How to Grow Out Your Eyebrows Without Looking like a Hot Mess

Self Magazine

by Alexandra Samuel



Kyle Ericksen/WWD
Kyle Ericksen/WWD

The other day a friend dropped her voice to a whisper and told me she was stressed about something. She said I was the only one she felt like she could talk to about it. I was intrigued...

Her quandary? Her brows! After a whole summer of DIY-ing, her brows were looking way too sparse. Every time she tried to fix them she only made them worse. But if she neglected them to let 'em fill in, the strays drove her nuts.

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So, what's a girl to do?

Consider hitting a salon. Sure, DIY can be great, but brows are relatively cheap, super-quick, and are way harder to manage on your own that, say, a mani.

If you're determined to go the DIY route, keep in mind a few key tips from Malynda Vigliotti, the brow whisperer that founded super hip Boom Boom Beauty Bar in NYC.

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Start a schedule You have to make sure your brows grow at the same rate, says Vigliotti. How? Don't touch 'em more than once a month. Yes. That's right. It's going to be painful the first few times, but you're going to have to suck it up. Schedule a monthly appointment with yourself, and it'll be easier to resist.

Brush brows up Before you start shaping, make sure you use a spoolie to brush your brows up, says Vigliotti. You'll look like a mad scientist, but you'll get a better view of what's going on.

Map your brows Vigliotti gave us this tip years ago, and it's a keeper. Use a white eyeliner (she recommends her chunky Push Up Brow Highlighting Pencil) and trace your dream brow shape. Then tweeze everything on or outside of the white line. Anything inside you Do. Not. Touch. If you're looking patchy after you wipe away the liner, fill in the shape with a brow pencil (like the divine Chanel Crayon Sourcils Sculpting Eyebrow Pencil) and brush 'em out daily.

Try it! Then let us know what you think @AESam and @SELFmagazine.

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