New Trend Alert: Why Everyone is Talking About Pearls on Your Brows
You must never underestimate the power of the eyebrow. I didn’t say that; comedian Jack Black did. If anyone should know, it’s him because that is Black’s signature feature.
One way or another, it’s true. One can convey volumes by arching an eyebrow or cocking it upwards in disbelief or disgust. Thick, well-shaped eyebrows work exceptionally well when you want to send a message without using words.
If you don’t believe me, ask any Latina
Mexican painter Frida Kahlo made the irreverent eyebrow (specifically the unibrow) an institution. Her eyebrows were the blueprint of her character and artistry — two outrageous caterpillars holding hands above her eyes and daring the world to judge.
Mexican actress Katy Jurado’s arched eyebrows were so high they gave the observer vertigo. Fellow Mexicana actress Maria Felix’s La Doña brows were iconic. And boricua singer and actress Jennifer Lopez perfectly shaped ones have proven that Latinas and powerful eyebrows have always been inseparable.
Historically, eyebrows have been threaded, severely plucked (think Marlene Dietrich or Jean Harlow), shaved, shaped, and dyed. The Victorians thought so highly of these babies that they even had a special comb.
The thing is, eyebrows never go out of fashion; they evolve. But, today, a new trend takes them to the level of high art.
We can now make eyebrows even more fabulous and fierce simply by decorating them.
Simple decorations, they are not!
Gem appliques, underlining the contours of the eyebrows with attractive palettes of colors, and going surrealist Salvador Dali on them are the new way to honor an important facial feature essential to serving face.
“Brow makeup, adornment, and bleaching are pretty much the most modern and of-the-moment makeup trends,” Donni Davy, “Euphoria”’s makeup artist, said in a recent article on Byrdie.
“I think people are ready to embrace a little more experimentation with their looks, and eyebrows are kind of uncharted territory,” she said. “For a while, we treated our brows as precious things that needed to be groomed and look perfectly full, but I think people are getting way less precious about their brows.”
Davy is the Michelangelo of eyebrows — I mean, have you seen the actress Zendaya in “Euphoria”? The eyebrow makeup in the series is a banquet of multi-colored rainbow eyes and 1990s disco-ball glitter flamboyance.
So, how does one start with this eye-decorating thing?
A simple way to dip your creative toe in the water is a thin line of colored eyeliner or gel, a splash of red, yellow, or electric blue, under the curved arch of the eyebrow. It will make your eyebrows pop like nobody’s beatdown.
The next step is to surrender the eyebrows as a weapon of seduction by dazzling them with face gems — diamonds or tiny colored rhinestones sprinkled without care (contrary to placing them neatly) are just the ticket.
Moving on, it’s important not to forget that your eyebrows are your canvas, so do with them as your creative heart pleases.
Dream, go ahead, and change the shape of the brows into an illusion with just a bit of invisible eyebrow wax and, thankfully, no tweezers.
Then, decorate the brows with half moons, faux piercings, sparkling eyeshadow, and swirly lines.
To summarize, eyebrow decoration is up to you. You can wax the brows into different shapes, tint them to match your mood or outfit, and adorn them as if French designer Thierry Mugler had gone theatrical on your face. Now, is that a statement?
I prefer to stick to a La Felix shape, beat to capacity with a string of pearls to frame the eyebrows, and sprinkled with brilliant silver eyeshadow for good measure.
And remember to make sure your masterpiece stays in place by spritzing setting spray — and then go and manifest!