e.l.f. Discovery

How to Do Your Eyebrows for Beginners

By Aimee Lubrano

If skin is the canvas, then eyebrows are the frame. Whether highbrow or lowbrow, full, thin, feathered, soft, or bold—the ongoing quest to achieving the perfect brow has been known to raise a few in the process.

Beyond the functional role eyebrows play in filtering and protecting our eyes from dirt, dust, and sweat, brows play a prominent role in framing the face, communicating expressions and emotion, and enhancing features—not to mention helping solidify the perfect makeup look, whichever look you’re trying to achieve.

Brows have been a memorable and impressionable staple of beauty and fashion for decades. Even making a few people famous. From full, bushy, and ungroomed...to lifted, subtle, and sculpted...from skinny, slim, and slender....to crisp, clean, and thick...to feathery, soapy, and laminated. Brows are self-expression, and in the realm of beauty, the gateway to your face.

Regardless of what type of brows you have, it’s essential to master the art of filling them in to achieve natural, beautiful brows for a perfectly put-together look. And thankfully, now we have the perfect tool with e.l.f.’s Instant Lift Waterproof Brow Pencil. Everyone’s favorite eyebrow pencil is getting the waterproof treatment to help make us all full-proof brow masters.

Brows 101: Prep Work

Beautiful brows begin and end with the Spoolie! However, before you begin to step up your brow game, make sure you’re starting off with a perfectly prepped canvas. That means a cleansed and moisturized face first. And, if you’re planning to wear makeup, make sure to complete your makeup application first before going in on the brows! Your brows should be your final pièce de resistance (that’s just fancy French for the “main attraction”).

To prep your brows, start by brushing them upwards with a clean spoolie brush to reveal your brow’s natural shape. This helps you identify the sparse areas or gaps to fill in and what the direction of the hair’s natural growth.

Pick Your Eyebrow Product of Choice

When it comes to eyebrow makeup, the wide array of options available can suit every eyebrow color, need and skill-level imaginable. Choosing between pencils, pomades or gels depends on your personal preference, desired look, and individual brow needs (remember, no two are alike).

If you prefer a quick and easy application process, then stick with a versatile eyebrow pencil that’s perfect for beginners and on-the-go application like our waterproof brow pencil! Just like the name suggests, your brows will get an instant boost to take your brows to the next level. This dual-ended liner has a fine, tapered, precision tip on one side ideal for applying firm, precise applications of budge-resistant color to help fill in sparse areas, plus a spoolie on the other end to help tame and shape brow hairs for a natural-looking finish. Available in a multitude of high-pigmented shades, and now available in a smudge and waterproof formula, this no-skipping, easy-glide application not only allows for perfectly sculpted and bolder definition, but holds like a wax for a long-lasting experience.

Now, if you tend to like a more defined look or prefer a longer-lasting application, then choosing a pomade, cream, gel or wax might be your best bet. Pomades and creams or an ultra-pigmented wax and powder provide intense pigmentation and all-day wear.

Brow gels, on the other hand, are perfect for adding volume for natural-looking eyebrows that wow. You can even use it as a perfect topcoat over brow powder or pencils! This buildable, wax-gel formula uses a fiber-infused tinted gel to give you full, voluminous-looking brows and set unruly brow hairs in place.

The Fine Art of Filling in Brows

The beauty of filling in brows is that you’re the artist—you can build and customize your own desired look whether it’s natural and soft...or dramatic and bold. Depending on your product of choice, remember these fail-proof application tips:

  1. Choose the right shade! Seems like an obvious one, but you’d be surprised at how often people can get it wrong! Whether you select a perfect match or opt for a shade lighter or darker for dimension, make sure you’re in the striking zone when selecting your eyebrow pencil, powder, pomade, wax, or gel.

  2. Less is More...Slow & Steady Wins! Filling in your brows is a buildable process and sometimes requires more than one product to achieve your desired look. Fear not. Just take it slow, one step at a time adding a little at a time. And remember, a little goes a long way.

  3. Follow Your Natural Shape. Unless you’re intentionally wanting a higher arch, or a longer, fuller shape, try and work with your existing, natural shape for a more realistic look and best results.

  1. Use Short, Feathery Strokes. When using pencils, pens, or gels, be light-handed as you apply soft, short, feathery strokes. This allows you to create more realistic, hair-like strokes, which you can add more of as you go. But if you’re using gels, applying short, light-handed strokes backwards against the natural direction of the hair first helps create dimension. Once you do that, just smooth over hairs in the natural direction of the hair for a lifted, voluminous look.

  2. Spoolies + Brows = BFF. When in doubt, spoolie! No matter what product you use, one must start and end with the spoolie brush to help blend the product and hairs together and soften any harsh lines for a seamless, fuller look.

Time to Set Your Brows

You’re there! Perfectly filled in, fuller brows. Now what? It’s time to seal the deal so they stay that way. Finish off your brow game with a clear brow gel to help set your brow hairs in place throughout the day or night and your fuller, filled in brows in top shape! Remember, your brows are the only thing you can get into shape without exercising!

Related Article: 8 Steps to a Laminated Brow Look