makeup

RETRO BOLD BROW

Post + Photography by Amy Nadine, Graphic Design by Eunice Chun

This is a simple but powerful trick that even I didn’t learn until 8 years into my makeup career! I’ve shown you how to wet the brush for a more intense eye shadow in our Wet Shadow Video Tutorial, but now I’m suggesting if you want a really strong drawn-on retro brow with sharp edges, try dampening your brow brush before dipping it into the shadow. Here’s how: 

TOOLS:

• A Matte Eyeshadow — Pick a shade that is the same color as your brow hair, or if you really want to go bold, try one shade darker. I’m obsessed with Stila In The Know Palette of all matte colors and have found the Earth shade is a perfect for drawing in a strong brow.
• A Stiff Angled Brow Brush — Most brow brushes have stiff and dense bristles that are slanted but my favorite is the Laura Mercier Brow Brush.

STEPS:

1. Dip the end of the brush into running water (or a small cup of water).
2. Sweep the dampened brush directly into the eyeshadow.
3. Draw a quick swipes on the back of your hand. Like I always say, any makeup brushes with cream or wet products on them HAVE to first go through the back of your hand before they can go anywhere near your face! This will smooth out any clumps and give you a more even application.
4. Fill in your brow. Revisit my Brow Guidance Tutorial for help with shape.
5. If there are any uneven spots, smooth them out with a Q-tip.