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"Those brows went down in history," says makeup artist Nigel Stanislaus, referring to Brooke Shields' brows in The Blue Lagoon. The buzz around bold, bushy brows hasn't subsided since. While arches of all shapes and sizes can be beautiful, there's a reason women who are rather well-endowed continue to reign on the runway and red carpet: Fuller brows take years off your face and add instant polish to any look, Stanislaus says.
To intensify your natural set in seconds, consider the tool below your new desert-island essential (you know, just in case you're stranded a la Shields' character alongside a Christopher Atkins lookalike). Here, how to bulk and sculpt the hair above your eyes like a boss:
Brush backwards
Starting at the tail, brush brows against the grain in a horizontal motion toward the bridge of your nose using Maybelline New York Eye Studio Brow Drama (a tinted gel-mousse formula with a mascara wand-like applicator)—giving the underside of arches an instant boost by coating them with pigment. Think of this step like teasing your hair, building volume by backcombing.
Sweep up
Next, brush arches in the opposite direction (from inner corner out toward your temple) with the wand—directing the hairs up instead of smoothing them down into a straight line. This creates a thicker, more "lifted" look, Stanislaus explains.
Fill holes
If necessary, fill in any noticeable gaps or sparse spots with the gel-mousse and a pointed, synthetic brush for precise application. "The formula isn't too wet or clumpy," Stanislaus says, but it does plump up hairs and hold them in place minus a stiff, "sticker-like" finish.
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