Here are some pictures from Kristin’s wedding to Royce in Pietermaritzburg. These gorgeous photos are courtesy of MAD Photo & Design.
Kristin was looking for a very natural, classic makeup look that would not age in photographs. This look was easy to achieve with such a gorgeous lass, and those big baby blues!
We wish Kristin and Royce all of the very best for their future.
The “No Brow” look. Only acceptable on the runway, if that.
Today we are going to talk about, what seem to be, the red headed step child of many a woman’s make up application… ‘Brows!
I myself have been guilty of this crime (shock, horror, gasp!) having altogether forgotten to enhance my very fair brows and as a consequence, had them absolutely disappear in photographs.
Those of us lucky enough to have been blessed with dark haired loveliness are just as guilty of applying foundation and powder over them and neglecting to even run a brow brush through them before leaving the mirror.
How not to enhance your brows. Too solid and too thin a line.
Lastly, there are also those of us who are too heavy handed and end up looking like we have stencilled them on with a permanent marker.
Not sexy, ladies. Not sexy at all.
Eyebrows really are frames for our eyes and to use the blackest of black pencils and solid lines is to do them a grand disservice.
You wouldn’t hang an expensive piece of art in a cheap black plastic frame, so why do that to your eyes?
There is a wealth of information on shaping your brows, The Beauty Department does a fabulous and easy to follow tutorial.
If you are in any doubt or you have accidentally savaged your brows with over zealous tweezing, I recommend you get referrals to a good brow shaping professional and visit her once every three to six months, depending on how thick your brows are or how coarse your hair is, for maintenance.
I am a big fan of threading. It’s kinder to the skin than smearing hot wax on your delicate eye area, not to mention the savage ripping off of said wax and it provides a vastly cleaner line than tweezing.
Once your brows have been expertly shaped to beautifully frame your eyes, you need to get to your favourite make up counter and get yourself a brow pencil, brow shadow or even a brow gel.
Bobbi Brown–by now we know she is one of my favourite lines–has all three different types of brow enhancers and you are guaranteed to find your perfect match. My absolute favourite is the brow gel which comes in a little bottle with a shorter mascara type wand. It colours and combs in one easy step.
I also find a brow pencil very easy to work with but you need to be careful that you don’t draw but rather ‘feather’ in your brows using short, light strokes. You could also run the tip of the pencil, holding the pencil parallel to your face, against the direction of hair growth. This will colour your hair but not your skin, ensuring a very natural look.
Lauren Conrad shows us how it’s done right.
When selecting the colour, always go for a shade lighter than you think you need. Even ladies with the darkest of hair should steer clear of black and rather use a dark brown. Remember we want to enhance the brow to give you a polished look and show off your eyes, not make your brows the main feature of your face for all the wrong reasons.
Of course if you have neither the time or inclination you have the option of tinting your brows, just remember to comb out some of the foundation and powder and perhaps keep a pencil around to touch up when the colour fades between appointments.
Yet another option that exists for those of us who have little to no brows, is tattooing. I have seen some beautiful work on women who have lost more than 80% of their brow hair to various factors, one being menopause. Before choosing this method I would suggest taking a look at a few tattooists and include in your research photos of recent and older clients so that you can get a sense of how their work ages.
Don’t rush into it or consult with only one person, this is your face we are speaking of. All tattoos are a lifetime commitment–even if you choose laser removal you will have a scar–and undertaking a tattoo procedure on your face is not something you should leave to a novice or undertake lightly.
Whatever method of brow enhancement you choose, abide by the less is more rule and don’t overdo it.
I hope you found this post useful. Thank you for stopping by!
Until next time, stay beautiful!
Sharon is a beautiful woman and made an even more beautiful bride on her wedding day. Helping her to create a classical yet slightly muted look for her and her five bridesmaids was a lot of fun!
You will recognise Lauren, a previous bridal client of mine, in Sharon’s bridal retinue.
Sharon married in Ballito, just outside of Durban, on The Rain Farm. We achieved a very classical look for Sharon, keeping her eyes bright and her lip a soft pink, letting her natural beauty radiate.
For her bridesmaids we smoked up the liner but kept it clean and I used a slightly mauve neutral lip.
We were very lucky with the weather too as there was no harsh sunlight and neither was there any rain. The misty hills surrounding the venue were lush and green providing the most beautiful backdrop for Sharon’s photos.
Make Me Up 