March 29, 2024

A really simple guide to waxing your eyebrows at home

While some have managed to master the art of threading (an ancient, expert technique that involves twisting a fine thread to trap and pull out individual hairs), many of us are sticking to more standard procedures like plucking and, of course, waxing.

In fact, according to online beauty retailer Cult Beauty, the search for at-home eyebrow waxing advice has seen a 619% increase since lockdown began.

There’s no denying that we’re all missing the luxury of being able to book into local beauty salons for luxurious treatments and regular maintenance. However, the national lockdown has allowed us to try our hand at various beauty treatments, from dyeing our grown-out roots to whipping up a nourishing face mask in our kitchens and even tending to our hair removal needs including shaping and tidying up our eyebrows.

As well as being able to frame and define our faces, eyebrows are also one of the most high-maintenance features, requiring almost weekly attention to finesse the shape as well as to avoid stray hairs.

That’s not to say these methods don’t have their own problems – in fact there are many potential pitfalls, especially when it comes to waxing. Here, we lay out the ultimate step-by-step guide to waxing your own eyebrows at-home to help you to avoid the most common mistakes.

STEP 1

Prepare the area by removing any traces of makeup and thoroughly cleansing skin. If you’re planning on waxing in between your brows, it might also be a good idea to exfoliate the day before to help avoid ingrown hairs.

STEP 2

By far the best option for use on the delicate eye area is a cream wax, but this type of wax requires slightly more preparation and equipment than pre-prepared wax strips. With cream wax, you’ll need a wax warmer to heat it up, a wooden spatula to apply it and muslin strips to remove it, but the results are worth the extra effort.

If you do decide to use a cream wax, heat it up according to the instructions on the wax warmer. It should be slightly gloopy and warm to the touch. If it has the consistency of oil, it is too hot and you’ll need to let it cool for a few minutes.

Use the wooden spatula to apply a thin layer of wax to the area you want to treat, being sure to go in the direction of the hair growth. Apply a muslin strip, pressing in the direction of hair growth and leaving a little extra amount of material at the end for you to hold. Smooth over the strip a few times to make sure the wax has adhered to the hairs and that it’s cooled slightly.

Then, pull the surrounding skin taut with one hand (this will help reduce pain), and firmly pull on the muslin strip with the other hand, pulling against the direction of the hair growth. You should try and pull the strip off in one fell swoop.

If you’re using pre prepared wax strips, the process is exactly the same but you’ll need to rub the strips together in between your palms to warm the wax before application, and you’ll just pull the strips themselves rather than applying muslin strips.

STEP 3

Remove any wax residue from the area using a little facial oil and if there are any stubborn hairs left over, pluck them out with a pair of tweezers.

Apply a little aloe vera gel to calm the skin and enjoy your beautiful brows.

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