IN PURSUIT OF FULL BROWS

The perfect face-framers can change your appearance dramatically. So up your brow game with these expert tips and tools for Asian brows.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

The perfect face-framers can change your appearance dramatically. So up your brow game with these expert tips and tools for Asian brows.

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#1 Golden Rules

Eyebrows give your face definition, frame your features and can pull your look together – or apart. 

However, they are not one-shape-fits-all. Most brow shapes generally work with an oval face, while arched brows can make a round face appear more oval, and flat, straight brows with a low arch can help balance out a long face, says Apple Loo, senior trainer at Browhaus. 

“Your-brow-to-eye distance is very important. If the arch is too high, you may look perpetually astounded. If  it’s too close to the eyelid, you’ll look chronically exhausted, especially if you have single eyelids. The ideal distance between your brow and upper eyelid should be about the width of your middle finger.” 

#2 Size Matters

Your brows should complement your face, not overwhelm it. Strong Cara-Delevingne-esque brows are too overpowering for those with small faces – thick brows make the face appear smaller, explains Bernice Wong, co-founder of Dainty Beaute – or eyes, so opt for something thinner and more refined. 

Note, though, that over-plucking your brows can damage hair follicles over time – they may never grow back to their previous lushness. If in doubt, get them trimmed by a professional. Try threading at Browhaus, whereby a thin thread is rolled over unwanted hair to remove follicles, or waxing at Benefit Brow Bar, where a soft wax is applied to remove stray strands and dead skin cells. 

#3 A Balancing Act

The inner corners, arches and tips of your brows should be well balanced to create a sense of harmony, says Cecilia Chng, founder of Cecilia Chng Beauty. 

“Like the body, most people tend to use one side of the face more, so facial muscles and expressions are more pronounced on that side. This asymmetry becomes more obvious as we get older,” she says. “A good brow expert can correct this imbalance by shaping your brows accordingly and restoring harmony to your face.”

#4 Groom Or Doom

Cecilia recommends getting your brows professionally shaped every few months and taming strays at home.

Use a nude pencil to trace the outline of your brows, then pluck away strays outside it, says makeup artist Larry Yeo.

But mistake brow length for volume, and you’ll inevitably over-pluck. To avoid that, “comb your brows downwards and trim excess hair before plucking away unwanted strands,” advises Bernice.

#5 Let’s Get Shady

Your brow colour should not differ too much from that of your hair. “Pick a brow gel one or two shades lighter than your hair colour to soften the look,” says Larry. “If you tend to press harder when using a brow pencil, opt for one two or three shades lighter for a more natural-looking result.” 

Stick to shades of brown and dark blonde. Grey is only useful for feathering – the use of small, “hair-like” strokes to fill in brows, creating a 3-D effect – or for those with tan skin and pitch-black hair, he explains. 

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From left to right: 1 to 10
SHAPE-SHIFTERS

So easy to use, nothing beats classic pencils and crayons when it comes to filling in over-trimmed brows, correcting sparse spots and fine-tuning your brow shape.

1. Estee Lauder The Brow Multi-tasker (in four shades), $46.

2. Make Up For Ever Brow Pencil Precision Brow Sculptor (in five shades), $30.

3. Urban Decay Brow Beater Microfine Brow Pencil and Brush (in four shades), $33.

4. Heavy Rotation Fiber Double-ended Eyebrow (in two shades), $19.90. 

5. Shiseido Eyebrow Styling Duo (in four shades), $50.

6. Etude House Drawing Eye Brow Duo (in five shades), $13.90.

7. Maybelline Fashion Brow Ultra Fluffy (in four shades), $13.90.

8. Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil (in six shades), $42.

9. Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil (in six shades), $42. 

10. Maybelline Fashion Brow Pomade Crayon (in four shades), $16.90. 

From left to right: 1 to 8
From left to right: 1 to 8
TAME THE FLUFF

Brow mascaras can help tidy up unruly brows, conceal grey hair, and soften your look with lighter brown tints or give your face more definition with darker brown tints.

1. Maybelline Brow Precise Fiber Volumizer (in two shades), $17.90.

2. Estee Lauder Brow Now Volumizing Brow Tint (in four shades), $40.

3. Elizabeth Arden Statement Brow Brow Gel (in four shades), $36. 

4. Make Up For Ever Brow Gel (in five shades), $32.

5. Rimmel Brow This Way Brow Styling Gel (in four shades), $12.90.

6. Tom Ford Beauty Fiber Brow Gel (in four shades), $65.

7. Etude House Color My Brows (in five shades), $12.90.

8. Benefit Gimme Brow Brow-volumizing Fiber Gel (in three shades), $42. 

PHOTOGRAPHY BRENDAN ZHANG, ASSISTED BY DAWN LIM

CREATIVE DIRECTION JEANETTE EJLERSEN

MAKEUP SHA SHAMSI

MODEL SIJIA/MANNEQUIN

PRODUCT PHOTOS VEE CHIN