With so many salons being closed, women all over are being forced to deal with their untamed, wild brows alone at home. This might seem especially intimidating if you like a more complex brow shape, or if you religiously go to a salon to get your brows waxed.
Lucky for you, there are plenty of eyebrow waxing kits and other resources available to get you through this stressful time. Bunker down and familiarize yourself with everything related to eyebrow waxing before you start, so that you can learn of potential downfalls, and figure out what brands are the most effective for your specific purposes. Here are our favorite eyebrow waxing tips of all time to save you from that unibrow.
Let them grow out
Before we suggest any tools to purchase, let your brows grow out long enough so that you have enough of a canvas to work with. If you don’t wait long enough, you risk a potential brow disaster. The right length should be a minimum of 1/8 – 1/4 of an inch to allow for proper waxing. If it’s shorter than that, wax won’t hold onto the hair, and you’ll be left with a botched and painful mess.
Additionally, the longer you grow out your brows, the better you’ll be able to decipher your natural shape. Consider whether you want a straight or arched shape, and whether you prefer full or thin brows. Most importantly, understand your shape and thickness and realize that you can’t recreate your eyebrow shape entirely.
Find your eyebrow waxing shape
To find the beginning of your brow, hold a brow pencil straight up, starting at the middle of each nostril. Mark this spot before pivoting the pencil to the outside of your iris, which will be the arch. The end, or tail, is where the pencil swings to meet your eye’s outer corner.
There are lots of different eyebrow waxing shapes to choose from – you can go more natural, or opt for big and bold brows, but remember to go with your face’s natural flow.
How to wax eyebrows
Begin with the bottom of your eyebrow, pressing your wax strip in the direction that your hair grows. Pull in the opposite direction, and do it as quickly as possible for best results. Never peel it off slowly.
For the training wheels version, draw your desired shape in with eyeliner, following it up by waxing stray hairs along the outside of the lines. This can be done with hard wax, wax for sensitive skin, store-bought strips, or even a homemade sugaring recipe. If venturing to make your own sugaring or wax recipe is still too scary, invest in an eyebrow waxing kit.
Eyebrow waxing kits
An eyebrow waxing kit is a great way to start out, or to invest in even if you’re a seasoned DIY eyebrow waxer. Consider purchasing an affordable eyebrow waxing kit like Nad’s Body Wax Strips, a hypoallergenic option for all skin types, including sensitive skin. It comes with 24 wax strips (significantly more than other value brands) and has exceptional quality. This kit also comes with four calming oil wipes. Wax softens easily when warmed up with a hairdryer, although it cane be used without a warmer. Cut the strips to customize further for brows. Sally Hansen also offers a stripless face waxing formula.
Shaping up with eyebrow waxing pencil
If your brows need additional shaping up, don’t stab at them with a tweezer or keep waxing, and risk overdoing it. That’s what eyebrow waxing pencils are for. These pencils often come in a clear, lightweight wax that works for all hair colors, and helps to shape brows while holding them in place and smoothing them with precision. You can tame flyaways daily with this pencil to refresh that groomed look. Eyebrow wax pencils are truly versatile, and can be used in more ways that eyebrow gel, which often hardens and creates a crunchy look.
Aftercare
Aftercare is just as important as planning, prepping, and waxing! No one wants to finish the job with angry and bumpy skin around the brows. Consider using a soothing oil or gel, which many waxing kits already come with. If creating your own, try to use aloe vera gel or something with naturally soothing properties, such as green tea. Avoid wearing makeup, perfumed products, or exercise for 24 hours.
We hope these eyebrow waxing tips prove useful to your beauty routine and prevent you from ruining those beautiful brows. When we all come out of this social break, you’ll be looking like you just came from the salon!