It's been a little over a year, since my last blog post, believe it or not! I thought I'd do a little catching up, so here are some pictures of what I've been working on, this past year.

BROWVOLUTION : The Swiss Cheese

I'm going to try and keep this diagnosis and treatment, short and sweet. 

I would say that this symptom, is probably the symptom that makes brows look THE most unnatural. 

To me, it would be better to have big huge, never been tweezed brows, over severely hole-ee, Swiss cheese brows, ANY day. 

Why????

Because they are simply, distracting. Brows don't come with major holes, they are man made materials...

You just can't focus on the brightness and glow of a smile, when the brows are lacking very critical segments.  

I find that all women have this symptom, but to different degrees. 

This is probably one of the more common degrees of hole-ee-ness, I see. 

If you are not sure that you fall in this category, here is a little rule of thumb or guide to follow:

If you can draw a DOME or CIRCLE in any part of your brow, (whether it be at the beginning,center, or end) if you can, then you have a HOLE.

 AKA: Swiss Cheese Symptom

Examples:

Treatment: Grow them in. Brow rehab and tweezerdetox ;)

Then when grown in as much as possible, fill in the holes. 

A properly shaped and most flattering brow, will have strait lines. 

In no area, do the curves of a circle or dome fit. 

I will cover filling in brows, soon. If you can't wait, I have a video in YouTube. Let me know if you want the link!

BROWVOLUTION: "Party Poopers"

One of the most common symptoms of malnourished brows, are the Party Pooper brows or, brows that have little to no tail. 

(I consider the tail, as the last 3rd of your brow.)

Like my last post about "Early Bloomers", I'll use the same analogy for Party Pooper brows.

When your brows act as a roof over your eyes, They need to cover the ENTIRE eye, AND THEN SOME.

WHY? 

Well, because you will be drawing attention, to the wrong parts of your face. 

Symmetry will be compromised and so will your entire look. 

Did you know, one of the quickest ways to age yourself, is to have Party Pooper Brows?

And one of the quickest ways to add some youth, is to make sure your brows cover all they are meant to. 

Here us the treatment plan and RX:

Grow out your tail, a much a possible. 

At least until it covers everything it should.

Like this diagram, your brow should end, in line with a 45• angle, taken from your outer nostril, to the outer corner of the eye. 

It  is possible that your tail will not grow in, if you've tweezed off that area in the past. 

And in that case, you will have to learn how to properly fill it in. 

To see my how-to video, 

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/228417012320266126/

Don't forget to document your progress on Instagram or FB

#browvolution #makeupyourinnerbeauty

BROWVOLUTION: "EARLY BLOOMER" Brows

Time to set something strait. Once and for all. 

When incorrect beauty information goes viral, it gets my insides churning!

Looks like this is a job for the Browvolution!

There's a misconception about brows that has been spreading like crazy, and it makes ME crazy. 

 Ready for it???

Your eyebrows ARE NOT supposed to start parallel to your nostril!!!!!!

Really, I promise. 

No matter how many Pinterest tutorials, makeup artists or makeup books tell you to. 

They are SOOOOOOO misleading. 

So wrong!

Delete them off your Pinterest boards and stop spreading them. Please! 

They are not accurate or helpful so they need to be flagged and banned for giving 

inaccurate advice. 

The tool shes using isn't even strait, so how can this be accurate? It's not. 

Surprisingly enough, I was taught in hair school and even specialized makeup classes, that you are supposed to start brows parallel to your nostril.

Well, I happen to have a wider nose,  

and I'll tell you right now, if my eyebrows began where everyone tells you the "should start", I'd have half my eyebrow cut off!

See?

Lets step back and look at why "early bloomer" eyebrows, are not your friend. 

THEY THROW YOUR FACE OFF BALANCE

Your brows are the foundational structure to your face. 

When they are not balanced, it puts weight and pressure on other parts of the face, in a not so flattering way. 

The brows are meant to cover the ENTIRE EYE, AND THEN SOME. Just like a roof on a house, it not only covers the house, but goes even further, to creat balance and extra coverage. 

THEY GIVE YOU A MASCULINE APPEARANCE

Because "early bloomer brows" create a large gap above the bridge of the nose, the forehead and brow bone, become more prominent. (Enlarged forhead, separated eyes)

Which can appear more masculine on a Woman or even caveman looking.

THEY DRAW ATTENTION AWAY FROM YOUR EYES

When you have an unnatural shape, everyone's eyes, are drawn to the harshness of eyebrows. Not the eyes. 

So, If you suffer from this symptom, then you have some work to do.

Here is your treatment and RX:

GROW BROWS BACK IN, DAILY, UNTIL SIGNIFICANT GROWTH IS SEEN. 

95% of my clients, don't have enough growth in the middle to even grow a unibrow. 

YET, that is what most clients fear they will acquire. 

I promise, it's really hard to actually get your eyebrows to connect. 

Stop worrying about it!

Take me for example, I have decently thick brows and only need tweeze the middle, about 3 times a year!

Just leave it alone. 

The more hair you leave, the more your brow hair will grow. 

"Hair growth, encourages hair growth"

This is a diagram I did years ago, showing you where to REALLY start your brows. 

NOTICE: Though eyebrows do start parallel to the bridge of the nose, they ARE NOT as thick or as heavy as the rest of the brow. 

Many of my clients worry that the hair growth they are getting toward the center, is sparse and light. 

If you can relate, don't worry. That is how brows are naturally supposed to be. 

The first 1/4th of your brow, should be at least 50% lighter, than the rest of the brow. 

I will cover shaping and grooming later on. So for now, let yiur brows grow in toward the center, as much as possible! 

Doctors orders ;)

Good luck. 

And remember to tag #makeupyourinnerbeauty on Facebook or Instagram with any "early bloomers" and awesome brow detox pix!

An next time you see a pin or tutorial that tells you to start brow parallel to nostril, DO NOT REPOST! Let's overthrow these myths ince and for all!

#browvolution

 

The Browvolutuion

A friend will always tell you, you look great, no matter what. 

But a true friend, will tell you when you don't. 

Since the beginning of Makeup Your Inner Beauty, my overall objective, has been, to shed light on beauty issues and topics to help women feel more confident, both Inside and out!

With that said, and coming from a "true friends'" point of view, its time to shed some light on one of the MOST IMPORTANT beauty topics that I see my fellow women, struggle with. 

Their Eyebrows!

Your eyebrow shape, eyebrow width, eyebrow intensity, just eyebrows in general. 

From what I've seen, women are falling victim to an epidemic. Almost 90% of brows I come across, are suffering and in need of treatment.

In a world of misleading makeup polotics, it's time we take charge of this epidemic. 

Today is the beginning of a new movement, I like to call it the "BROWvolution"!

Browvolution: Overthrowing of society's false eyebrow myths, political ideals and misconceptions. 

It's time to take back what brows COULD and SHOULD be. 

this month, I will be focusing on EVERYTHING eyebrows. 

From the importance of TWEEZER DETOX

to PROPER/NATURAL SHAPING,

 

and of course, HOW TO FILL THEM IN, the right way.

Now, If you know me, you know how I am very passionate about eyebrows, including proper shaping and care. 

But believe it or not, there was a time when I needed some major help in the brow department, myself. 

Before I became a major in browology, I was oblivious to the importance and power of eyebrows.

I was a seventeen year old cosmetology student. 

I remember brow waxing day in class, like it was yesterday. 

My instructor, asked me if she could use me as the class model aka: the guinea pig.
I figured she knew what she was doing, so I agreed.

Well, the next thing I know, I'm getting hot wax smeared near my eye, wax on, brow....off.  

And bam, there they were, my first (and last) set of "tadpole" eyebrows....:/

I looked in the mirror, to admire my newly shaped brows, and to my surprise,

I was not as pleased, as I had imagined I'd be. 

Something just looked off, but I just couldn't put my finger on it quite yet. 

All I knew was, it was done by a professional, so it had to have been the correct shape..... Right?

Well, little did I know, I had one of the most unnatural shapes, a brow could possibly have. 

Common, but unnatural.

Luckily, after about a year, I came to my senses and concluded that tadpoles belonged in the water, not in my face.

 I decided to take some initiative to restore my brows and admitted myself into an intensive brow rehab program. 

I began nourishing my brows back to health. 

I found that "tweezer detox" was the best method for growth. 

During my detox, my mind began an enlightenment and my awareness was magnified. 

I found myself analyzing and studying every set of brows I'd see. 

I was amazed at how much I learned just by observing. 

Eventually, that lead me to develop an eyebrow, sixth sense. 

Well, that whole brow journey was an uncomfortable, yet necessary experience for me. 

 In order  to discover my passion and sixth sense, I had to sacrifice a little. And it was worth it  

So to save you some hassle and help make this journey happen a little less painful for you, I will be helping you and your brows recover throughout this next month.
Because in a world where the politics of makeup can be confusing, too many women are unsure about their brows. 

A reform is in order. I am here to help.

To kick off our browvolution, I have come up with three basic

 "brow-losophies" to follow and live by, to ensure proper brow shaping.

BUT, before you read on, (if you are serious about this) you MUST clear your brain of anything you've ever been taught about brows.

MAKEUP YOUR INNER BEAUTY'S      

"BROWLOSOPHY"

•Your brows are not an "afterthought" they are the FOUNDATIONAL STRUCTURE, of the face. 

Most women, see their brows as an "after thought", and not the main focus of their face.

 That is detrimental to your overall impression and appearance. 

And like I've said before: if the eyebrows aren't shaped properly, it doesn't matter what you do to the rest of the face, your look will not be complete. 

And from what I've seen over the years, most of the women who have tweezed the life out of their brows, aren't doing it intentionally. 

Some, do what they saw mom do (or didn't do), others just do what was "in style" back when they were in high school and haven't updated their look. and there are also those women, who just don't have hair anymore. Whether it be from illness, age, or over tweezing. It happens!

• Just because someone has a cosmetologist license, does makeup, is in hair school, or claims they know what they're doing, it DOESN'T, I repeat, does NOT MEAN you can let them loose on your brows. TRUST ME. 

Do you know how many brows I've had to fix over the years, that were done by any of these above listed people? 

Almost every client I've had. 

Do your research. 

My goal, teach you how to self maintain your brows. But sometimes, you just need a reset from a professional. 

When choosing one, ask for pictures of their work, and make sure they consistently have good work. Ask them if they like shaping brows. If they say yes, that's a good sign. And of course, get reviews from their clients. Word of mouth!

This will ensure you will not end up with any brow disasters. 

• "BROW REHAB" (aka: letting your brows grow back in) May be the hardest thing you'll ever do. BUT IT'S WORTH it!

My waxing experience,

made me realize that something was not right OR natural, about eyebrows so skinny and frail. 

I just HAD to let them grow back in. 

(If your eyebrows have had the life sucked out of them by any of the scenarios listed above, this would be a good time to accept the situation, and commit to tweezer detox.)

Check yourself in to brow rehab and say goodbye to your tweezers...

I PROMISE, You WILL live, and your brows will thank you later.

Not only does this step restore your brows to what they once were, but it gifts you something better!

You are freed from compulsive habit of wanting tweeze tweeze tweeze. 

You may be thinking, that you NEED to tweeze often, in order to keep a nice shape.

 But low maintenance brows, are possible. 

Even though my brows grow pretty quickly, I only tweeze, once a week to once every month. 

I may have a stray every once in a while, but IT'S OK!

 
As a reformed tweeze-a-holic, I take it upon myself to help diagnose and treat malnourished brows. 

I guess you could call me the Brow Doctor ;)

And as your trusted Doc, I have come up with a list of the most common symptoms I see, in "malnourished brows". 

You now, will be able to "self diagnose" your brows, and decide what treatment will be best for you. 

The 5 most common symptoms of malnourished eyebrows:

The "LATE BLOOMERS"

Your brows start AFTER the inner corner of your eye.

(Though one my look further in, they both still don't begin, until AFTER the inner corner of the eye).

The "PARTY POOPERS"

Brows end BEFORE the outer corner of your eye, when taken on a 45• angle, drawing an imaginary line, from corner of nose to corner of outer eye. 

The "SWISS CHEESE" 

Brows have rounded or circular lines in them. (If you can draw a circle in any part of your brow, you have what's called a HOLE)

The "SPAGHETTI NOODLE"

First half of the brow is thinner, than 3 uncooked spaghetti noodles, when placing them side by side.

and, the "GONE FISHING" brows

Brows are "non existent" (too light or thin to even see). 

If, you fall under any one of these categories, well, you are completely.....

NORMAL!

I suffer from a little party pooping, Swiss cheese action. 

And don't worry, they are ALL treatable. 

But, remember to just be honest with yourself when diagnosing. 

For instance: If you think you have had "bushy eyebrows" all your life because someone told you, you did when you were little. 

So you've been scarred ever since.
But, you find that you look like you suffer from from Spaghetti Noodle brows then, you DON'T HAVE BUSHY EYEBROWS ;)

Come talk to me, when they start to look like this: 

So, throughout the month, I will be revealing the treatments for these brow symptoms, and giving you a personal prescription, to healthier brows!

Stay tuned!!!!!

For now, "Tweezer Detox" has officially begun!

Here is your challenge:

For one month, DO NOT tweeze even the slightest fuzz on your brows. 

Let them be. Don't bother them. 

Put concealer over them if you have to. 

It's worth it!

Just make sure you get a before picture now, and an after picture, at the end of the month. 

I will be selecting a winner at the end of the month, to have their brows done by me, for one complete year, free of charge!!!

Submit your pictures on instagram or in makekup your inner beauty's Facebook page,  throughout the month tagged:  #makeupyourinnerbeauty #browvolution 

This Browvolution, begins now. 

Eyeshadow for Hooded Eyes

Makeup look for "Hooded Eyes".

Hooded eyes, as well as mono-lids, and 

eyes with "abundant" skin, or 

Even aging eyes,

can be difficult to apply eyeshadow onto.

 

Either because it doesn't show up where you'd like it to, or it disappears when you relax your eyes. It can be tricky to get the awake look, most of us like. 

Here's a quick breakdown:

And here is a before and after of what the right technique and coloring, can do. 

The top eye looks tired and one dimensional. 

The bottom eye looks more open and lifted.

To begin, prime your eye with either a white eyeliner, or a cream white base. A regular primer will work fine, if you don't have either white bases. 

Make sure you prime from the inner lid, center lid, and on up to the brow bone. 

From this step on: MAKE SURE you are looking into a mirror that is level to your eye, in a relaxed position. 

Throughout the look, you need to keep your eyes relaxed. 

Step 2: Apply a shimmer/metallic shadow (the lighter the better)

With a wet brush.

I used "vanilla pigment" from MAC (I've had this for 5 years and going strong, pigments are so awesome!)

Place light color on eyelid and above your  natural crease line, if you have one. 

If you don't, go up to however high, you want your eye lid to appear. 

I went slightly above my natural crease, because I don't have much room. 

It's key to wet the brush, so the metallic or shimmer element of the shadow, will create a better illusion of a bigger eyelid, by deflecting light. 

Step 3: Using a small brush and a matte medium brown, apply shadow in a rainbow motion, ABOVE previous color. 

MAKE SURE you don't ever go over first shade. There should be a distinct line of division. 

If you do get a little on the lid color, you can go back at the end, and re apply first color. 

Also, blending the top part of the medium brown shade is very important. 

You are creating a new and deepersocket of your eye. 

Step 4: Whith a smaller brush (I used an angled liner brush) and a darker brown, draw a line, where the light shadow ends, and dark shadow starts. 

Bring the line, to the inner part of the eye, as well. 

Step 5: With a tiny brush and a matte black shadow, draw in the "new crease" one final time. 

Extension the line outward, to create a lifting effect. 

Step 6: this could be done along with step 3. Apply medium brown, to outer corner. 

Apply liner to the outer corner and connect to the black line you created in step 5. 

Then take the liner into the inner corner, avoiding any liner on the lid. 

This should be on the WATER LINE (pink skin between eyeball and lashes).

Also line the bottom waterline. 

Add medium brown lashline and. A little below to tie it all in. (This could also be done in step 3)

Add mascara and FILL IN BROWS ;)

I also added a highlighting shade along the bottom of the brow, to sharpen up the line, and create a more dimensional effect.

 And voila! There it is!

Before....

 

And after....

This look takes some practice, but it's well worth it because of the dramatic change it gives. 

For more product info or any questions, leave a comment below!

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