A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I simply cannot over-stress the importance of amazing eyebrows.

Well err, scratch that because obviously I could… I could suggest that they were more important than something like world peace or the need for a Krispy Kreme stand on every corner.  But what I’m trying to explain, dear reader, is that I do place an emphasis on how my brows look.  Mostly because, without intervention, they’re an embarrassment to my face.  The saddest thing about this, is that my eyebrows, despite all this extra attention (I spend more money over the course of a year on my eyebrows than I do my hair), are still not amazing.

I have been cursed with the worst affliction that any brow-wearer could suffer from.  Curly eyebrows.  My threader always has a little giggle to herself (she thinks I don’t notice) when she gets the scissors out.  I try and make light of the situation by suggesting that she might have better luck with a pair of straighteners, but then her wry smiles turn to a look of pity, so I shut up and let her get on with it.

Benefit’s Gimme Brow* promises to be an all-in-one solution for badly-behaved brows, delivering a natural-looking finish and a long-lasting hold.  It’s a gel formula, packed with tiny fibres that adhere to both skin and hair to help fill in any bald spots and volumise (yes, volumise!) the brows you already have.  Imagine the brand trying to sell this back in the days when “big” lady brows were frowned-upon!

My biggest bug-bear with this product is a usual Benefit complaint.  You’ll leave the counter feeling much, much lighter of pocket… and for not a lot of product.  Infact, you get just 3.0g of product for your £17.50 outlay and when you’re dealing with something that you need to “build up” for maximum effect, and will most likely be using daily… I really think that Gimme Brow will quickly become a rather expensive addition to your beauty routine.

The wand inside the tube reminds me of those bottom-lash mascara wands… it’s very, very small and very, very tapered.  It’s been nicely designed to allow for precision application but I still find it a little too big for my few straggly hairs at the outer tips of my brows.  I did read someone say that they wished the wands were bigger, to cover a greater area with more speed… I’m just LOL’ing to myself at just how big this person’s brows must be!  Spare a thought for us with spindly face slugs, love!

Benefit Gimme Brow is available to purchase in two shades: Light/Medium and Medium/Deep – not only is Light/Medium obviously the paler of the two, but it looks a little warmer also…

I’ve included a before/after shot below.  This is how I use the product, though I’m aware that some have taken the “adhere to skin” advice quite literally and have used the product to *really* fill in the brows, as one would with a pencil or a shadow.  I can’t quite bring myself to do this with Gimme Brow, I’ve tried… but I just don’t like how it looks.  Perhaps if my brows were shorter, but I struggle to keep it looking natural once I start painting my skin with the product.

The best side-effect I’ve noticed with Benefit’s Gimme Brow (and I’m using the Medium/Deep shade in the photos below) is its ability to transform my two white eyebrow hairs into naturally-coloured versions of their neighbours.  Thank christ for that, I’ve never been so horrified to discover a white hair since… well… since I discovered one somewhere else you really don’t want to discover one.  Other than that, although I do like it for its ease-of-use and convenience (it’s a lot less faff than a pencil or a powder)… I’m not sure I’m in love with it, especially at its current price.

My biggest problem is that it just doesn’t seem to have a huge amount of staying power… and if I’m gonna ditch the powder for an all-in-one brow solution, I really need that perk.

If you’re in need of some serious eyebrow SOS, now would be a great time to head down to the Benefit counter at your local Debenhams store.  The brand are partnering with cancer charity Look Good Feel Better for the month of March and are offering a complimentary brow arch service (worth £11.50) for a requested minimum donation of £5, with all proceeds going directly to the charity.

Benefit Gimme Brow is priced at £17.50 and available to buy instore at Benefit counters nationwide and online at benefitcosmetics.co.uk

* press sample

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If you didn’t pluck your eyebrows to death in the 90s, consider yourselves lucky.

You see, this is the problem with following trends and fashions… you take one look at Kate Moss’ skinny brows and think “right, better get to it!” and before you know it, Cara Delevigne walks into town and you’re left trying to superglue carpet offcuts to your forehead.

Thankfully, my brow story was fairly recoverable… I overplucked for sure, but not to the extent that there was no coming back.  It taught me a lesson though, I binned my magnifying mirror.  Those things are evil for tweezer-happy types, nobody needs to see their pores in that much detail anyway, not ever and if you’re going to proclaim near-blindness without them, for Pete’s sake… get a professional to do the job for you instead!

If, for you, there’s no return from those Pammy Anderson brow days you might be interested in a new brow technique that’s currently storming the salons.  Originally invented for cancer patients and alopecia sufferers, Faceframe 3D Eyebrows does for brows what eyelash extensions did for stubby peepers.

Like lash extensions, the Faceframe 3D Eyebrows last for a couple of weeks, and cost around £30 for a full length natural brow and £15 for infills (depending on individual salon prices).  The treatment takes around 45-60 minutes to complete for full brows and 15-30 minutes for a partial brow.  They’re the perfect inbetween solution for anyone a bit scared of going down the permanent makeup route.

The synthetic strands of mink are adhered to the eyebrow line using a skin-safe glue, they’re waterproof and moisture-proof, so are especially worth a look for anyone jetting off on low-maintenance holiday or attending an important event and wanting to look their best.

Would you consider something like this for a big event or even as a longer-term solution or does your brow pencil work just fine for you?

For a list of approved salons offering 3D Faceframe Eyebrows, check out the website at www.faceframe3deyebrows.co.uk or give the company a shout on twitter for more information.

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I know that some of you will be reading this with your neatly arched brows raised in curiosity at just what on Earth could be considered “terrifying” about eyebrow hair.  The rest of you (more normal types) will be reading this, twirling your brow hairs around your index finger.

Left to their own devices, mine grow like wildfire – and I’m not talking Cara Delevingne grandiose brows here; more… Dennis Healy.  Given an extra coat of brow set, you could zip wire from here to Lands End on one of mine.

This ultimately means that I take the business of beating them into submission seriously.  I’ve stopped shaping them myself because, like a two-year old with a biro, I simply cannot be trusted with a pair of tweezers and a magnifying mirror.  Instead, I get them threaded every 5/6 weeks and this is enough to keep the arch well-defined.  Preventing them from thereafter developing into McDonald’s ‘golden arches’?  Well that bit’s up to me.

These are the brow tools that I simply couldn’t live without.

01: Mascara Spoolie.  You can either buy these as purpose-built cosmetic tools or (more thriftily) clean an old mascara wand and use that instead.  Either way, a spoolie is an absolute necessity in the fight against unruly brows.  Comb through the stragglers before snipping and brush them into place before filling.

02: Brow Set/Gel.  You can buy brow set products but I use a clear mascara.  The Maybelline Great Lash in clear is perfect for the job because it holds the hairs in place without making them feel crusty and it doesn’t leave behind a telltale ‘wet look’.

03: Brow Powder.  Much easier than pencils in my opinion.  My holy grail is the Illamasqua Brow Powder but the most important thing is to find a good shade match in whatever you use and unless your brows are naturally auburn, beware of warm-toned browns.  Many women use eyeshadow… any powder is fine.

04: Sharp pair of eyebrow scissors.  These are nothing special, I bought them years ago off eBay but they’re brilliant.  Super sharp with a precise point that trims the hair without pushing them ineffectually along the blade.  Always brush the hair upward toward the hairline and trim any that stray outside of the bulk of the brow area.  Go easy, you can always trim more but you can’t stick them back on!

05: Tweezers.  I favour the brand Tweezerman for my tweezers, particularly the wide-grip style.  There’s nothing more frustrating than a pair of tweezers that fail to pluck.  Particularly when you’ve psyched yourself up to grab an eye-watering one only to find that the points have clutched at nothing more substantial than air.  Don’t be afraid to attack anything that looks like it may contribute to a mono-brow or those random ones that appear to be sprouting far closer to your eyelid than your brow-line.

06: Angled Brow Brush.  A fairly stiff brush is best for running the powder through the brow area.  Always start filling-in from the middle of the brow to avoid depositing too much product on the inner third.  Unles you’re going for the scouse brow/Katie Price look – in which case, just dispense of the brush and grab the nearest Sharpie pen.  Also, get off my blog.

What steps do you take to keep from tripping over your eyebrows?  Do you thread and then leave them be or are you a serial tweezerer?

I ‘created’ (ooh get me!) this FOTD using the new Urban Decay Black Palette before I discovered the beauty of these shadows over Fyrinnae’s Pixie Epoxy.. so this is applied straight onto bare skin.

You may be able to make out the gold sparkles in this close up?

It’s nothing ground breaking, it’s one colour… my favourite from the set (Cobra).  Infact, as FOTD’s go… a one-coloured eyeshadow one is pretty lame, but some of you were asking to see how the shadows looked over unprimed skin and I thought I’d upload this to demonstrate the kind of pigmentation you can expect.

Hope you’re having a good Thursday!

We all bemoan an eyeliner that lasts for approximately 30 minutes on the lash line, but how far would you go to ensure your makeup remained perfect throughout the day?

Following my ‘brow post’ a few weeks ago that documented my overplucked and undefined eyebrows, I started thinking more about the various options available to us in the way of permanent make up and I discovered a lady called Tracie Giles.

Tracie Giles is a certified expert in her field of permanent makeup, and one of the many treatments offered by Tracie Giles Inernational is something called Ultra Lift Eyebrows.

Tracie describes her Ultra Lift Eyebrows treatment…

The Ultra Lift technique is one I’ve developed as a response to client demand and is exclusive to Tracie Giles. The difference begins with extremely careful planning. Your new look brows are designed sympathetically to your face, to give the most flattering and natural appearance. Then, the impression of individual eyebrow hairs are interspersed among your natural hairs to reshape, balance and harmonise your brows in a way that can literally transform your face.  This technique is done under extreme magnification and is highly skilled and specialised.

The treatment usually takes around 1-2 hours (conducted over 2 sessions) and the effects last around 18 months on average before requiring a top up as the pigment begins to fade.  Permanent makeup has come a long way in recent years with many advancements in both technology and technique.  Finally gone are those tell-tale strangely auburn inks!  Thankfully replaced by custom blended mineral pigments and a “hair by hair” approach.

It’s certainly not a cheap option with prices starting from around £495 for a full brow, but it sure as hell would beat sharpening that eyebrow pencil every day.

What do you ladies think?  Is permanent makeup something you would consider?  Indeed, have you ever had any permanent makeup treatments yourself?