Excessively bushy eyebrows can be troublesome, sure, but at least they provide something to work with; a carving stone to sculpt as you so choose. For those with thin eyebrows — or God forbid, no eyebrows at all — their options are much less straightforward, and not taking action can leave them looking like they stood too close to a bonfire. There is, however, this convenient thing called makeup, and man or woman, you can use it to bolster your brows.
“It’s totally fine to use brow products if you have thin eyebrows and feel self-conscious about them,” says Bob Plain, Chief Operating Officer at Billion Dollar Brows. “Brow products can help fill in sparse brows without anyone knowing that you’re trying to thicken them up.”
As for where to start, Plain says, “If you’re just looking to lightly fill in your sparse brows, I’d recommend using a brow pencil. They’re the easiest product to control: Just gently fill in your brows using hair-like brush strokes until you get the look you’re going for. You don’t have to worry about your brows looking drawn-on or overdone using a pencil — just wipe off any product you don’t want if they become too dark or ‘drawn-on’ for your liking. Once you’ve applied the product, gently blend the product into your brows using a spoolie brush (most brow pencils should have a brush on the other end of the pencil). You’ll need this to achieve the most natural look.”
If you think your eyebrows need even more filling in — say you have extremely blonde brows or hardly any hairs up there at all — Plain says, “You could also apply a brow pomade to your brows. These generally apply darker and thicker to your brows, so a little will go a long way. You’ll also need some type of brow brush to apply this product. The upside of a brow pomade is that it tends to last a little longer than a brow pencil and provides more of a color payoff.” It also, however, can end up looking a lot more like blatant makeup than a subtle boosting of your natural brows.
If you choose to use a brow pencil or brow pomade, when it comes to applying, a good bet is to mostly stay within the confines of your natural eyebrows, or else your brows (and face) may end up looking a bit wonky. And if you have any hesitation about using these products because they feel “girly” or whatever, consider this: “No matter which product you choose — or don’t choose — it’s totally a personal choice on what you want to do with your brows and your overall appearance,” Plain says. “Ultimately, if having thicker brows makes you feel better, then go for it. In 2020, we need to find happiness wherever we can, and if that comes in the form of a thicker brow line, then, man, bump up those brows.”
Yeah, what he said!