Beauty School answers common beauty questions with help from creative people who’ve become experts on the job. Sign up here to find us in your inbox once a month, and send any questions of your own to tmagazine@nytimes.com.  |
Certain eyebrow styles are synonymous with specific decades — there were the pencil-thin, downward slopes of the 1920s, the Brooke Shields-esque power brows of the ’80s, and the over-plucked arches of the ’90s (as exemplified by Drew Barrymore’s Guess Jeans campaign). More recently, though, many in the beauty world have come to consider brows a feature that should be immune to trends; at their best, they are a bespoke affair. For grooming tips that fit a range of brow types, we consulted the veteran brow artist Kristie Streicher, known for creating the feathered look that leaves the hair fluffy and full; the model Cierra O’day, whose unibrow has become her calling card; and the actress Jodie Turner-Smith, whose arches, over the years, have gone from skinny to shaved off to, now, completely natural. Cierra O’day, 26, model | | From left: Ilia In Frame Clear Eyebrow Gel, $25, sephora.com; and Japonesque Point Tip Tweezers, $5, walmart.com. O'day: Sophia Liv Maguire; products: courtesy of the brands |
- I felt so embarrassed about my unibrow as a tween that I plucked it into all kinds of shapes. I became more confident with thicker brows during the Cara Delevingne era [in the mid-2010s, when the model rose to fame], and I fully committed to growing mine back sometime during the pandemic. Now my unibrow’s become a signature part of my look.
- My routine is very minimal. I’ll pluck the occasional stray hair if it’s sticking straight out. I love pointed tweezers because they allow for more precision.
- My brows are fluffy, so a good gel is essential. My go-to is Ilia’s In Frame Clear Eyebrow Gel. I like a small, precise applicator so that I can shape without overdoing it, and the brand’s formula holds all day without feeling heavy or gluelike. I keep one at home and one in my purse for when I need a touch-up on the go.
|
Kristie Streicher, 49, brow artist | | From left: KS&CO Sheer Tinted Brow Gel, $36, theksandco.com; Simplehuman Sensor Mirror Round, $200, simplehuman.com; Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water, $15, dermstore.com; and KS&CO Microfeathering Brow Pen, $42, theksandco.com. Streicher: Robin Black; products: courtesy of the brands |
- Tweezing is the most precise and respectful way to shape a brow. Methods like waxing and sugaring can be efficient, but they don’t allow for the same level of intention and gentle refinement. A well-made slant-tip tweezer is essential because it’s sharp enough to grip the hair cleanly without breaking it.
- Perspective is everything: I tell my clients to step back from the mirror often. When you’re too close, [or using] a magnifying mirror, you start chasing symmetry and can overtweeze. The other mistake most people make is working under harsh overhead lighting. I recommend the Simplehuman sensor mirror because it mimics natural daylight.
- For both thinner and fuller brows, the key is to avoid overly defined edges and harsh lines. Removing one too many hairs in a single row can completely alter the [overall shape] and the way your eyes are framed. Keep the lower line of the brow soft, with an evenly lifted arch. The tail should lay cleanly across the brow bone, not go downward or be too short. Trimming should be limited: I brush the hairs upward and trim only what clearly extends beyond the natural line.
- When styling fuller brows, I use the Sheer Tinted Brow Gel from my own line and brush the hairs slightly against their natural direction to build lift, then set them back in place. That creates an airy, lived-in volume. When I add definition to thinner brows, I do so sparingly with my brow pen. You shouldn’t fill in every gap. Leaving space allows the brow to look like real hair rather than product.
- For removing products, I saturate a cotton pad with Bioderma’s Sensibio H2O Micellar Water. No rubbing needed — [you can swipe it on gently] and it won’t disturb the hair or irritate the skin around the brow.
- Growth serums can often come with unwanted side effects, so I’m a big believer in something simpler: daily dry brushing. Using a spoolie brush that’s neither too soft nor too stiff stimulates the follicle, distributes your natural oils and keeps hair lifted and directional.
|
Jodie Turner-Smith, 39, actress | | From left: Fenty Beauty Brow MVP Ultra Fine Brow Pencil & Styler, $15, fentybeauty.com; and Ziip Halo 2.0, $400, ziipbeauty.com. Turner-Smith: Chris Pizzello/Associated Press Photo; products: courtesy of the brands |
- I’ve never had full brows. Their natural Whoopi Goldberg-esque nonexistence has always been much more interesting to me than [the prospect of] spending hours in the mirror trying to make decent shapes out of them.
- There’s something otherworldly about going browless. The first time I completely shaved off my brows was for my roles as Gracie — a.k.a. the Dragon Queen — in “Bad Monkey” (2024) and then as Athena [in “Tron: Ares” (2025)]. I love people’s reaction to the look — they can sense something is different about my face, but they can’t quite work out what it is.
- I’ll do a bit of shading if I want people to know my brows are actually there. Fenty Beauty has a great pencil-brush combo that’s perfect for those of us who lack expert hands. I also like to brush my brows with a spoolie brush to make them look fuller.
- I love skin-care devices that use micro- and nanocurrents [which can have a lifting effect around the brow area when used regularly]. I use Ziip’s Halo 2.0. I like to think all of this keeps not only my brows [toned] but my entire face.
|
T RecommendsThese interviews have been edited and condensed. Read past editions of Beauty School here. |
