Sponsored by Sephora Collection

We Transformed The Brows Of 4 People To Bring Out Their Most Confident Selves

by Shyema Azam

Can we all collectively agree that one of our longest, most ever-changing relationships is with our eyebrows? Our face-framers have been through so many moods, phases, and trends with us over the years. But if you still don’t quite feel like you’ve mastered the balance of making your brows complement your look rather than overtake it, you’re not alone. The key is finding the right products for your specific shade and texture, and once you do, it only gets easier from there. Even the slightest touch-up can make a huge difference in getting a power-brow look. In honor of Sephora Collection’s newest launch of brow products, we asked four people to get real about their arches — and with a few tips, tools, and products, we transformed them with Big Brow Energy so they could show off their fiercest, most confident selves.

JULIA’S BROW STORY: Julia has naturally thick, enviable brows that are on the lighter, blonde side. Her upkeep is minimal. “I usually just shave the middle unibrow area then brush the rest up using a light colored gel,” she says.

“A little goes a long way for me. I love that this is a subtle difference that doesn’t overtake my face, since I’m usually so minimal with my brows.”

ADDING BIG BROW ENERGY: “Julia already has so much amazing volume that we don’t need much,” says Helen Phillips, the National Artist for Sephora Collection, whose game plan was to play with tone instead. She first used the Brow Volumizing Fiber Mascara in Medium Brown to tame and add dimension to Julia’s brows. She finished off the look with a few strokes of Brow Shaper Pencil in Blonde just for that last bit of polish and shape.

RAVEN’S BROW STORY: There was a point when Raven got really creative with her brows. “When I was little, I would put concealer over my brows and then draw them in,” she says. “When I try to do my brows now, I tend to get agitated, because I end up overdoing them.” Instead, she usually wears them au naturel, she says, just brushing them through with an eyebrow brush before heading out the door.

“I feel so complete after my brows are done — it makes me feel super confident in my beauty."

ADDING BIG BROW ENERGY: “Raven has beautiful, natural brows, but she can amp it up with just a little definition,” says Phillips. She first brushed up Raven’s brows using a spoolie to see where her arch started. Then, using the ultra fine tip of the Sephora Collection Retractable Brow Pencil in Ebony, she stenciled out the top line and started making short, hair-like strokes to fill out the bottom. To seal the deal, she finished using the Clear Brow Gel to lightly feather it all out.

STACEY’S BROW STORY: When it comes to brows, Stacey keeps it simple. As in, he doesn’t mess with them at all… but it wasn’t always that way. “When I was younger, I would get my eyebrows waxed because my dad used to go to get them cleaned up, and I’d just go with him,” he says.

“I think male grooming is on the rise. I don’t normally fill in my brows, but I like how simple it is to use a pencil for a more defined look.”

ADDING BIG BROW ENERGY: “For men, the Brow Shaper Pencil and Brow Volumizing Fiber Mascara are two products that can be used quickly to just enhance the brows you already have,” says Phillips. Starting with the Brow Shaper Pencil in Medium Brown, Phillips gave Stacey’s brow a little more shape by filling in any sparse areas at the tails. Then, she went over it with the Brow Mascara in Deep Brown to tame the hairs and add a little more bushy volume.

LAUREN’S BROW STORY: Lauren’s biggest gripe with brow products is that they smear off too fast, so she normally opts for a powder for a softer look. “I feel most confident when my brows look somewhere between tamed and undone,” she says.

“One thing I learned is not to fight the natural direction of your brow hairs. They say brows frame your face, and I think that’s so true. I feel so much more put together when they’re done.”

ADDING BIG BROW ENERGY: To make Lauren’s brows more bold, Phillips started with the Microblade Effect Brow Pen in Universal Dark. She used light strokes to mimic the look of hair and ultimately create a fuller effect. Next, she went in with Sephora Collection’s Retractable Brow Pencil in Charcoal to more intensely define the shape. “I always comb through first to make it look softer,” says Phillips, “and here, I'm concentrating more at the top of the brows so it doesn’t close in on the eyes.”

This post is sponsored by Sephora Collection.

Photography: Julia Comita; Makeup: Helen Phillips; Hair: Akihisa Yamaguchi; Styling: Rachel Gilman; Manicure: Ada Yeung; Art Direction: Diana Weisman/BDG; Branded Beauty Leads: Irma Elezovic & Shyema Azam/BDG; Production: Nancy Valev/BDG