Let your brows achieve their “full” potential

Our obsession with full and fluffy brows isn’t going anywhere any time soon, and we’re forever questioning how to get thicker eyebrows.

From Zendaya to Cara Delevingne and Lily Collins, Hollywood has well and truly ousted the over-plucked eyebrow trend of the ’90s, and frankly, we’re relieved to see the back of it. But just how do you achieve full, face-framing brows when you don’t have a professional make-up artist on standby? Lucky for you, we have a few tricks of the trade up our sleeves at Marie Claire.

Keep scrolling for the failsafe methods you need to get thicker eyebrows and make the most of your arches.

Brow treatments to thicken eyebrows

It may not be the cheapest method on this list, but getting a professional to create thicker eyebrows guarantees the full-looking results you’re after. The two most popular treatments for full, fluffy brows are microblading and brow lamination.

While microblading involves filling in your brows with strokes of semi-permanent make-up, brow lamination straightens and coats your existing hairs to create a fuller look using your natural brows.

You can find out more about both processes, from how much it costs to before and after pictures, in our microblading and brow lamination guides.

How to get thicker eyebrows with Vaseline

Does Vaseline actually help your eyebrows to grow, or is it an old wives’ tale?

In order for your natural brows to grow, you need an environment that promotes hair growth, and so the surrounding skin should be well-nourished. So Vaseline can definitely do the trick.

The beauty cabinet staple is known to create a sealing barrier, but as an occlusive it can also lock in moisture and support your skin’s natural recovery process. So while there’s no conclusive evidence as to whether Vaseline actually helps your brows to grow thicker, it’s definitely worth a shot.

In fact, Marilyn Monroe was a big fan of using the cult product in her skincare routine, and rumour has it that she ended up with quite long facial hair, suggesting it helps encourage growth.

How to get thicker eyebrows with oil

Much like the aforementioned Vaseline, oil may also encourage growth by creating a barrier that locks in moisture. But it’s also thought to increase circulation while stimulating your cellular metabolism – which, you guessed it, promotes hair growth.

Any oil can be used, so try olive oil, coconut oil for skin, jojoba oil, even castor oil. Simply apply the good stuff to your brows before you go to bed and let it get to work while you sleep.

Get thicker eyebrows with an eyebrow growth serum

If you want to get really clinical, apply a brow growth serum daily. Elizabeth Arden’s Prevage Lash and Brow Enhancing Serum contains an exclusive triple peptide complex, boosted by vitamins, botanicals and hair conditioners, to support your hair’s natural renewal cycle. Within a couple of weeks you should notice a difference in the amount and strength of your brow hairs.

A less expensive option is RapidBrow Enhancing Serum, which contains fortifying proteins, stimulating peptides and nourishing ingredients designed to help condition, restore and repair the appearance of your eyebrows in 60 days. In our experience though, results are noticeable far sooner than that.

Get thicker eyebrows by chucking out the tweezers

As well as treating your brows, hold fire when it comes to the tweezers. There’s grooming and then there’s plucking your brows within an inch of their lives – which is not the look you’re after.

Whether you’re a tweezer user, waxer or threader, reconsider the strength of light you use when you’re grooming your brows. According to experts, brows are best tended to in soft dull lighting – too much light encourages you to over-pluck.

How to fill in eyebrows with make-up

Firstly, outline with a sharp eyebrow pencil, like Benefit’s Precisely My Brow, by drawing a line underneath your brow. Using the same pencil, fill in any sparse areas with small hair-like flicks.

Then, use an angled brush and a similar colour pressed powder to define the shape of your brows. Try to not fill in the inside corners of your brows too much, or make the end points too harsh – if this has happened, you can soften sharp-looking corners using a clean, dense eye make-up brush or a cotton bud.

When you’re done, brush through your brows with a spoolie to pick up any excess product and soften any lines to create a more natural look. You can add definition by blending a small amount of concealer under your arch above the brow bone.

Read our guide to the best eyebrow make-up for more of the best guys for the job.

How to grow eyebrows out

Our brows grow in a three to four month cycle, so try parting ways with your trusty tweezers for at least 12 weeks. It’ll feel weird at first, and you’ll definitely be tempted to pluck, but resist!

Groom them daily with a spoolie to encourage them to grow in the right direction. Then, after you’ve passed the magical 12 weeks mark, tweeze any hairs that are nowhere near your brow line. But leave any that are close to that area alone – even if you think you’ll pull them out later. Your brow hairs should then start to come in strong around the four month mark.

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