Take a Brow

The heavy brow has fascinated women for centuries. To signify royalty, the Japanese court ladies in the 12th Century Heian period painted horizontal ovals approximately one inch above their natural eyebrow to stand out in a sea of starlets. In the Golden Age of Hollywood, Max Factor created Joan Crawford’s unforgettable arches.

Now, the bold brow is back as seen on international Spring collection runways from Balenciaga’s nothing-but-brows look to Carolina Herrera’s bold brow glamour.

BeautyNewsLA consulted professional makeup artist Ralph Siciliano (www.ralphsiciliano.com) of Project Runway, Italian Vogue and many a runway show, on the best products. We took a look at his bag of brow tricks and here is what we found . . .

The Stick: MAC Brow Finisher
“The trend for brow grooming is a powder with pomade”, says Siciliano, “but the product in action proves difficult with the clumping of powder and uneven application.” MAC has introduced the perfect solution, a stick of colored wax that comes in pen form. The MAC Brow Finisher allows you to groom and set your brows while adding subtle color.

It’s the perfect product for those who have eyebrow hairs growing in the wrong direction and allows for a custom arch. The slanted stick is thick, so Siciliano recommends for finer detail using an angled brush to get the perfect color and product application. The look can be waxy, however your brows won’t go anywhere. www.maccosmetics.com or MAC Pro Robertson.

The Powder: Laura Mercier Brow Powder Duo
“Stand alone brow powder is hard to find, however Laura Mercier’s Brow Powder Duo is ideal,” says Siciliano. Coming in three palettes, the duo allows you to customize your color in one lighter and one darker shade, perfect to go for either a heavy or subtler look. The mill on the brush duo is so fine, the powder applies like a dream and more often than not heavier and deeper.

“The only drawback is that after time it wears and during application there may be powder fallout,” says Siciliano, “but easy to clean up.” www.lauramercier.com or Nordstrom at The Grove.

The liquid: Temptu Airbrow
Siciliano’s latest obsession is the Temptu Airbrow. Temptu, a professional makeup product more known for temporary tattoos and liquid airbrush formulations, launched their Airbrow kit this year. Though designed for airbrush application, the product is easily applied with a brush, and because it was meant for airbrush, the product is perfectly sheer and light. “The Airbrow kit comes with 5 colors so I can match anyone’s brow,” says Sicilano, “and I also use the colors to create a bevy of smoky eye looks from a Sunset Smoky to an evening Charcoal Smoky.”

The product is a silicone-based formula so heavy brows last. Once set, they will last all day and all night, under hot lights and humid temperatures. Also, product may be layered to go from subtle to bold and dramatic. The kit also includes a free-hand eyebrow shaper that can be customized for any brow. www.temptu.com.