By Marissa Oliva
It’s hard to believe that there are eyebrow trends. Though, when you think about it, that’s just a testament to their transformative powers. Tweak their shape, fullness, or color, and you’ve just changed your entire look and vibe. Eyebrow trends have shifted frequently since the 1920s, and that alone is proof that Big Brow Energy exists — and we’re fully here for all of it. After all, most trends, whether they’re good, bad, or literally brow-raising, have a way of coming back around. From barely-there to power brows, in collaboration with Sephora Collection, here are the top five ways brows have been plucked, shaped, and fluffed throughout the years.
Ladies in the 1920s and 1930s wore their brows pencil-thin and heavily curved (think little lowercase n’s). Since then, the style has popped up often throughout the decades, making solid comebacks in the ‘70s and 2000s.
Make It 2020: Try not to over-pluck your brows if you don’t need to (those lil’ hairs take a loong time to grow in… and sometimes they don’t come back at all). Instead, get yourself a good pencil, like Sephora Collection's Retractable Brow Pencil, which can help achieve a defined lift. Don’t worry about filling in sparse areas here since that’s the look. Instead, sculpt your own swoop with the pencil’s skinny tip, and use the spoolie brush on the other end to soften harsh lines.
That arch, though! The “it” pair of the ‘50s were natural and groomed with a sharp arch. Think of the mega-babe bombshells of the day.
Make It 2020: Fill in any bare spots with a soft, creamy pencil. Then accentuate the slope of your arch (or create the illusion of one) by taking the pencil slightly higher in the center of the brow before returning it back to your natural brow line as you get closer to the tail. Run a spoolie through the hairs to blend. We love the triangle-shaped tip of Sephora Collection Brow Shaper Pencil; this will help you form the arch while the edges will help mimic real hair.
Everyone put their tweezers into actual hibernation in the ‘80s when supermodels brought that big brow energy to the scene with their lush, fluffy set. A few decades later, the biggest models of today are still following suit.
Make It 2020: Honestly, this classic will never go out of style. If you were blessed with bushy eyebrows, grazing some brow gel, like Sephora Collection Clear Brow Gel, through them is enough. Move the wand in short, upward strokes for that brushed-up look. But if yours need some beefing up, a tinted brow mascara (do a shade that matches your natural hair color) is your jam. We love Sephora Collection Brow Volumizing Fiber Mascara, because it contains microfibers that latch onto individual brow hairs and create instant volume. Layer on a few coats for major boldness. Who is she??
The year 2015 gave us Instagram brows – you read that right, and you’re likely envisioning exactly what we’re talking about. These babies look airbrushed-on: precise from the tail through the sleek arch then gently faded at the base.
Make It 2020: A soft pencil like Sephora Collection Brow Shaper Pencil will help you achieve that smooth, filter-esque look. Use the wand to brush hairs up and over, then utilize the tip to contour edges.
We predict that 2020’s brows will be messy and grown-out looking with a feathery front and a soft arch that’ll make eyes pop. Basically, it’s a gorgeous, flattering mashup of past trends.
To get it, fill in any gaps with Sephora Collection Microblade Effect Brow Pen. A sheer tint of color will make your brows fuller without looking too done. To finish, brush them up so they look a little messy — you want them to think you woke up like this.
This post is sponsored by Sephora Collection.
Illustrations: Allison Gore/BDG
