cons of waxing
Despite all the do-it-yourself kits on the market, the best results come from professional attention. Your local manicure place probably offers waxing services too for nominal cost.
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a) | It's uncomfortable - but hardly unbearable.
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b) | It can leave skin tender and red if done too often or if the wax is too hot.
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c) | It's hard to control in small areas or if you're just trying to remove a stray hair or two.
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The pros of tweezing
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a) | You can do it yourself - or hand it to a pro
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b) | Ouch factor: Think tiny brief tugs to remove each hair
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c) | You can experiment with subtle differences in shape.
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d) | It's a good choice if you don't need lots of maintenance to keep your brows in shape and they are not too thick or unruly.
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The Cons of Tweezing
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a) | Some women compare it to Chinese water torture as you pluck away, hair by hair. For extra thick, heavy brows it can be daunting procedure |
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b) | A magnifying glass and good eyesight is key to get every hair
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c) | Compared to waxing, it's a slower, more methodical approach.
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A good wax job
Most reputable salons have excellent technicians who can do your waxing in 5-10 minutes so you can get on to other things. Many women combine a brow wax with a facial to accomplish two tasks in one.
How to tell you're getting a good wax job:
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1. | The aesthetician will lie you down under strong lighting and study your brows carefully before she starts. She'll also tell you what she recommends in terms of shaping before she begins and gets your consent. If anything sounds too extreme, tell her now! She'll modify the shaping to something you feel ok with.
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2. | The brows and brow area is cleaned of any makeup.
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3. | The wax is smoothed on generously with a clean spatula. It should be pleasantly warm - not burningly hot.
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4. | The waxing strip is then evenly pressed over the waxed area for a second or two and then, with a firm tug, the technician lifts off the wax and the hair in one smooth movement. Not fun, but it's over fast.
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5. | Now, for the nice part. The technician should pamper and sooth the skin with a mild non-burning antiseptic to bring down redness and lots of moisturizer to sooth away any irritation. Usually any redness disappears in a few minutes. Your skin should never feel raw or painful to touch.
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6. | She may follow up with a tweeze or two to catch any hard-to-reach stragglers.
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7. | She shows you your brows in a mirror to make sure you're happy with the results. Sometimes, the difference can be dramatic but usually you'll simply see a cleaner, more even line rather than an extreme difference. Everyone's brows are different, based on heredity, the shape of the browbone shelf and other facial features including the muscles that give your face it's unique expressions.
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8. | A good technician won't suggest a shape that's not really natural for your brows.
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How to Tweeze and Please
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1. | Pluck brows before bedtime so any redness will be long gone by morning.
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2. | Use a pair of slant edge tweezers that grip hair firmly.
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3. | Comb brows first; one-way and then the other to remove any loose hairs and fluff them up for easier gripping.
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4. | Start with the space above your nose, between your brows and clean that area up. Now move to the under side of each eyebrow and start removing from the inner corner outward. Don't pluck from above the brows --you want all the arch you can get. Work in the direction the hair grows. Grip each hair at the base and pull firmly.
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5. | Don't over do it. Over plucked eyebrows always look artificial and old-fashioned. But if you over do it, don't despair. Hair will grow out in about 3 weeks.
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6. | You can also trim over-long hairs. Brush them so they stand out and trim them with cuticle scissors so all the hairs look uniform in length.
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7. | Need more arch? Look straight ahead into the mirror. Right above your iris is where your natural arch should be. Pluck a little more there to heighten the arch.
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Gone For Good? - Extreme Solutions to Brow Shaping
Lasers and electrolysis. Can be used to remove hair permanently but be sure that's really the way you want to go since they are irreversible. And always pay extra to go to someone who has excellent credentials. Remember, brow styles come and go. (Think of how Madonna's reshaped her brows over the years from deliberately thick and dark to her look today --lighter, slim and arched). Permanent changes close off your options for change in the future.
Brow Tattoo. Not recommended. Not only does it never look natural but again, it closes off options for change in the future and isn't that part of the fun of beauty?
Also, it's unlikely that a reputable aesthetician will ever be willing to do it which could put you at risk of being in the hands of an unskilled amateur.
Shaving. Are you really that desperate? Some women evidently feel that way. They shave off their brows and then pencil in new ones, usually above the natural brow shelf (the bony ridge) that looks totally fake. If you can't manage your brows yourself, it's no disgrace. Go to a brow specialist and ask her to give you a flattering shape then show you how to maintain it in-between visits.
The Art of Brow Coloring and Lightening
Shaping is only part of the story. Defining and enhancing the brows with color is the fun part. Even when you change hair color you probably won't need to drastically change your brow color. Blending in a pencil with auburn tones, for example, can give mousey-brown brows a complementary look with red hair without overdoing it. If your brows are graying, simply feather in a color to complement the shade of your hair color. If your brows are very dark and you go lighter with your hair color, ask your colorist to lighten your brows a few shades at the same time to soften the effect but don't attempt to do it yourself - it's too easy to have the solution fall into your eyes - not a good thing!
How to Apply Brow Color
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1. | Some people prefer brow pencil - its easy to control and great for extending the line of the brow with a few fine strokes. Others like the softer, natural effect of a brow powder. Powder is also great for filing in sparse areas. Either way.
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2. | Apply in small, feathery strokes, like the hair grows, instead of a single hard line, starting at the inner corner of brows and working outwards.
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3. | Blend the color in with a clean brush. To tame stray hairs, a bit of hair gel or Vaseline will keep them in line and add a touch of gloss.
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4. | Dress up brows with a little gold powder brushed through at night. Teens can go to even more extremes with glitter, neon gel colors or appliqués for fun, special effects.
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