Trending Now: How to Fake Microbladed Eyebrows

It’s no secret that eyebrows are in. Whether you’re rocking a red lip or a smokey eye, face-framing perfect eyebrows pull any beauty look together. Since the desire for full, natural eyebrows has skyrocketed recently, a new arch-enhancing treatment has gained popularity. Microblading is a semi-permanent brow tattoo where the artist creates hair-like strokes in the brows to make them look naturally full. While microblading will give you this effect, it’s not for everyone. Thankfully, beauty brands have caught on to the trend, making it possible for you to get the microblade brow look without having to go under the needle. From the best eyebrow shape to how to find eyebrow products that suit your needs, here are some tips and tricks on how to create full, face-flattering arches sans microblading.

Put down the tweezers

The first step in getting naturally voluminous arches is to step away from the tweezers for at least a month. If you want the most natural shape possible, let some of your eyebrow hair grow in for a few weeks. We often get in the habit of tweezing rogue hairs every morning, but this can prevent your natural brow shape from taking form. While this might be a challenge during the transitional period, once you have about four to six weeks’ growth, you can plan out your eyebrow shape more effectively or even take your new fuller brows to a professional to get them moulded into the most flattering shape for your face. 

Select the right  

Everyone’s brow hairs and shape are different. In order to get your best eyebrows ever, selecting the right brow makeup for your arches is key. If you’re a beginner at brow makeup, stock your eyebrow kit with foolproof products that don’t require expert-level experience. L’Oréal Paris Brow Stylist Boost & Set is a volumizing brow mascara with a gel mousse formula that naturally amps up your brows and shapes brow hairs into your desired style thanks to an angled skinny brush for precise application. An eyebrow gel is a must for long, unruly brow hairs. If you have sparse areas you want filled in, reach for an eyebrow pencil. L’Oréal Paris Brow Artist Designer lets you add shape and colour to your arches in an easy-to-use pencil that adds a natural tint to brows, making it great for newbies. If it’s a more manicured look you’re after—similar to a microblade brow—try L’Oréal Paris Brow Stylist Definer. It’s an ultra-thin mechanical pencil that allows you to thicken your brows for a similarly well-defined look. If it’s a long-wear brow look you’re after, try L’Oréal Paris Unbelieva’Brow. This brow gel formula fills and thickens arches for up to 48 hours giving you perfected arches that are water and smudge-proof. There’s no right or wrong way to use brow makeup; you can play around with different combinations to find a routine you’re comfortable with and the best eyebrow makeup to give you the results you want.

Make small strokes

The key to a crisp, defined micro blade brow look is to mimic the strokes that a brow artist would do during a micro blading session. Instead of drawing long lines through the eyebrows, opt for short, small hair-like-strokes with your eyebrow pen. L’Oreal Paris Micro Ink Pen is a great option if you want defined natural looking brows as it allows you to tint and recreate hair like strokes with its comb tip applicator. It’s easiest to begin at the base (the end closest to your nose) of your brows and build out the shade from there. Full in with a few small strokes at the base and then move out toward the arch of your brows and finish off at the tail.

Less is more

Even with microblading, the goal is still natural-looking brows. Before reaching for eyebrow makeup, take a good look at your arches and decide the exact areas you want to fill in to make them symmetrical. Is one tail shorter than the other? Lengthen the shorter one. Do both sides need to be plumped up at the base? Fill ’em in. The key is to work with your eyebrows’ natural shape to enhance what’s already there instead of giving yourself a whole new set of arches. A brow gel that’s a close match to your natural brow colour and small, hair-like strokes with your brow makeup of choice will give you the most subtle look.