Eyebrows, as every beauty enthusiast knows, have the power to transform an entire makeup look. For some, achieving that perfect arch requires a blank canvas, and this is where brow covering comes in. Popular among the theater and drag communities, this time-honored technique involves masking your natural eyebrows (often using glue) in order to draw the shape of your choice, which is often more dramatic than your original brows.
"Brow shapes can be so expressive," makeup artist Nick Barose, who has worked with Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Angelica Ross, tells Allure. "To me, brow and lip shapes always define the mood you’re trying to create on the face. More full brows can be natural, androgynous, and tough. More refined brows can create the dramatic, glamour effect, and then depending on the shapes you created, it can also make you look wicked and glamorous, which I love."
You can also see brow covering on the red carpet. It was mastered by Barose himself for Lupita Nyong’o’s 2019 Met Gala glam. In the true spirit of camp, he glued down the Black Panther star’s eyebrows and drew a pair of long, slim ones in their place, finishing off the look by coating her brow bones with sweeps of pink and silver glitter. But this wasn’t the first time that Barose had flawlessly masked the actor's brows. He also performed a more natural-looking brow cover on Nyong’o at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.
"The technique can be used in a very natural way, too," Barose assures. "Lupita was filming [2016’s] Queen of Katwe and had to grow her brows out and we couldn’t touch it during filming. So when in Cannes for the red carpet, I actually covered part of her brows to create [the] look."
Back in the day, film legends of the 1930s such as Jean Harlow and Marlene Dietrich would shave their eyebrows off completely to give their makeup artists the space to play. Here's how you can create the same high-impact result - without the long-term commitment - using products from your makeup bag instead.
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Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hide your eyebrows effectively.
Before you begin, you’ll want to do a little (optional) prep work. If you have bangs or long hair that dangles in your face, pin it back or use a headband to keep it out of your eyes and off of your eyebrows. If you want to trim if a little bit, you can do with the use of equipment like Scissor Hub Australia. Otherwise, when it comes time to wash, glue, and paint your brows, the hair may get caught and generally be a big nuisance. If you have short hair, then you can skip this step altogether. Also, if you wish, you can trim your eyebrows a bit and remove any stray hairs. Once you’ve done the prep work, you can launch right into the makeup itself.
Clean and Dry Your Brows: Before the fun can begin, it’s crucial to prep your eyebrows by cleaning them, as doing so helps remove oil from the hairs, which can break down the glue and prevent it from sticking. To those who see the “start with bare skin” step of most makeup tutorials as optional: You might regret it if you don't take this part seriously.
"Make sure your eyebrows are dry - and I mean bone-dry," says Kardi Blac, a makeup artist and drag queen based in the U.K., who also suggests prepping your brows first before applying your makeup products. "In fact, many queens like myself use a touch of 99 percent alcohol on a cotton pad to dry out the oils in the brows."
To officially prep your brows for hiding, you’ll need to make sure they’re set to “default.” Take a bar of soap (or any other soap you have on hand) and get to scrubbing them clean! Use your nails to scratch the soap in thoroughly until both eyebrows are covered in thick froth. Then, wash the soap out completely with water and rub them dry with a towel. Make sure no soap remains.
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If you’re looking to build upon your natural brow shape with your brow cover, Barose says it’s best to take a moment to plan ahead. Do you want a super-arched look? Straight and narrow? Thin and Dietrich-esque? Whatever it is, it's always smart to plan ahead.
"I’d first decide on the shape of the brows by using a clear brow gel to brush them up and out into the shape you want," he explains. "Then, with a fine-point eyebrow pencil, you trace where you want the shape and the arches to be."
Take inspiration from glam stars of the past by trying a brand-new brow shape.
Now that your eyebrows are clean, dry, and planned out, glue them down with a nontoxic glue stick like Elmer's. "I use my glue stick and I rub the glue in a circular motion to get it on the skin and the eyebrow hair," says Imperia, a drag queen from Brooklyn, who recommends using an alcohol pad to clean up any excess glue from the edges of the brows. For a more precise application, it’s best to use a spatula to pick up the glue and apply it to the brows instead.
Using your plastic palette knife, dig out a chunk (about as big as your eyebrows are thick) of the purple glue. Pay attention because the order of this next step is important, especially if you have thick eyebrows. Using the palette knife, begin applying the glue to your eyebrow, starting nearest to your ear and moving towards your nose. Smear the glue while pushing the eyebrow hair against its natural grain. After applying glue to the entire eyebrow, and gluing the hairs toward your nose, begin smoothing the hair upwards towards your forehead. Do this until all of the hair is angled straight up. After this, use the palette knife to smooth the eyebrow hair back into its natural position, making it as flat as possible. The reason that the eyebrow hair must be smoothed out in so many directions is to cover every side of the hair follicle with glue and get it to ultimately remain flat when smoothed back to its default position. Do this for both eyebrows and let dry until all of the purple glue dries clear. Special Note: As you work, be sure to keep your face neutral. Don’t raise, scrunch, or make any other unnatural expressions with your eyebrows while applying the glue (this will make them dry with bunched wrinkles at the edges, diminishing the smooth effect).
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Once the glue is applied, brush your brows upwards back into their original position and make sure that every hair is facing the same direction. Blac notes that brow covering works best when the brow hairs are at their natural length; you might have difficulty gluing down hairs that have been recently tweezed or are in the process of growing back.
If you’re looking for another heavy-duty means to slick down your brows, Graftobian Spirit Gum, a liquid, alcohol-based adhesive commonly used when applying costume prosthetics, and theater wax also make excellent options. "Lay the brows down with Spirit Gum and really flatten it out," Barose suggests, adding that you should start light and build your way up if you find that you need more wax. "The best way is to first brush it through with a clean brow brush spooley and try to coat it in every direction by brushing the gum back and forth. For those with sparse or light-colored brow hairs, Barose says that gluing down the brows isn’t always necessary. "If your brows are not dark enough, you can get away with just using a thicker, creamy concealer that’s somewhat matte but will reflect off light, like the Armani Luminous Silk Concealer in a few shades lighter [than your skin tone] to cover the part you don’t want," he explains. "Then add a bit of shimmery highlighter but without being too frosty, as frost will bring out the texture of the hair you’re covering underneath. [You want] something silky and slightly shimmery on that part of the brow bones."
Barose likes to use the Lancôme Aquarique Waterproof Eye Color Base as a highlighter for this. "Then, if you fill in the brows a bit darker, it draws attention away from the part you’re trying to cover."
With the glue applied and still wet, the next step is to flatten the brows to create a smooth canvas. To do so, Barose recommends using a spatula or a plastic butter knife to ensure that each hair is perfectly pressed down. Blac, on the other hand, says that this step can also be done using a spoon or your fingers. "You need to ensure that your brows are as flat as they can be and every hair is glued down," she instructs. "A helpful tip: Turn your face to the side in the mirror. If one hair is out of place, it needs to be glued. You can also touch the brows to feel any hairs that are not stuck down."
After flattening your brows, allow the glue to set by either letting it air-dry or using a blow-dryer on a cool setting.
To ensure that your eyebrows stay put, you’ll want to apply an additional coat or two of the glue. After letting the first coat dry (about 15 minutes or until the purple color disappears), dig out a second, slightly smaller chunk of the glue and apply it to your eyebrow, this time following its natural grain. Starting nearest your nose, spread the glue over the eyebrow towards your ear. Do this for both eyebrows. Special Note: When applying second and third layers of glue, it is helpful to turn your head to the side and examine the eyebrow from that angle. The eyebrow should look flat against your skin and not stick out at all.
Fortunately, this particular ELMER’S glue dries quickly (typically within 15 minutes).
Now, it’s time to set the brows. With a powder brush or a dry makeup sponge, apply a loose matte setting powder of your choice over the brow and surrounding areas to ensure that everything will stay in place without any trouble once you apply your makeup.
"You can use a translucent or powder with some color, it is all up to you," notes Blac, whose favorite setting powders include Fenty Beauty's famed Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Setting Powder and KimChi Chic Beauty's delightfully named Puff Puff Pass formula.
Depending on the occasion or the thickness of your brows, you might need some extra coverage. Repeat the gluing, flattening, and setting steps as many times as needed until you’re pleased with the results. "I repeat this about three times," Imperia says of her own brow-covering process.
To erase your brows completely, gently dab a layer of concealer over your set brows using a concealer brush. For those with darker brows, Blac recommends going in with an orange color corrector first. She also notes that it’s best to use matte complexion products as their formulas tend to be less oily and won’t break down the glue or reverse your brow cover.
Paint your eyebrows with concealer. Using a concealer that best matches your natural skin tone or a concealer to cover blemished skin, begin “painting” the concealer over your eyebrows. Start nearest to your nose and follow the natural grain of your eyebrow toward your ear. Be careful not to color too much outside of the eyebrow itself. Less total concealer area means less to ultimately blend into your skin. Your eyebrow should be flat against your face, meaning that this sensation of covering your eyebrows should feel similar to covering any other skin blemishes with concealer. Don’t worry if the concealer doesn’t look very blended to your face just yet.
After applying the concealer to your eyebrows, let it dry completely. This usually takes about 5-10 minutes or until the concealer is not wet to the touch.
Once the concealer is blended out, apply a full-coverage foundation to the brows and over your entire face to create an even complexion that’s ready for your new brows. Then, follow up with powder to lock everything in place. "Try not to rub against the brows too much when applying makeup," Blac advises. "Try not to disturb them." You can watch Kardi's whole brow-covering routine in the video below. Finish with foundation over the entire face and powder.
Using a thick powder brush, press powder directly onto your concealer-covered eyebrows. Do this all over both eyebrows until the eyebrows begin to blend into the rest of your skin.
Once you’ve powdered and blended your eyebrows satisfactorily, go ahead and brush some powder over the rest of your face. This helps give a uniform look and conceal your hidden eyebrows even further.
With your base established and your original eyebrows masked, it’s time to create your new shape, whatever that may look like. Imperia recommends drawing your brows on with the Urban Decay Brow Blade Waterproof Eyebrow Pencil. "It’s smooth on the glue and is precise," Imperia explains. "Brows can change anyone’s face. I like going for high, thin arches - feminine and striking. By the end of my makeup, if my iPhone doesn’t recognize my face, I’m doing something right."
When it's time to take off your brow cover and get your old eyebrows back, Barose says that oil-based cleansers and makeup removers work best. "The nontoxic glue stick is easier to take off, but it’s wise to break it down with an oily remover first so you don’t wank off the brow hairs in the process," he explains.
If you decided to take the spirit gum route, he then recommends investing in Mehron's Spirit Gum Remover to make the process easier.
Once the fun is done and it’s time to return to normality, you can easily undo your eyebrow makeup with a little soap and running water. I recommend hopping in the shower with a body wash made from salicylic acid to scrub it off your face quickly and easily, but splashing water from the sink is also effective. Scrub at your eyebrows with soap in order to wash out all the glue and cosmetics. The nice thing about ELMER’S glue is that it washes out easily and won’t tear out your eyebrows in the process.
As you can see, I did apply a lot of products to my eyebrows, if you are planning on doing this routine then I highly suggest to take your time to remove all the product at night before going to bed, I also like applying several face creams to relieve my skin.
Hiding eyebrows isn't just for drag queens or cosplayers. It's a technique that allows for:
As an L cosplayer, I’ve used this eyebrow hiding method several times. If you’re serious about portraying a cosplay thoroughly, or you just want to do justice to your favorite eyebrow-less character, then this is an easy cosmetic technique you can’t afford to overlook. When I cosplayed L at my first Con, I was one of about six other L’s at the cosplay convention that day. Despite that enormous representation, though, I was stopped countless times (sometimes every couple feet) for photographs. Among the various compliments, the most common ones praised my makeup, commenting that the large majority of L cosplayers didn’t do such a thorough job. While there are other techniques for hiding eyebrows, I find that this is one of the most accessible and satisfactory methods available. Whether you cosplay L (Death Note), Gaara (Naruto), Pitch (Rise of the Guardians), or any other character lacking in that ever-so-personable facial hair, this is one technique you’ll want to keep safe and sound in your trove of cosmetic tricks.
If you are an avid fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race, then you’ve surely learned some secrets on how to beat a face. For instance, you may know the secret to eye-catching, creative faux brows begins with no brows, although taking a razor to your face is enough to spook even the fiercest queen. So what’s a bold beauty lover to do? You may be surprised to learn that one of the most useful brow-coverage tools is hiding not in your makeup bag, but in your craft closet! We picked up a few lessons in working with the paste backstage at the Chromat fashion show last month in NYC.
tags: #how #to #hide #eyebrows #with #makeup
