FAVORITES: Brow Tools

The F/W 2011 runways saw their fair share of defined brows. And I'm going to get a head start. this Spring, it's all about the arch for me. I suggest you do the same.

Here, 5 of my favorite brow tools to keep those arches in top form:

Anastasia Brow Duality - Comes in 2 dual shades, camille and sand, and shell and lace. Use on the brow bone to highlight and cover up stray hairs in between waxing appointments. $23.00

MAC Brow Set - A tinted brush-on gel that slicks brows into shape - and keeps them there. Comes in a variety of colors. $15.00

Shiseido Natural Eyebrow Pencil - My eyebrow specialist, Sue Ellen of the Pierre Michel Salon, uses this on my brows. It goes on smoothly and gently and helps to cover any sparse areas. $20.00

Anastasia Brow Fix Clear Wax Pencil - Tames unruly brows and is great to use after a powder. I like it before bed to keep my brows in place while sleeping. $21.00

Laura Mercier Brow Powder Duo - Really gets into the nooks and crannies of your brows and covers up any sparse areas to give you full, defined arches. Comes in a variety of shades, 2 per compact to mix together for the perfect color combo. $24.00

What's your favorite brow tool?

Brows For Every Face Type

Fall is just around the corner and brows are back. Here, Hibba Kapil, browologist and owner of the popular Hibba NYC salon, dishes on brow looks for every face type.

Face Type: Round with prominent Cheek bones and sharp features

 Eyebrow Type that works best for her: Thick elongated arched brows with slightly tapered ends. The width in the middle should be determined by the start of the corner of the eye.
The actress has perfect brows but since they are curly in texture a little tighter trimming will be appropriate.

How to get Lea’s Look: The first step should be to tightly trim the brows by holding scissors in a slant angle sort of 45 degrees.  You do not want to touch the top other than a little clean-up. Try to create a same slant of 45 degrees towards the arch point which is farther away from the midpoint. Then towards the end, go a line thinner than the front. Finish the look with a brow filler to make the brow appear fuller and a clear mascara to top it off. 
Hibba’s Insider Tip**: Always draw yourself a nice outline before shaping the brows.

Face Type: Long with pointy chin

Brow type that will work best for this face: Thick all along but with round accents which of course Kim has. The width of her brows is perfect.

How to get Kim’s Look: Start with little trimming just at the fronts (Not all along).  Tweeze a line on top and then a line on bottom since we want to keep the same thickness. Do not touch the ends to keep the look as natural as possible. End with a little brow filler depending on what kind of growth you have.

Face type: Oval face with heart shaped chin

 Brows that work best for such face type: Medium thick elongated arched brows to counter balance her pointy chin. The width in the middle should not be less that the starting point of the eyes. 

How to get Christina’s Look: Very little or no trimming at all.  Depending on your current thickness you might just want to leave the fronts very natural with a slight clean-up of the fuzz.  However, slightly thinner ends with an arch in the mid-point will be appropriate.
Hibba’s Insider Tip**: A square front look will look great on a round cheeky face structure.

Face Type: Oval thick featured face 

 Brow type that works best for this face structure: Thick arched brows with arch points beyond the mid-point.  For her age the thicker the brows the better they are.  

How to get Sophia’s Look: To create this look you want to not touch the fronts and the ends. The arches are beyond mid-point.  Thicker in front and thinner in the ends but only slightly.

Face Type: Small oval face

Brows that work best for this face type: Medium thickness with a soft arch. Heidi needs a more of a gap between her upper lid and brow but she rocks always always!

How to Heidi’s Look: Depending on what you have got naturally you just want to slant the tight trim on the upper side with a 45 degree angle. Such bone structure can use some space between the upper lid and brow bone, so remove just one hair line in a 45 degree slant, underneath the front before the arch point. 

The Fall Brow by Damone Roberts

Eyebrow King Damone Roberts dishes on the skinny for the fall brow. "The eyebrow's are the single most important, underestimated features on the face," says Damone, who has brow bars in both LA and NYC. I'm in constant brow envy so I'd have to agree with the King.

Damone's been known to pluck the arches of everyone from Madonna, Beyonce, Gwyneth Paltrow, Megan Fox, Vanessa Williams, Mandy Moore and Alicia Keys.

Here's all you'll ever need to know on the fall brow:

SARAH HOWARD: What's the look?

DAMONE ROBERTS: "The look is a lot fuller than in the past, yet still with a defined arch."

SH: How does one achieve this?

DR: Remember to keep the inner part of the brow more natural, while tweezing your way towards the end of the brow as your line get thinner. You then brush your brows down, before taking your brow pencil or powder to define the highest part of the arch. After defining the highest part of the arch, a brow gel is needed to brush them back up and hold them in place. The reason for doing this is to keep the brow fuller and more natural, yet still adding the lift and definition required to give you the ultimate fall brow look.

SH: What celebrity gives good brow?

DR: My clients Megan Fox and Beyonce are both now rocking this look flawlessly!

SH: Why does this look work now?

DR: Because women are starting to realize that fuller brow's are softer, younger and more approachable than thin, severe brow's of the past.

the look: tarte + hayden-harnett

You know we heart tarte at Beauty Banter, and we also happen to love fashion. So when I found out that tarte was working behind the scenes during Fashion Week for the Hayden-Harnett show, I wanted to get the details. Held at The Gabarron Foundation Carriage House Center for the Arts on September 10th, tarte makeup artist Laura McGuire created the look for the models sporting Hayden-Harnett’s Spring 2010 clothing and leather goods. A perfect match.

The H-H collection was “inspired by a nomadic journey through lava fields and desert landscapes.” So, McGuire and her team of artists “used this to create a warm complexion with a strong, geometric brow and soft lip. Think natural with just a hint of healthy glow. The eyes remain muted with a major focus on the brows.”

Get the look with these tarte products:

For the face - Smooth Operator Oil-Free Foundation with SPF 20; The Eraser 4-in-1 Natural Concealer; Dark Circle Defense Natural Under Eye Corrector; Provocateur Powder Pressed Mineral Powder; Rest Assured Brightening Wand

Cheeks - Park Ave Princess Mineral Bronzer Powder; Green Siren Natural Cheek Stain

Eyes - Lifted Natural Eye Primer; Sandstone Creaseless shadow; Femme Natural Eye Palette; Chocolate Indelible Wink Liquid Liner; Chocolate emphasEYES eye pencil; Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara

Lips - 4-in-1 Natural Concealer; 24/7 Natural Lip Sheer in Summer Fling and Champagne Brunch; Crown Jewels Lipgloss Set

All products can be found here, and at a Sephora near you.

Without parabens, phthalates, sulfates, petrochemicals or synthetic fragrance, tarte is lux beauty with fabulous eco-responsibility.

My new tarte favorite is the toolbox brow know-how eyebrow kit. The little lavender box fits in the palm of your hand but don’t let the size fool you. Inside it houses brow wax, powder, gel and pencil, along with a brush, tweezers and brow templates. Perfect for travel but just as great for home, it’s everything you need in one place. xo alex.

JUST BROWSING

It was my mother’s birthday the other day and I was thinking about all the beauty tricks I’ve learned from her over the years (and all the makeup I “borrowed” as a teenager and never returned). While neither of us wears a lot of makeup everyday, we each have our daily rituals. I don’t leave the house without mascara and she’s all about the brows.

One of the greatest tricks she’s passed my way is that for brunettes, a blond brow pencil or powder is the only way to go. I was skeptical at first, but then I thought of the brow pencils I had collecting dust because they always seemed to leave me looking like Eddie Munster. She handed me her Giorgio Armani pencil and my brows suddenly looked defined not colored in. Best of all, they didn’t look “done,” just a better version of the original.

A few days later, I was picking up my favorite Arcona scrub at Kalologie and came across Vanitymark Ultra-Brow Pencils. With the consistency of a pastel crayon (always use a brow pencil for the brows...harder eye pencils can pull hair), the pencils are fragrance-free, hypo-allergenic and made without animal testing. Created by makeup artist Brett Freedman, there are seven shades in the eyebrow line and he takes the guess work out of finding your shade by using celeb comparisons (so much better than a little circle of color on a cardboard package). If you’ve got Kate Walsh’s tones you’re AUBURNISTA, Leighton Meester or Angelina Jolie you’re MILK CHOCO. How easy is that? With my (naturally) light brown hair and yellow undertones, BLONDIE was my perfect match.

You can find Vanitymark available online and in stores nationwide.

The Spring Brow

If you have brow envy, or can't ever seem to get your arch just right, then this post is for you!!!

Achieving the perfect arch is no easy feat. Bushy brows can weigh you down while over-plucking will leave you browless (so not cute).

With this in mind, I enlisted the help of my friend (and personal eyebrow specialist), Sarah Agajanian, to give us the low-down on making the most of your brows:

"Everyone is wanting a fresh start this year. We have a lot to express and want to feel beautiful. The quickest fix in feeling fresh and new is getting those brows sculpted! The most underestimated feature on one's face is their eyebrows. Without the correct frame you could lose your beauty.

I truly believe in keeping your natural shape with a little twist of arch. If you have naturally thick brows there is a reason for it, you were made that way to compliment your features. If you have very light hair and can barely see that frame, maybe its time to color them. You can get your brows colored from your brow specialist.

For a beautiful Spring look, try highlighting your brow bone with the Damone Roberts Gold Digger or Bling Bling highlighting crayon. Depending on your skin tone, sticking to the right shade is important. If you have more of a tan/golden base I would rock the Gold Digger and if you have more of a yellow base, stick with the Bling Bling: it has a shiny, silver tone.

If you want to add more drama to your brows but don't want to fill them in, go with a colored brow gel. Stick with Benefit Cosmetics multi-colored brow gels. Just a little bit of tint and hold will go a long way. Ladies, make sure that you keep your brows well-manicured and shaped!

There is something to be said about how you feel after leaving your brow salon. It's like you're refreshed and magnetic! Let's keep the ball rolling and those eyebrows thick and arched. 2009 is all about the arch."

Sarah works at The Damone Roberts Salon in Beverly Hills. 310-271-2100.

WEEKLY MUST-HAVE!

The first week of 2009 -- so many products, so many must-haves!

For today, we'll share one of our current favorite, can't-live-without product (we actually used this product to help ring in the new year). It's also a beauty secret of sorts!

Mac Brow Gel (a.k.a. brow set) is a brush-on gel that holds the hair in place while adding a hint of color. This is a must-have product if you're like me and always desperately trying to have thicker brows. I first discovered this product when I was playing around with the MAC/ Ungaro collection. I've used colored brow gels before, but never ones that actually kept the brow hairs in place without getting the color all over my face. Mac's Brow Sets are superb! They come in 4 true-to-life colors (I use Mink - a deep brown) and a clear one (although I'm all about the colored gels).

Because the gels are colored, they actually make the brows appear thicker. It's like going to the salon and having your roots done - you leave with hair that looks more vibrant, volumized and healthy... color just adds something. Same is true with colored gels - they add thickness and personality to your brows!

The brow gels are so much faster (and more natural looking) than pencils or powders - one coat and you're good to go - plus the gel actually keeps unruly brows in place (which is always a plus for me - my brow hairs grow down! Yes, I know - so brutal).

Trust, once you get your hands on a tube, you won't be able to live without it... the results are THAT amazing (and fast)! It's like crack for your brows (kidding...)!

PRICE TAG: $13.50

My Brow Makeover With Anastasia

Brow specialist to the stars, Anastasia, took the time from her busy celebrity schedule to preen my brows. She gave me a little snip-snip and reshaping... and an **exclusive** Beauty Banter interview:

We already posted about our must-have Anastasia brow kit.... now the real question is:

What makes for good brows?!

Anastasia says that good brows are all about a person's bone structure and natural brow shape, not the current trends. A common misconception is that a darker brow makes the brow look thicker. Not true, says Anastasia. It actually makes the brow look heavier. To achieve a thicker brow, you have to allow your hairs to grow in properly. But what if your hairs just don't grow (like me) in certain places? Anastasia suggests purchasing a brow grower like her BROW, it stimulates hair growth. Anastasia also points out that lighter brows make the eyes pop more....

As far as must-have products to maintain beautiful brows: "Stencils ($20.00 for the set) to follow the shape," Anastasia urges. "And don't overpluck!"

As for my brow makeover, here's how Anastasia worked her magic:

Apparently, I have an inverted arch. I arch in ALL the wrong places (this is only good when we're speaking in sexual terms...).


So she waxed, plucked, and cut stray hairs.


Then added powder with a brush to fill in the "holes" and a brow gel to set the brows in place. Finally, a tinted highlighter to define lines and highlight brow bone (also great in between waxes to hide protruding hairs).


Voila! New Brows!

Brows Made Simple

For those not in the know, Anastasia Soare is the must-see brow specialist to the stars. Her resume reads like that of a Hollywood Blockbuster, plucking the famous brows for the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Oprah Winfrey, Kim Cattrall, Penelope Cruz, Sharon Stone, and, of course, hair-crazed Jenny Cohen ... to name a very, very few.

Anastasia opened a brow salon in Beverly Hills and developed her own line of brow products (sold at Sephora) so that everyone - not just the famous people - could access amazingly arched brows!



I recently tried her 5 piece brow kit and I've got to say... it's legit! Amazingly simple and convenient, everything you need for perfect brows tucked neatly into a pink travel case. It really doesn't get more basic then this!

Here's what you get:
Tweezers (custom slanted tip)
Brow Powder
Four Brow Stencils (to suit any and every shape of face)
One Duo Brush (Angled Cut / Spooley) - AMAZING
Brow Gel

With this starter kit, even the most inept person can create stunning brows. It's quite simple, really. You use the stencils as a map of sorts, showing you what stray hairs should be plucked, while also coloring in (with the brow powder) the over-plucked or hard-to-grow areas. After defining your brows with the powder, brush a bit of the gel on and you're good to go.

And remember, brow powder is a KEY ingredient in creating great brows... so make sure to choose the color best suited for YOUR brows. You can choose from 5 compacts (strawburn, ash blonde, golden blonde, brunette, medium ash), each housing two colors for mixing and shading.

Anastasia's brow line has several more exciting products that we feel the need to dedicate additional posts to (like the amazing highlighters, brow growth serum, brow pencils, and much, much more!)..

But we want to know.... What's most important to YOU when it comes to your brows:



**5 piece brow kit retails for: $65.00**

The Skinny on a Good Brow...

Self-proclaimed, "Queen of Eyebrows," NYC's Boom Boom Beauty Bar offers some excellent brow tips...

Here are our faves:

1 A perfectly done brow is an instant eyelift -- no Botox necessary.

2 There is NO such thing as natural beauty! Brows need as much attention
as any other part of your beauty regimen. INVEST!!

3 Hollywood legends are legendary for a reason, think Liz Taylor,
Brooke Shield's and J'Lo's brows...find a brow that works for you and copy it.
Just steer clear of "The Unibrow!"

4 Everyone has a tendency to get carried away when tweezing. Boom Boom
doesn't believe in a thin brow or a thin woman!

5 Your brows are sisters, not twins! They will never be identical, they
should be proportionate, not exactly the same.

6 Your eyebrow's frame your face. If your brows are too far apart, it will
create the illusion that your nose looks wider - yikes!

7 Brow pencil usually looks fake. Use brow powder to fill in the brow only
where there is hair. Unless you want to look like your Aunt Audrey, powder
it and keep it real!

And for brows that we'd want to emulate, check out Ms. Natalie Portman from the Cannes Film Festival... she is beyond gorge, and her eyebrows really do frame those incredible brown eyes... HOTNESS!



And here's a pair of eyebrows NOT to emulate... in fact, stay far away from trying to duplicate anything about this sad disaster (that hair, those roots, that eye makeup, OH MY)...



Who do YOU think has the best brows? Leave your choice for best celeb brows in the comment box below!

Boom Boom Beauty Bar is located at 35 7th Ave. NY, NY 10011 (212) 229-2666

SPRING forward to Beautiful BROWS

For those not in the loop, I get my brows done at Damone Roberts in the B.H. (that's Beverly Hills, CA). Sarah, my brow specialist does a phenomenal job at making my lack of arch actually look like a killer arch!

Today, Sarah Agajanian, shares, exclusively with Beauty Banter, the must-have brows of Spring, 2008

"2008 has arrived and we are now heading into spring with new trends for makeup, beauty, and clothing. The celebrity trend this year for eyebrows is “ there is no trend”. It is very key to understand that your eyebrows are supposed to reflect your natural beauty and bone structure. Here are some rules to live by when maintaining your brows!

First step is achieving balance; If you have a round face with round features your eyebrows should look angled and more defined to compliment your beauty. Now, if your features resemble angular and hard lines your brows should be soft and slightly curved.

Second step is color . If you have very blonde brows make sure you are getting them tinted a darker hue and filling them in with a powder/pencil. Make sure we can see those brows! Your face requires structure and frame and pay attention to your haircolor. If you change your hair color this spring/summer your brows must reflect how you wear your hair. This can be done through brow tinting or using a powder.

And third, if you are blessed with big beautiful brows there is a reason for it. Your brows naturally compliment what you have. Keep those brows thick, groomed, and gelled.

For every brow out there, keep your eyelids moisturized with an eye creme, style your brows with brow gel, highlight the brow bone, add some color with some powder, and keep them shaped and groomed.

Close your eyes and imagine a beautiful painting hung on a dull wall with a horrible frame. YUCK. Now imagine a beautiful painting on a bold colored wall with a beautiful frame! Which one would you rather look at?"

Take care of those brows ladies!

Products Recommended (as always, click on the product to buy!):
Mac 266 angled brush
Damone Roberts Brow Gel
Damone Roberts Powders and Pencils
Benefit Cosmetics High Brow highlighter

Fellow Beauty Whore Banter...

Thanks to Michelle for emailing in this great TIP:

"Here’s a little tip I thought might be useful to your blog (which, I read almost as religiously as I buy make up- A LOT)……but anyhoo…

PLUCKING YOUR EYEBROWS SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, at least for me anyway.

I get my eyebrows waxed every three weeks and in between I pluck (which is the norm, I guess).

I kept getting dry skin on my browline and it is awfully hard to pluck when there is this flaky mess coming off.

I use a dab of vitamin E serum before I pluck and say bye bye to dry flaky eyebrows!!!!!!!!

-michele"

We love a great beauty secret! Tell us yours by leaving a comment in the comment box below!

WEEKLY MUST-HAVE

I'm not sure if it's a lot of hype or if it's the hottest product on the market..... BUT my eyebrow specialist SWEARS that Damone Roberts Brow Gain actually works!



What it does:
As told by the ones who created it.... "The perfect eyebrows are rich, full and show the perfect arch. Whether by nature or over plucking, at times, you can suffer from a thinning of our eyebrows. This can affect the entire look of your face. Brow Gain helps to create healthier looking, fuller eyebrows by stimulating the surrounding hair follicles. Generally, results will be seen about 6 to 8 weeks after use begins. Individual results may vary. Your face deserves the perfect frame. With The Eyebrow King’s Signature Brow Gain as the catalyst, that goal is within reach."

I have a sick obsession with my eyebrows thus I am pretty much a sucker for any brow shaper/ tool/ tamer on the market. They swear to give me fuller eyebrows? I'm so down to try this.

Let you know in 6-8 weeks how those unruly patches of hair above my eyes are doing....

until then, check out all of DAMONE ROBERTS EYEBROW PRODUCTS... they are fierce!!!!

HOLIDAY FETE'S MUST-HAVES

With Christmas season among us, Holiday parties seem to be in the air. I don't like to do my whole "made-up" face for a cup of egg nog and some Christmas carols. Instead, I enjoy a lighter, fresher, more youthfull me! (I also think that if I look younger AND feel younger, I will BE younger... and then maybe, just MAYBE, Santa will come down my chimney this year!)

So this is my Holiday party beauty routine:

Natural, wavey hair thanks to John Frieda's Starlet Waves Wave Enhancing Spray (left). I literally spray on wet, just washed hair and leave to air dry.




A sun-kissed complexion from Guerlain's Terracotta 3(rich warm bronze). Note to Self: I used to only be able to buy this product when en route to some exotic locale at a duty free shop in a European airport... now, it's sold at Sephora!!! Love this product because it absorbs yucky surface oils and adds the perfect amount of color!



Eyebrow gel for my unruly brows (a MUST MUST MUST... I actually take it EVERYWHERE!) I prefer Cover Girl's Professional Natural Lash Mascara. It's meant for your lashes but does wonders for the brows... heavy duty stuff!

On my lips, my new must-have(thanks to my recent trip to Sephora) is Benefit's Color Plump in Love Ya'. It's a stick, but it goes on like a mixture between a gloss and matte lippy and it just so happens to actually plump your lips without making them super shiney (and we all know how much a beauty whore loves a plumper pecker!) It boasts the ideal amount of color leaving your lips natural and tres tres kissable!

what's YOUR beauty routine...