Never underestimate the power of a good ‘brow (or a good hair removal product). Eyebrows frame the face, and as my eyebrow threader once told me, they “can make a pretty woman look ugly, or an ugly woman look pretty.” Anastasia, a celebrity-favorite who is known as the “Eyebrow Queen,” is now bringing her expertise to the masses with a new kit for HSN.

Oprah let Anastasia give her a proper eyebrow job and the results were jaw dropping.  Don’t let your eyebrows drag you down; grab one of Anastasia’s new kits for HSN.

The Anastasia Beverly Hills 5 Elements Brow Kit ($58.50, down from $65) comes with the 5 eyebrow maintenance must-haves: tweezers, stencils, brush, brow powder, brow gel – plus a super cute case to stash them in. Never be left with gnarly, old-man eyebrows again – nobody wants to see that.

My secret weapon are these Shobha Rosewater Freshening cloths ($9), which sooth and calm facial skin after any type of hair removal – waxing, threading, you name it. Rosewater is the key ingredient – look for it in your post-hair removal products.

Check out our other top-rated hair removal products, then get more beauty fixes with our guides to the best mascara, best eye cream and the products for dry hair repair.

Luckily, there are
plenty of products out there tailored to your exact brow needs. We already told you about Tarte's The Toolbox, but below are three other options for keeping the brows in check. 

1. The two shades housed
in Laura
Mercier Brow Powder Duo ($30) can be used separately or blended together to
achieve your exact color match.  They can
also be applied dry for a more natural look (which is what I prefer), or if
your brows are seriously sparse, you can wet it for more saturated
coverage. 

2. If your brows are like mine (naturally full, but a little
unruly without some help) try Three Custom Color Specialists
Brow Gel ($18.50).  It looks and
applies a little bit like a clear mascara, but it won’t flake off—it’ll just
lock your brows where you want them. It
comes in tinted, too.    

3. What sets Clinique
Superfine Liner for Brows ($13) apart from a garden variety brow pencil is
the seriously miniscule point on this thing—you can practically draw on
individual hairs.  It’s a twist-up pencil
too, so no more worrying about having to constantly sharpen it to avoid a
really thick (a.k.a. fake looking) line. 
 

]]> http://www.shefinds.com/2009/when-it-comes-to-creating-the-perfectly-groomed-brow-youve-got-options-use-them/feed/ 0 http://www.shefinds.com/2009/when_it_comes_to_creating_the_perfectly_groomed_brow_youve_got_options/ http://www.shefinds.com/2009/when_it_comes_to_creating_the_perfectly_groomed_brow_youve_got_options/#comments Sun, 17 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000 SheFindsKatieN http://shefinds.localhost?p=9815 Read more...]]>

I’m a firm believer in the importance of good
brow grooming.  It might be one of the
first things to get axed from your beauty routine when you’re short on time,
but it shouldn’t be, because it makes a huge difference in how polished and
together you look.  Luckily, there are
plenty of products out there tailored to your exact brow needs.

No more settling for “eh, close enough”…the two shades housed
in Laura
Mercier Brow Powder Duo ($24) can be used separately or blended together to
achieve your exact color match.  They can
also be applied dry for a more natural look (which is what I prefer), or if
your brows are seriously sparse, you can wet it for more saturated
coverage. 

If your brows are like mine (naturally full, but a little
unruly without some help) try Three Custom Color Specialists
Brow Gel ($18.50).  It looks and
applies a little bit like a clear mascara, but it won’t flake off—it’ll just
lock your brows where you want them.  It
comes in tinted, too.    

What sets Clinique
Superfine Liner for Brows ($13) apart from a garden variety brow pencil is
the seriously miniscule point on this thing—you can practically draw on
individual hairs.  It’s a twist-up pencil
too, so no more worrying about having to constantly sharpen it to avoid a
really thick (a.k.a. fake looking) line. 
 

What: Tarte's The Toolbox: Brow Know-How Set, $32

Why: The first thing Tarte's Brow Know-How Set instructs you to do is measure the proper length of your eyebrows with a pencil. Well, this was enlightening in an embarrassing way, as I realized one brow is oddly longer than the other, and apparently has been that way for much of my adult life. That aside, the rest of the instructions and tools in this quaint kit proved to be quite helpful. 

There are three stencils, brow gel, wax, powder, a pencil, and tweezers. The instructions are brief, but thorough, so you're not involved in an in-depth tutorial. Although I didn't end up tweezing off the left side of my face, I did use the wax and powder to fill in gaps. And the gel was great at keeping everything in place.

My only qualm was with the stencils. Their shapes were fine, but it took an awkward hand-arched-over-head position to keep steady. It would have been nice to have them adhere around the brow while I was toiling away.

Get Yours: beauty.com

Plus, they make packing for trips as simple as throwing a palette into your carry-on – and they’re usually cheaper than buying all the products separately.

Always confused about where to put which eyeshadow? Neutrogena Nourishing Eye Quads ($10) and Avon Eye Artist Eyeshadow Trio ($6) take out the guesswork by telling you where each shade should go. Plus, you get multiple colors for a minimal price.

If you want to extend time between brow waxings – or will be away on vacation for a week – Tarte’s Toolbox Brow Know-How Eyebrow Kit ($18) has everything you need: tweezers, stencils, powder, wax and brow gel, all in a tiny handbag-friendly case.

Moving on to lips and face, It Cosmetics’ My Naughty Mouth Set ($69) contains everything you need to make lips look plumper, teeth look whiter, and keep lip color where it should be (i.e. not in the fine lines around your mouth). For a whole-face look, just follow the illustrated instructions that come with Sonia Kashuk’s How To Create The Bronzed Face palette ($20).

And finally, if you’re set on shelling out for fewer bikini waxes (or just want to give someone a not-so-subtle hint with a neatly groomed arrow), the ReadyBetty Styling Kit ($15) contains cream hair remover that’s safe for your bikini line, plus stencils and scissors.

Inauguration Day finally came in all its glory, and most pundits are just ramping up for the long haul. However, there are a few Michelle Obama critics (now First Lady Michelle Obama critics) who'll have one fewer thing to harp on: her over-arching brows. Looking at the photos, Michelle on the campaign trail (left) has a higher arch, but yesterday, in her lovely Toledo ensemble, Michelle appeared with a softer brow.

According to an article in Monday's Chicago Tribune, Obama's makeup artist, Ingrid Grimes-Myles, started to gradually train Michelle's brows to grow lower. And while Grimes-Myles does admit to using Tweezerman tweezers, she's keeping mum on the types of powders and pencils she uses. Alas, we figured that since she slipped up and revealed using a MAC lip pencil on Obama, the MAC brow shader ($16) was a safe bet. Even if she doesn't use it, I do, and find it perfect for filling and shaping.

If you're in the same boat as Michelle, a good place to start would be with a brow stencil. Brow maven Anastasia makes an excellent All About Brows Kit ($75) that includes four different stencils, brow powder, and gel (among other essential goodies). The stencils are key, though, in getting your brows into shape. There may be a few difficult months in there, but that's what the highlighter pencil's for (camouflage), and if the First Lady can do it…

Not ready to take that extreme of a plunge? Keep your arches golden — and resist the urge to take them past the point of no return — by investing in a shaping kit from Anastasia of Beverly Hills ($75). Anastasia's kit contains stencils to keep you in line and prevent overplucking, natural-looking powder liners, and an invisible gel to banish patchiness.

And if nabbing those little hairs below the brow line is what always gets you in trouble, pick up a Trim & Shape Brow Grooming Tool from Ardell ($3.50 for three). The razor-like blade in shaped to pick up those fine strays without messing with your actual brows.

There are basically four tools to pick from if you want a quickie, one-step brow shape-up: pencils, powders, waxes or gels. Traditional pencils, like Dianne Brill's Eye Lingerie Dual Brow Pencil ($24) are easy-to-operate precision tools that let you fill in patches with small, swift strokes and allow you to trace along your natural arch. Stick to pencils if you've got a steady hand and if your arch shape is easy to identify. Don't go too heavy—drawn-on brows (especially thin, too-perfect ones) are just as bad as bushy brows.

Pick a tinted brow powder or wax, like Benefit's Brow Zings ($30), for the most un-made up look. Brow Zings' split palette contains a contouring wax and a complementary setting powder for a one-two punch of arch support. Choose a powder that's one shade darker than your hair color and pat it into your brows with an angled, stiff-bristled brush, following the natural direction of hair growth. You can get a long-handled brush from Bare Escentuals ($24) if the brush that comes with your kit is too stumpy and you want more control. Lorac Brow Wax ($16) is another no-nonsense option you can smooth on with your fingers or a Q-tip. After trimming brows (go easy—it's always better to trim too little than too much!), use your index fingers and smooth up and outward, starting at the insides of your brows by your nose. One quick slick and voila! Brow beauty.

Brow gels are another simple way to go. They're the best option for extending the life of salon-perfect brows after you've had a professional wax or thread job you want to maintain. Benefit's Speed Brow ($16) and Paula Dorf's Brow Gel ($19) work just like mascara for your arches. Sweep it on and let it set for a sleek look (think of what hair gel does for your ponytail). In a pinch, a bit of good old fashioned Vaseline will work, too.

If your brows are more of a mess than a single makeup product can cure, you may want to invest in a whole-hog brow shaping kit to clean up your arch act. Anastasia of Beverly Hills, browmaster to the stars, has cleverly packaged her tools of the trade into one chic Brow Shaping Set ($75) that includes two-toned brow powder, a two-ended shaping and filling brush, brow gel, a highlighting pencil, tweezers, and four foolproof eyebrow stencils. (Just need a little color-inside-the-lines assistance? Get Anastasia's Stencil Kit for $20). Tarte's Toolbox ($32) is a pocket-sized version of Anastasia's kit, with mini brushes, gel, tweezers, stencils and a pencil tucked into a tiny palette. And if you feel more comfortable leaving it to the pros, have a little touch-up kit on hand. Bliss Poetic Brow Shaping Sugar Wax kit ($40) comes with easy-to-apply sugar wax, muslin strips, and calming gel to target the little bite of waxing.

1. Bright Lids: Channel the '60s flower child brights with a Sephora Brand Colorful Duo Eyeshadow Palette ($16). 

2. Stained Lips: A subtle cherry stain is really chic for spring. Stila's Cherry Crush Lip & Cheek Stain ($24) gives great long-lasting color.

3. Rosy Cheeks: We're not talking hard core blush or anything but just a little pink can really make you look alive. If you're nervous about applying color to your cheeks, try a little SuedeBlush by Cargo ($24) which is a mixture of three blush colors to make it look more natural.

4. Thick Brows: I'm glad the full brows trend is sticking around. I'm tired of seeing so many girls walking around with super skinny, over-plucked brow lines. Don't let them go completely wild, though; keep them maintained with the Anastasia Tweezers Anonymous Set ($55). 

5. Straight Strands: I guess the pancake-flat look is back again (personally I think curls are more fun for spring but hey, who am I to question the trends). If you don't have a flat iron already, the T3 Mini ($119) is a great compact tool for sleek and frizz-free locks.