Take a brow – frame your face with flattering eyebrows

Every time I let a professional loose on my eyebrows, they tell me I’m over-plucking in between the brows, even if I haven’t touched a single hair for months.

The thing is, when you have too much of the fluffy stuff you can whip it away, whether tweezing, waxing or threading is your epilation method of preference.

When there’s not enough, it’s near impossible to force it to grow – and that can have a knock-on effect on the whole face.

As Benefit make-up guru Lisa Potter-Dixon explains, “They say brows frame your face but it’s more than that. Get them right and they will define your face more effectively than contouring can. If your brows start in the right spot, it makes your nose seem slimmer. “

When they arch in the right place, your eyes will look bigger and more open. While if they end at the right angle, your cheekbones appear more lifted. That’s why it’s worth seeing a professional, even if you only go once, so they can show you how the shape should be mapped out.”

So what if a lack of hair is the problem rather than an excess?

“Tinting your lashes is an excellent way of making brows fuller, as it darkens any tiny hairs, blondes or greys to make them look more dense,” says Lisa.

“Equally, brushing a fibre gel through can make a huge difference. Apply the brush against the direction of growth first, before smoothing down in the opposite direction. This will ensure you coat the entire hair.”

Sherrille Riley, founder of Nails & Brows in Mayfair, whose client list includes Meghan Markle, Halle Berry and Lady Gaga, has some great tips for encouraging growth and making hair last longer when it does appear.

“A hair’s life span is typically about three months but if you have dry or irritated skin, it can stop brows achieving their full growth cycle, which can leave them looking sparse,” she explains.

“To help brows reach their full potential, it is important to condition them just as we would condition our hair. Apply castor oil every night before bed to prevent them becoming brittle or prone to breakage. Taking a biotin supplement will help nourish from within.”

Meanwhile, micro-blading is becoming surprisingly mainstream, with acting royalty Helen Mirren revealing she is a convert.

It isn’t quite tattooing in the traditional sense, but similarly involves making lots of tiny cuts in the brows to embed pigment.

The results last about 18 months and it isn’t cheap, costing about £150 a go. While I love the idea of not having to pencil in my brows each morning and fill the bald patch I have in the middle of my left brow from a childhood scar, I’m not quite ready to take the plunge on something even semi-permanent just yet.

Although I feel it may just be a matter of time before I cave – I’ll keep you posted.

For a natural look that is more flattering, Sherrille says, “When using a brow pencil to define and fill in brows, begin at the end of the brows and slowly come in to the centre. This helps to avoid an overdone, drawn-on look.”

Lisa adds, “Use a brow brush to blend product through. This ensures you have the weight balance right, rather than having it all at the front of the brow.”