Are you 'brow blind'? Here's how to tell (and what to do about it)

Don’t let the TikTok ‘experts’ fool you

All across TikTok, creators are pleading with their followers to point out their particular ‘blindness’ – an aspect of their appearance they aren’t aware of that could be improved. Here’s how to navigate ‘brow blindness’

TikTok is bursting with clips of creators point-blank asking their viewers to comment on their appearance shortcomings – a request most people would cringe at the thought of. Luckily, the idea of the trend is to only point out aspects of one’s aesthetic that can easily be changed (for the better), such as changing up certain makeup techniques or tweaking their hairstyle or colour. 

For instance, someone exhibiting ‘blush blindness’ may load on their favourite product a little too much, oblivious to its rich pigment and the subsequent blush effect it creates. The result? A look that’s probably more appropriate for Sabrina Carpenter at the MET Gala than a standard Tuesday in the office. 

One of the most common things people are picking up on is the degree of ‘brow blindness’ some bold creators appear to suffer from. From being too enthusiastic with the tweezers to over-compensating with a brow pen, here’s how to tell if you’re afflicted with brow blindness – and what to do about it.

With every new decade, the business of eyebrows has undergone many different transformations. From the over-plucked look of the 90s to the bushy dark brows of the 2010s, people have been hacking at their eyebrows since they were old enough to reach the bathroom mirror.   

But regardless of whether it’s trending online, your chosen brown style may not be the most flattering one for your face shape, hair colour and eyebrow texture. While some people spend a monthly fortune tinting, tattooing and drawing on their eyebrows, others are genetically blessed with enough brow supply to fuel a small village. 

But as any brow expert will tell you, your set are sisters, not twins. No matter how rigorously you shape them, fill them, or draw them on entirely, no two brows will ever look exactly the same. According to Samantha Tonkin, Benefit’s National Brow and Beauty Authority, too many people are still guided by outdated brow trends, with their ‘brow blindness’ doing a disservice to their overall appearance.  

“Unfortunately those skinny, overplucked and too far apart 90s/00s Brows are still haunting so many of us and we are still trying to fake those hairs that never quite grew back the same,” she says. “For others, it’s the ‘at home touch-ups’ that quickly turn to another over-tweezed and uneven brow as we are only ever looking up close in the mirror at one brow, not the entire face and features at once as your Brow Expert would.”

@jamescharles

Worst part is that my old tutorials definitely caused this… I’m so sorry 💔

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Are butchered brows salvageable? 

If you’re someone who may have let a touch of brow blindness steer your set into disarray, don’t lose all hope just yet. As Tonkin explains, even the thinnest of brows have the potential to bounce back – but don’t expect any miracles overnight!

“Yes, they are salvageable but please…put the tweezers down because the biggest challenge when trying to regrow the brows is patience, commitment and following the advice of a trusted brow expert to guide you back to the light,” explains Tonkin.“We are also so lucky to have access nowadays to so many amazing micro fine pencils to be able to fake those over-tweezed areas and redesign the shape whilst the hairs grow back,” she adds

“My favourite is layering the Precisely My Brow Pencil and Detailer in different shades for natural dimension.”

Beautiful brows. Image: Lara Jade/Trunk Archive.

Why it pays to invest in an expert consult

As someone who’s never dealt with brow sparsity (I’ve been hacking into my brows every week since I was 12 – something I have my mother’s Iraqi genetics to thank for) my brows’ ability to replenish themselves almost overnight still amazes me. 

But after a few failed self-waxing attempts in the mirror throughout high school, I’ve learnt to leave any serious shaping to the professionals, paying a visit to Benefit’s Brow Bar every month. 

As Tonkin explains, every brow service features the brand’s signature facial mapping technique to correctly outline your brow’s natural start, arch and end. 

“We start by using the dimple of the nose and line straight up to find the perfect start to the brow,” she says. “Find the arch by using the dimple of the nose and lining diagonally through the centre of the eye and continuing that line for the highest point of your brow.”

“And finally, the outer corner of the nose to the outer corner of the eye, continuing on to find the end point of your eyebrow.”

Originally published as Are you 'brow blind'? Here's how to tell (and what to do about it)