Chapter II: Eyes & Brows

Mapping the Brow

The traditional brow map uses a straight edge, such as a pencil, held against the face at three angles. Held vertically from the side of the nostril, it marks where the brow should begin. Angled from the nostril across the center of the pupil, it marks the arch. Angled from the nostril past the outer corner of the eye, it marks where the tail should end. The tail should sit roughly level with, or just above, the start.

Treat the map as a guide, not a rule. Faces are not symmetrical, and a brow that follows your natural bone structure almost always looks better than one forced into a template.

Brow Products

Pencils draw fine, hair-like strokes and suit sparse areas. Powders give a soft, filled look. Pomades are waxy, hold shape well and give the most definition. Tinted or clear gels set hairs in place and add a little color. Choose a shade one step lighter than your hair if you are dark, or one step darker if you are fair. Work in short upward strokes from beneath, following the direction of growth, and keep the front of the brow lightest.

Placing Eyeshadow

Most looks use four zones. The lid, from lash line to crease, takes the main shade. The crease takes a transition shade, usually a soft matte close to your skin tone but slightly deeper, which makes everything else easier to blend. The outer corner, often shaped as a sideways V, takes the deepest shade for depth. The brow bone and inner corner can take a light, soft highlight.

Blend with small windshield-wiper motions and a clean fluffy brush. Build color in thin layers rather than one heavy pass. Tap excess powder off the brush before it touches the lid to avoid fallout on freshly applied base; some people do their eyes first for exactly this reason.

Eyeliner, Ancient and Modern

Lined eyes are among the oldest cosmetic practices on record. In ancient Egypt, men and women wore kohl made from ground minerals such as galena, applied with small sticks and kept in decorated containers that survive in museum collections today. A caution belongs here: traditional kohl, kajal and surma products can contain lead, and the US Food and Drug Administration has warned that such products are not approved for cosmetic use in the United States.

Today's choices are pencil, gel and liquid. Pencils are forgiving and smudge well for a softer line. Gels, applied with an angled brush, give a sharper but adjustable line. Liquids give the crispest result and suit graphic shapes. For a classic wing, imagine a line continuing the angle of your lower lash line upward toward the tail of the brow; draw the flick first, then connect it back to the lashes. Tightlining, pressing color into the upper lash roots, makes lashes look fuller without a visible line.

Mascara

Eugène Rimmel's nineteenth-century preparations in London were so influential that "rimmel" still means mascara in several languages. In the United States, Maybelline traces its 1915 origins to Tom Lyle Williams, inspired by his sister Mabel's homemade lash darkener.

Curl lashes before mascara, never after. Wiggle the wand at the root, then pull through to the tips. Do not pump the wand in the tube; it pushes air in and dries the formula faster. Replace mascara about every three months, and immediately after any eye infection.

Reference Notes