You know those years in middle school when you aggressively poked and prodded away at your eyebrows, reducing them to two almost-invisible lines on your forehead? I definitely had one of those phases. However, this past summer, my sister challenged me to completely stop plucking mine—and I reluctantly decided to take her up on the challenge. At first, it was extremely difficult to ignore straggling hairs that popped up; I hated the way they looked, and the perfectionist in me wanted nothing more than to pluck them right out. Yet as time went on, I surprisingly found that I actually love the natural appearance of my thicker eyebrows and began to embrace the journey. As it turns out, I’m not the only one. I asked five fellow College Fashionista community members how their approach to their brows has changed their outlook on beauty and the products they swear by.
“When I had my quinceañera, my aunt—who is a hairstylist—waxed my brows for the first time. I loved them, but afterward, I went to get my brows waxed and threaded in different places, one of which cut the tails off. After that, I decided to do my own brows and started to pluck them almost everyday for about a year or two. This went smoothly until the summer before my senior year of high school when my mom pointed out I had two thin lines for eyebrows. So I began to pencil them in while they grew back. That took about six months, and thankfully my brows grew back just as full as before I began experimenting. By the time brows became a big deal, my brows were looking great. I just pluck out tiny hairs that grow outside the dominant shape. I love an Instagram brow, but this year I’ve been following the feathery brow trend. My favorite brow products that work for both of these looks are the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade and the Essence Eyebrow Gel Mascara, which is a $3 dupe for the Glossier Boy Brow.” — Andrea Zerpa, Rutgers University, Class of 2018
“When I was younger, my brows always grew very thick and unshapely because of my hair type and length. After trying everything in the books to change them, I came to the realization that waxing once a month gives my brows the sharp look I love. Every day, I fill them in with brow pomade and highlight my under-brow area with concealer. My everyday, non-negotiable, ‘gotta buy a new one before the first one even runs out’ favorite brow product is Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Ebony ($18). To apply and blend it, I use Sephora Collection Pro Brow Brush #20 ($18).” — Brittney Hughes, Fashion Institute of Technology, Class of 2020
“I used to never think about my brows until my senior year of high school, and I started very slightly filling them in with a pencil (my brows are pretty full, but they needed some touching up). After doing this, I realized that all I really had to do for makeup were my brows, so doing this ultimately made me wear less makeup and become more confident. Now all I do is use the Glossier Boy Brow ($16) on them every day, which is a tinted brow gel. I also never ever get them waxed or professionally done—I only tweeze between my brows every few months.” — Natalie Geisel, George Washington University, Class of 2020
“I definitely over-plucked my brows when I was younger, but I’ve since come to learn how to do it properly. I’ve never gotten my brows waxed because I was always scared they would make them too thin. I just tweeze and trim them occasionally, but I’m not super fussy about them. I have pretty thick brows naturally, and I like to let them grow out a bit more. I’ve personally never been a fan of the perfectly groomed brow for myself. I think letting them go more natural is just easier. As of now, I run through them with a tinted brow gel. If I’m putting a little more effort in, I will take the E.l.f. Cosmetics Eyebrow Kit ($3) and touchup the ends a little bit.” — Molly Steckler, DePauw University, Class of 2019
“When I was in middle school, I really struggled with my eyebrows and ended up over-plucking them. I started to let them grow back out in high school, and now I just maintain them and let them keep their natural shape. I use the E.l.f. Cosmetics Lock On Liner and Brow Cream ($4) to fill in the ends and the Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Granite ($22) to go over my whole brow and set it in place.” — Sarah Warner, Kent State University, Class of 2019
Do you have an eyebrow journey to share? Comment below—and feel free to recommend your go-to brow products, too!
