#model brow

We sat down with celebrity eyebrow specialist Elke Von Freudenberg to get the skinny on eyebrow makeup. Brow makeup has been steadily working its way into more and more makeup routines and is increasingly seen as an essential in women’s daily arsenals. Read on to learn more from one of the industry’s experts: 

Why should someone use brow makeup?

Elke: The majority of the time, people are using eyebrow makeup to fill in spaces. They’re not really using it to “create a look” so to speak. Its more used to fix a problem. Clients ask me about how they can make eyebrows grow faster and get thicker. 

What type of products would you recommend?

Elke: If its clear, brow gel is great for thin eyebrows. It works best on eyebrows that are weaker and thinner just because that hair doesn’t need much hold. For a brow thats thicker and heavy (for most brunettes), a wax will give more hold. Colored brow gel is more to color the brow and color the hair. It does give a little bit of control, but its great for filling in spaces, and its the fastest to put on. Its the most natural-looking eyebrow makeup you’ll see.

Do you have any favorite products?

Elke: I have my own line of products. I have several brushes, my favorite is the spoolie brush. It’s a mascara wand, but this is made super soft because you’re brushing it on your skin. It blends any makeup that you have on the brow so it looks much more natural. My colored brow gels go the fastest. 

Is there a process to applying the colored gel?

Elke: For the brows, you want to add color. The formulation is much thinner than a mascara. The trick is, when you take the wand out of the tube, scrape everything off the wand. You just want the bare minimum on the wand, then brush it through the brows in the direction the eyebrows are going. You’re not packing it on. When it dries, take a clean spoolie and brush it off the skin. If you brush it and blend it in the direction that the eyebrows are going, what happens is that you’re keeping the product in the brow. If you follow the directions that the hairs are going, you can’t goof up.  That’s it - you’re done!

What should people with thinner eyebrows use?

Elke: The gel would be good if they have light or blonde hair growing in, to get the hairs to show up. But I think if they want a thicker-looking eyebrow, I would do more of a pencil. You can kind of make it look a little thicker if you draw above the brow and a little but below the brow, you can get it looking about two more rows of hair thicker.

What are your thoughts on upcoming brow trends?

Elke: The heavy, made-up brow is on its way out. The stenciled brow, out. I don’t care what Instagram says! The completely natural looking, Brook Shields, thick full hairs - that’s what we’re going to see. I also have 4-5 clients coming in a week asking for a straight brow. It’s a little more stern, and its also a little bolder-looking too.