e.l.f. Discovery

8 STEPS TO A LAMINATED BROW LOOK

Jeanette Crutchfield

One of the biggest eyebrow makeup trends is brow lamination. But what are laminated brows? How do you get laminated brows? What tools do you need? What is the best brow gel to get this look? Don’t be scared by everything you’ve read out there. A brow lamination look is easier than you think and we’re here to debunk the mysteries of laminated eyebrows.

Lamination uses a clear eyebrow gel to give an overall lifted look of your eyebrows as well as set your brow hairs for all day hold. This technique gives you the feathered look of microblading without the use of needles or other invasive treatments. Instead of using a regular brow gel, it uses a lamination gel to give hairs a super strong hold.

Laminating is not just for those blessed with luscious bushy brows though. Anyone looking for natural looking brows can do this technique to get their best brow ever. Even those with sparse areas in their brows can get more defined brows using brow lamination.

So, what do you need to get this laminated look? First and most importantly, you will need a clear eyebrow gel that’s labeled for soap brows or lamination (e.l.f. Brow Lift is perfect for this and just won the Allure Magazine Best of Beauty Award for 2022!). These types of products are designed to help get that laminated look. These are the best eyebrow gels to really tame stray hairs, hold them in place all day and help make your brows more smudge proof. Other things you will need is something to fill in sparse areas of your brows (eyebrow pencil, pen, or powder), a concealer, and your favorite long wear makeup setting mist. For tools, you will want one of those brow lift applicators with a spoolie on one end and a flat metal spatula on the other. Having the special tool really helps make application quicker, smoother, and easier. Other tools needed are a concealer brush, tweezers, and cuticle scissors.

HOW TO LAMINATE YOUR BROWS:

  • Step 1: Pat the skin and hairs dry around the brow area. This doesn’t seem like a big deal, however it can make or break how well your eyebrows get laminated as well as how long the look will last.

  • Step 2: Use the spoolie end of your brow lift applicator with NO product on it to brush your brow hairs up and out. You don’t style your hair without brushing it first. You don’t laminate your brows without brushing the brow hairs first. This helps the brow gel go on smoother.

  • Step 3: Put a small amount of the clear brow gel on the spoolie end and brush your brow hairs up and out positioning the hairs to get an eyebrow lift. It’s important to use as a little gel as possible so that it can actually dry down and hold your brows. If you put too much gel on, your brows WILL look gloppy and gooey and you will have to start over.

  • PRO TIP: Keep a pair of cuticle scissors nearby during this step. Once you start laminating your brows you WILL find hairs that need to be trimmed.

  • Step 4: Once your brows are in place (and before the gel dries), use the flat side of the brow lift tool to gently press the hairs flat against the skin. This is when you can also reposition any brows using either the flat side of the brow lift tool or a good pair of tweezers.

  • Step 5 (most important step): LET IT DRY! Unless you want to redo your brows, let them dry and set before filling in any sparse areas. This is part of the lamination process! Once your laminated brows are dry, then you can move onto the next step.

  • Step 6: Using a brow pencil or a brow pen, fill in sparse areas by drawing individual brow hairs where needed. If using a brow powder, dampen the brush first to make sure you are drawing very fine hairs rather than just shading in the brows. The idea is to get a microbladed look.

  • PRO TIP: Draw in your brow hairs in an up and out direction rather than down. It keeps the look lifted and minimizes the chance of product getting gooey and cakey.

  • Step 7: Define the edges of your eyebrows with a bit of concealer. Using a flat concealer brush, blend a bit of concealer above and below the brows to give a good edge to them.

  • PRO TIP: Concealer too difficult to use? Use the flat concealer brush with your favorite tinted face powder to help define the edges of your brows. This method also helps control any oil or shine that might threaten your gorgeous brows later in the day.

  • Step 8: When you’re done with your entire makeup look and you set it with your setting mist, add an extra quick spritz to your brows to keep them beautifully laminated all day long.

Laminated brows do take some practice to get them right, but once you’ve nailed the technique, you can get perfectly laminated, natural looking brows anytime you want. No appointments or needles required.