BOOMing Brows: Spring/Summer 2011 Brows are Big and Bold

January, 2011 (New York, NY) – Spring/Summer 2011 brows are big and bold – those who couldn’t pull it off last season, now have a chance! Boom Boom, owner of Boom Boom Brow Bar, offers tips for BOOMing, bold brows. YES, YES, YES!

“Big bold brows are always my fav – loved that Vera Wang used them in her spring show and I love seeing the smart cookies like Katy Perry, Natalie Portman and Lea Michele going bold,” explains Boom Boom who hinges the fate of big bold brows on four factors: color, length, width and arch.

Color: Go a little bolder (but not too dark, cookie) – tinting is a great option (match color to skin and hair undertones) and using a brow powder on a daily basis is great for adding definition and boldness. Try Boom Boom Brow Boostiers brow powders ($18.00 per jar: each comes with a brush. Colors: Aretha, Tina, Bette and Dolly).

Length: The space between brows should be equal to or a little wider than eyes. Take a long eye shadow brush or pencil and hold it parallel to the side of the nose. Where the brush meets the brow is where brows should begin. Extend the brush diagonally from nostril, following the outside edge of the eye toward the brow, where the inside edge of the brush hits is where brow should end.

Width: Work with natural width, just clean up strays along the top and bottom. If the damage has already been done and brows are too thin, apply castor oil to brows every night to help speed up the growth process - it’s one of the active ingredients in most brow and lash products. A brow gel can also help set and hold brows to make them look fuller. Try Boom Boom Brow-ssiere brow gel ($14.00).

Arch: Hold a brush parallel to the outside edge of the colored part of the eye (the iris). Where the brush meets the brow is where the highest part of the brow should be. To define the arch, use Boom Boom Push-Up brow highlighting pencil’s ($16.00) matte concealer side on the brow bone to create the illusion of lift.

Go bold with Boom Boom, you only live once! Boom Boom Brow Bar: 35 7th Avenue, The Big Apple: 212-229-2666. www.boomboombrowbar.com Boom Boom would never test on animals!

Boom Boom Push-Up Brow Highlighting Pencil

Another great product from the genius minds at Boom Boom Brow bar.

This soft, beige-y pencil rocks!

It's got two sides, Sparkles and Sparkle-free.

A little of the Sparkle under the brows works to make me look awake-- no small task!

Added bonus: I use the Sparkle-free side as concealer. It blends well and lasts.

Some Push-Up, some lipstick, maybe some mascara, and I'm good to go!

Love it!

And just for you, some Arch-advice from Boom Boom:

December, 2010 (New York City) – Between over-plucking and Botox, the arch is disappearing, and Boom Boom, owner of Boom Boom Brow Bar (NYC), just won’t have it.

“Unfortunately for some, the last time they spotted their arch was in the 8th grade. That’s when an assessment is needed. Brow should be brushed upward and out to see exactly where the hair is missing, and then it needs to be filled in with Boom Boom Boostier brow powder while the hair grows back. The important thing is to fill in the necessary spots, but not to create a new line, that's when the brow starts to look like a rainbow,” explains Boom Boom.

Boom Boom advises to ask the following questions in an assessment:

1) Do brows start too far out?

2) Have they been tweezed into rainbows?

3) Are they too short?

“Any one of these scenarios will lose an arch, and my job is to get it back through a consult and rehab. Most brows can make it back, it just takes guidance and time,” states Boom Boom who also says the best brows have a slight arch. To find, hold a brush parallel to the outside edge of the colored part of the eye (the iris). Where the brush meets the brow is where the highest part of the brow should be. “The problem is, many people get carried away and loose their arch and don’t have the patience to get it back. All those poor souls walking around archless, just need a little TLC.”

“Another offender of the arch is Botox, more times than not, it lifts brows (hence the permanently surprised expression). In this instance, the trick is to soften the arch from the top. You have to be very careful when doing this because you do not want to remove the arch entirely. Hold a pencil/brush directly over the arch on top and assess what needs to be removed. We cater to a lot of women who have started doing Botox and now have no clue what to do with their brows…it’s a new variable that needs to be tended to,” explains Boom Boom.

TouchBack Brow Marker

by Colormark

I used the Dark Brown to fill in the sparse spots in my eyebrows.

It went on cleanly, looked even, and stayed in place!

Takes all of 30 seconds, and makes your brows look well-groomed.

It also covers grays-- not that there's an issue there ;)

Buy online from TouchBack.

Boom Boom Brow Bar- Brow Boostiers Brow Powders

From RENEE:

I have very fair eyebrows and this luscious little creamy brow tint does a wonderful job at highlighting my brows. The stylish little application brush helps me perfectly define my brow line and now my blue eyes really pop. I have the "Dolly" shade and plan on keeping myself stocked with plenty of Boom Boom for my eye wear arsenal.

Talika Eyebrow Extender

From RENEE:

So this was a bit of a disappointment. I have very fair eyebrows and was really excited to use this product but with application, and even adding some brow tinting, I still didn't see much difference. It's a rather wet application but didn't bother my sensitive skin. I just didn't really see any results which was sad.

Brow Diva Base & Powder

Sophia

Never let it be said that Nature does not have a sense of humor: My eyebrows are growing to meet my hair on the sides, but balding in the middle.

With my very pale skin & dark hair, my disappearing eyebrow middles are extremely odd-looking. It made for some very odd pictures, especially over the holidays...

My brows have been saved by Brow Diva!!!

It is brilliant.

Sometimes I use just the base, sometimes just the powder, sometimes both. Any combination works wonders!

Next time I am anywhere near Rochester, NY, I will be booking a session at the Brow Diva Studio.

Oh, the Brow Diva genius can help all of us! There are 6 shades, great for everyone from blonds to redheads to the raven-haired!

Urban Decay Brow Box

Urban Decay
Brow Box
Brown Sugar

This is the coolest little thing! It's a pretty dark grey box with a light purple embellished metallic inset on the lid. Inside, you'll find two shades of brow powder, mini applicator brush and mini tweezer. Pop out the drawer below, and you'll find the brow wax. I love the mini brush - it's just the right size for applying brow powder - the size helps control the amount you are using (and if you read my previous post, you know that brow color can easily get out of control). There's a mirror on the underside of the lid, and the tweezers are good for the strays you missed during your usual pluck session.
I also really liked the colors of Brown Sugar. Having darker brows, the dark brown was perfect, with a light dose of the taupe for highlight (so it doesn't look too fake). The color is long wearing, even without the wax. Definitely a keeper, and a fave!

Laura Geller Brow Marker and SmashBox Brow Tech

Let me start by saying that my brows are 1-2 shades darker than my hair color (and yes, this is a naturally occurring phenom, which I sometimes address by coloring my hair to make them match my brows). Being very dark brown, my brows are a prominent feature. They require daily maintenance (plucking the ones that are too many or shouldn't be, and trimming the ones that have gotten unruly and too long). As we all know, maintenance can be tricky, as evidenced by a little bare spot in my left brow, and if I get too cut trim-happy, I end up exposing it. Which is what happened this morning.
I thought I'd give Laura the chance to help me out. I'm happy to report that Brow Marker goes on easily, doesn't have the tell-tale look that pencil gives, and has wonderful staying power. I tried it in brown (it comes in either Taupe or Brown). If only it were dark enough to match my real brow hairs, I would have declared a blessing from Aphrodite.
But, since it didn't quite match up, I turned to my reliable old friend, SmashBox Brow Tech in Brunette. If you use a light hand, Brow Tech is wonderful (get carried away, and you look like either Frankenstein or his lovely Bride). It comes with wax which (depending on the coarseness and determination of your brow hairs) does a fairly good job of reigning them in. Again, restraint is the word, or you'll look like you have greasy brows - what an image! Brunette is the perfect color for dark brown/almost black brows! It also comes in Auburn, Blonde, Grey, Taupe, and Soft Brown (available on QVC with a free full-size Smashbox Soft Lights Quad in Allure).
In summary: Brow Marker is great, just be sure the color is right for your brows; and Brow Tech is great if you have a little self-control, and has colors to suite everyone.
Laura Geller Brow Marker does not appear on her website, and is not avaiable online at Sephora. To buy, visit QVC or BellaSugar. Brow Tech is available at Sephora, QVC and Smashbox.
Happy Brow-sing!