Trend Highlight: Eyebrows

I’ve always had an obsession with eyebrows. So much so that there is only one esthetician, all the way back in my hometown, that I trust near my own. One bad waxing job and a long year of growing out my eyebrows has a way of scaring a person into never seeing anyone else again. I’d say I’m even a little embarrassed of how far I drive and how much money I drop without a second thought on a 15-minute eyebrow appointment, but it always feels worth it. I wouldn’t be myself without my eyebrows. My love of eyebrows has led me to closely follow their shape and makeup trends. I still cringe at the overplucked brows of the early 2000s, and was grateful when thick bold brows came into fashion to replace them. I viewed Lily Collins as an eyebrow queen in high school- thankful that her dark brows were so similar to my own. Since then, bold brows have only grown as a trend with the help of online makeup artists and the popularity of the Anastasia Beverly Hills brow kit. However, over time, makeup artists have found more interesting and even bolder brow looks to sport. Some may work for a day you’re just feeling a look that’s a little more extra, but some might be best paired with a costume.

Squiggle:

When popular makeup guru Promise Tamang posted a photo of herself on Instagram with squiggle brows in early September, this look quickly began trending. This trend received such mixed reactions it inspired both posts calling squiggle brows “the stupidest trend yet” and photos of other women attempting to recreate Tamang’s squiggle brow look. The hype even reached Snapchat, which recently had squiggly brows added to their array of face filters. As interesting as they are, personally, the difficulty of drawing these precise lines and using concealer around them is enough to deter me from attempting this look. But if you were excited about the Snapchat squiggle brow filter, this is definitely the eyebrow trend for you.

Feather:  

Earlier this year in April, makeup artist Stella Sironen posted one of the first feather brow photos, using Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade. This look also received mixed reactions, with her followers commenting that they either loved or hated it. Feather brows quickly began trending. Although their popularity has died down, these brows are better suited for a daily look.

Barbed Wire: 

In late April of this year, following the feather brow trend, came barbed wire brows. Made popular by makeup artist Athena Paginton, these brows are created by separating hairs to go in different directions, mimicking the look of a barbed wire fence. This is potentially one of the least liked brow trends and the least plausible for a daily look, but there are still avid barbed wire brow supporters. Personally, looking at these brows never fails to make me itch.

Lightning Bolt: 

When makeup artist Zakia Wahbi posted a photo of herself in late September with matching lightning bolt eyebrows and eyeliner, lightning bolt brows quickly became the latest wild eyebrow trend. Although it didn’t receive as much attention as the squiggly brows, many other beauty-fanatics attempted to recreate her look. Although this is one of my favorite wacky eyebrow trends, it might be best paired with a themed costume.

Glitter: 

Glitter eyebrows have been a thing for a while now, but have become fashionable again within the last two years. This eye-catching look highlights the shape of your brow in a flattering way no matter your choice of glitter color. My personal favorite—I strongly believe we would all be happier if glitter eyebrows were socially acceptable to wear on a daily basis.