Greying and thinning eyebrows. These are two of the most common beauty-related complaints that I get when I talk to the women in our community. Fortunately, my good friend and celebrity makeup artist, Ariane Poole, is here to help!
Do You Have Thinning or Greying Eyebrows?
By our age, for the most part, we have learned to accept our aging bodies. Most of us smile knowingly – or even have a little chuckle – when we notice a new sign of the aging process.
At the same time, we still want to present our best selves to the world. Contrary to what many people think, women over 60 still care about their appearance. We are saying no to invisibility and experimenting with new makeup techniques and clothing styles.
Eyebrows are somewhat of a mystery. They frame our eyes and give character to our faces. But, as we age, they have a tendency to become a little “higgledy-piggledy.” They also turn grey with time, sometimes on a completely different schedule than the rest of our hair!
If this sounds like your eyebrows, Ariane has some advice.
What to Do When Your Eyebrows Go All “Higgledy-Piggledy”
Getting your eyebrows into shape is the first step. To do this, Ariane suggests using an eyebrow gel. This could be a little brow brush like the one I discovered from Essence. Benefit also does a great version with their 24-Hour Brow Setter Clear Brow Gel.
Another option is to use a little bit of hairspray on a toothbrush. Make sure that you store it in a different place than you keep your regular toothbrush to avoid obvious issues!
Like me, Ariane remembers the old days when this technique was used by celebrities. But if it doesn’t work perfectly for you, consider getting your eyebrows trimmed.
What to Do with Greying Eyebrows
Ariane points out that the “grey” hairs are actually white. When they start to appear in your eyebrows, her first piece of advice is not to pluck them.
If you have already started to do this, don’t worry! You’re not alone! From now on, just try to cover them up, rather than pulling them out.
Gimme Brow by Benefit covers the grey gently. Stila also does some fantastic felt tip pens.
Dealing with Thinning Eyebrows
When it comes to thinning eyebrows, Ariane’s new product line may be just what you are looking for. It’s called Brow Balm and it comes in 3 shades.
This product includes a brush that you can use to fill in the places where your eyebrows are thinning. Remember that your face will probably become a bit more delicate as you age, so you don’t want to make your eyebrows too thin.
While there is no magic product guaranteed to meet every woman’s beauty and skincare needs, it’s important to know what to look for in a brow color to achieve the results you want. Sephora carries a number of great brow products including Brow Builder and GimmeBrow that add thickness to thinning brows.
Many women over 60 sport a natural salt and pepper look and wonder what shade they should use on their brows. Ariane loves a Bobbi Brown mascara wand in the color “slate” that brings out the perfect balance of dark and light in brows that naturally compliment a salt and pepper head of hair.
Dealing with Specific Brow Challenges After 60
Since not all women are created the same, you may have a specific brow-related issue. The video above discusses the fact that women with platinum blonde or grey hair should consider using very light colors on their brows. Ariane gives a few specific examples for ladies with these hair colors, including a new felt tip pen option in ash.
Sixty and Me contributor, Elise Marquam Jahns, has a few other suggestions when it comes to brows.
She says that we should seek professional help if we feel uncertain of what to do with our brows. A pro brow stylist can help us get the perfect shape for our brows.
Elise also mentions that though some women have had good results with eyebrow tattooing, we may want to give some extra thought when thinking about tattooing our brows. She reminds us that when skin sags the tattoo will go in a direction you’d prefer it not to go and that tattooed brows can change colors as the ink fades.
Remember, your brows are sisters, not twins. One will always be higher, fuller, or arched differently, so don’t aim for perfect symmetry.
Achieving That Perfect Brow
Looking at Ariane, you would never know that she faces the same eyebrow issues that the rest of us do – her brows look perfect! But she shares with us that she, too, deals with uneven and thinning brows. The trick is knowing how to properly fill them in.
Ariane begins by prepping her brows with a mineral pen to get rid of redness and mimics Botox by relaxing the muscles around her eyes.
Thinning eyebrows are an issue for many women, regardless of whether it’s due to over-plucking or simple ageing. Ariane shares several excellent products for filling in thinning brows and giving the illusion of a thick and full eyebrow.
Not All Eyebrow Products Are Created Equal
According to Ariane, when it comes to your eyebrows, it’s not just about picking the right product… it’s about picking the right product *for you*!
As Ariane says, “If you are someone who has been using a powder and you are not getting the results you want, check out balms or pencils.”
Elise highly recommends making an appointment or stopping by any one of the department store makeup counters to ask if one of their consultants can recommend the brow product that would work best for you.
Don’t hesitate to ask the consultant to put it on for you and teach you how to use it. It’s a good idea to try several different products at several different makeup counters to see which brand, product, and technique looks the most natural and beautiful.
Light as a Feather Makes Your Eyebrows Better!
During our conversation, Ariane demonstrates how to “feather in” your brows using a pen. As she said, “It’s a really great way of doing it. There are also eyebrow balms… but, you need to make sure that you get the right color.”
For example, if you are blond, like I am, you will want to be careful not to go too dark or too heavy when it comes to your eyebrow makeup. Even if you have darker hair, you should be careful not to go too dark with your eyebrow makeup or your eyebrows might “take over.”
After demonstrating her “feature technique,” Ariane shows me how to use a balm and brush technique to “etch along the top.”
Ariane points out that this step is so important because, “If you don’t etch along the top, you can end up making your eyes look smaller.”
There’s a Better Way to Shape Your Brows
Ariane demonstrates a brow shaping technique that is difficult to describe in words. If you are interested, I definitely encourage you to watch the video. All I can say is that it involves brushing down, adding color, and then brushing up. It’s much easier than it sounds and can really help you to get the look that you want!
Tips for Uneven Brows
When creating the illusion of even and perfectly arched brows, it takes more than just good products to get the job done. With the following brow-evening steps from Ariane, combined with some of her suggested products, your brows will appear even and offer the perfect framing to your face in no time!
When dealing with uneven brows, choose the brow you like the best. Your goal is to make the other brow look similar.
Use a white pencil to modify the more uneven brow to match the favorite brow. Be sure to keep the shape of your face in mind.
When using a white pencil, make a line to mark the inner side of your brow, then repeat on the outer side.
Lay the rear of your pencil along the preferred brow, so that the tip of the pencil reaches the other brow, and mark the desired arch height there.
Based on this measurement, you can pluck any hairs that are causing the brows to appear uneven. Depending on what you remove, you can fill in accordingly to balance it out.
I hope that you find these eyebrow makeup tips useful! If you have any other questions that you would like me to ask Ariane, please add them in the comments section below.
Do you have greying or thinning eyebrows? What techniques have you found to make them look their best? Please join the conversation. Let’s Have a Conversation!
