Renée Cleovoulou, aesthetic dermatographist and cosmetic tattooist at The Dermatography Clinic, offers her top tips for creating the perfect brow shape, whether at home or professionally.
Of course many people see pictures of celebrities or models and use them to decide on brow shape, however, I always warn them that someone else’s perfect brows may not suit them. Don’t copy your friends! They may not know what they are doing but most importantly they are not you – even identical twins may not have the same eyebrows.
It depends on a number of factors such as face shape and proportions, the position of the arch, the colour and particularly the size and shape of the eyes including the space between the eyes.
For this reason, brows should be as individual as the person. In many ways it is like trying on a dress because you have seen it on somebody else and while the size might be correct, it may not look flattering when you try it on. When seeing my clients during their initial consultation, I will often pencil in brows or sketch them so the client can visualise how I would improve them. A professional will be able to recommend the perfect shape for you.
Usually you can follow your existing brow as a guide for the most natural shape. Follow what nature gave you, as this will best suit your face. If you are considering a more permanent brow treatment, spend time using make up to experiment with shapes and take pictures of your preferred results to show your practitioner. However, an expert will be able to advise you on the best shape for you.
I’m grateful for influential figures such as Cara Delevingne who have set the trend for bigger and bolder eyebrows. When I first started practising dermatography or cosmetic tattooing, it was popular to have very thin eyebrows, which are terribly ageing and unflattering on anyone. I do believe that hair removal should always be kept to a minimum; however, it is a misconception that bigger is better. Fuller eyebrows are definitely more youthful and natural looking than skinny, over-plucked ones. However, great eyebrows do not need to be the ‘greatest’ feature of your face.
If you want to experiment with big, dark brows for a night out, I would recommend using make-up to do this. However, I would think twice before getting them applied with permanent cosmetics to create this look, as it will dominate your face and can take up to three years to fully fade.
There are a number of things you can do from the daily application of make up and brow pencil to the longer-term solution of digital microblading – a form of cosmetic tattooing like microblading but using digital technology instead of a hand held blade to implant pigment into the area. Digital microblading will give you ultra fine crisp hair strokes and the most realistic natural eyebrows that will last 1-3 years. Microblading also produces fine hair strokes however, results will only last between 6 months and a year.
Whatever method you choose to fill in gaps, whether using a pencil or getting your eyebrows cosmetically tattooed, take care at the beginning and end of your eyebrows, as they should be soft and not too hard or bold. Use fine strokes and never colour them in as a block. Fine strokes will replicate the natural brow hairs and allows you to build on your brows while creating a softer finish. Of course, this is not easy with conventional make up and takes time and a bit of creativity but there are some great tools around to help you to achieve this. If hair strokes are too much of a challenge for you then powder applied with a brow brush will give you a softer finish than pencil. If you are busy and want to avoid the hassle, then semi-permanent make up may be for you.
Those with fair or very fine hair may feel they need to add “oomph” to their brows. This can be done either with make up, tinting or cosmetic tattooing.
For the most natural results I match the colour to the existing colour of the brows, unless the hair is very fair when I would go slightly darker to enhance the brows. An expert will understand which colours to use for a natural looking enhancement and will never recommend something that looks odd. I always test the colour on the skin prior to treatment to ensure the best colour is selected and to involve the client in the decision.
Remember that your eyebrows should act as “picture frames” for your eyes, enhancing the main attraction and not distracting from them.
Renée is a leading aesthetic dermatographist and specialist cosmetic tattooist based at The Dermatography Clinic, in Spitalfields, London. She offers the latest in semi-permanent make up, digital microblading and corrective and camouflaging medical tattoo treatments.
She offers cosmetic treatments, enhancing brows, lips and eyes, and corrective treatments, specifically for those experiencing hair thinning and loss, scarring and loss of skin pigmentation. From an artistic background, she trained in dressmaking and tailoring at the London College of Fashion and Central Saint Martins and established a business creating couture bridalwear and evening wear before training in dermatography. Renée has almost 10 years’ experience practising, holding qualifications to carry out cosmetic and corrective treatments all over the body. She credits her creative background with her skill for identifying and matching colour, tone and form to create the most natural and realistic finish for her clients.
Driven to meet the highest standards, Renée refreshes her training every 12 months to keep abreast of the latest techniques and invests in the newest, most sophisticated equipment to ensure she offers the very best experience to her clients and achieves outstanding results. Her steady hand, attention to detail and artistic eye has led Renée to be regarded as one of London’s finest practitioners of semi-permanent make up and she has helped thousands of people regain confidence in their appearance.
Find out more at: www.thedermatographyclinic.com
To make an appointment, please call 07961 180 949.
