Raise your eyebrows - big brows are in again, thanks to ubiquitous model Cara Delevigne. The big brow trend started back in the Eighties with Brooke Shields, but was displaced by the thin, pencilled brows of the Nineties. Now power brows are back in again. But not everyone is blessed with bountiful brows, and even if you are you'll still need to get them into shape. Here's how to get power brows like Cara …
Power brows still need to be groomed, or you risk looking unkempt. If you're not too confident about being able to shape your brows, and are worried you might pluck too many hairs (thus ruining the power brow look!), look for a suitable stencil to guide you. You also need to make sure that you keep your brows long enough and don't make them too short.
You can't create power brows just by drawing in a thick line; it will be painfully, obviously fake! Look at the 'Scouse brow', beloved of footballers' wives and glamor models in the UK, for an example of how not to do your thick brows. A good power brow should be strong but not overdone; it needs to look natural.
If your brows are naturally thin or over-plucked, it's not going to be easy to get the power brow look. Focus instead on grooming your brows and encouraging them to grow. You can get them to look a little fuller by carefully applying brow powder and building up the layers, but don't overdo it unless you want to look like a clown!
Cara's trademark brows are so striking not just because of their thickness, but because they are quite dark compared to her hair color. If you want to darken your brows though, look for a pencil or shadow that's reasonably close to your hair color. You want to harmonise rather than have a contrast that's far too strong.
Find the right product and you can fake your brows - to a degree at least. Look for a cream product that you can build on to get the color, as this will look more natural. You want the color to stick to your brow hairs, rather than to your skin. It's worth spending more on a good product that does the job, like Laura Mercier's Brow Definer (amazon.com).
If you want to encourage your brows to grow back, you're going to have to give your tweezers a vacation. The problem with plucking even the odd strays is that you upset the growth cycle of the brows. So if you want them to be nice and thick you'll need to refrain from plucking - for several months. THEN you can tweeze those strays.
For a natural look, your best bet is to use a mix of shades. Just like the hair on your head isn't one single color, your brows will also be a mix. So you could benefit from a palette that has several colors, or from using different products to create your fabulous power brows.
What is your feature that you love the most?