Looking like a less glamorous Frieda Kahlo at the moment?
Are you the hairiest you’ve ever been, like you’re embracing a belated Januhairy?
Don’t worry, you’re not alone. The coronavirus lockdown has meant our usual salons and waxing places are closed for business and we have to deal with our body hair by ourselves.
If you’re the kind of person who’s not used to holding a thread, tweezers, or wax because you prefer to have it done for you, then now is the time to learn.
Let’s start with a smaller patch of hair – the eyebrows.
Beauty brand Cosmetify has some tips on how to handle your brows at home, including how to find your natural shape, how to tint, and things to avoid.
They advise not to have any traces of brow pencils, gels or powders or anything oily or greasy, such as self-tanners or serums before doing your brows.
And much like any professional beauty treatment that involves dye, it’s also important to carry out a patch test. This is so you can match the tint to your natural brow colour and prevent any skin reactions.
As for the don’ts; never pluck, wax or thread eyebrows before applying tint, as this leaves follicles and pores open and can cause irritation.
How can you figure out your natural shape and size?
To determine the length, hold a pencil up to one of your nostrils and point it straight up towards your forehead. This indicates where your brow should start. Turn the pencil diagonally, still holding it in line with your nostril to figure out where your brow should end, ensuring it is past your eye’s outer corner.
As for the shape, take the pencil you were using before, holding it next to your nostril at a 45-degree angle. This indicates where your natural arch should begin. Your pencil should just be going past your pupil, pointing exactly to where the brow arch should be.
Which areas of the brow should be targeted when plucking to give a clean and neat look?
When plucking your eyebrows, stick to rogue hairs in the middle of your brows, under the brow bone and around the eyelid. For the ultimate neat look try drawing your preferred shape and use it as a guideline on where to pluck the hairs.
How often should I be plucking my eyebrows to maintain and keep them tidy but also avoid over-plucking?
Stay away from daily plucking. For a neat and tidy look, take your tweezers out every three days or so, but this depends on how quickly your hair grows back.
What are some waxing tips? Should I avoid it altogether?
Waxing helps your hair grow back less frequently and there’s less risk of in-grown hairs which means you can say goodbye to daily shaving.
There are DIY waxing kits available at supermarkets and pharmacies with instructions on how you can achieve the look. Follow it carefully and maybe get some advice from a trusted friend or an experienced person on what to use and how.
How do I know what colour to dye my brows for my hair/skin tone?
A general rule of thumb to follow when choosing a brow dye is to go at least one to two shades darker than your natural hair colour, if you have a lighter hair colour.
Dark brown and black hair tones should do the opposite and opt for a colour that is one to two shades lighter for a more natural, flattering finish.
Tweezing is generally easier as you can pull out exactly the hairs you want but those wanting to get smaller hairs out at once can try to thread, if they’re feeling brave.
Threading can also be applied to the upper lip and may be more effective than tweezing out individual hairs which tend to be smaller here.
And if you want to wax – just be warned, you can end up burning the skin as it’s sensitive.
There are plenty of tutorials available on YouTube like the one above that does a good job of explaining how beginners can start threading.
And if you do thread an area you didn’t mean to, the good news is you won’t be leaving the house for a long time. The average eyebrow growth cycle is five to seven weeks (but shorter in some cases).
So chances are, we’ll still be in lockdown.
And if you are doing a Zoom call, you can always colour it in so no one detects a thing.
