Beauty: The Origins of Eyebrow Enhancement Through Time

Our eyebrows are a crucial part of our beauty regime, one that helps frame the face to enhance its shape and form. Even if we have little time in the morning a brush of blusher and filling the eyebrows can set it off nicely. But don’t think this is a modern trend just because you have seen it everywhere, preened on social media to articles in every beauty magazine. Histories oldest ‘influencer’ Cleopatra started this trend a long, long time ago… Find out more in Beauty: The Origins of Eyebrow Enhancement Through Time.

The simple eyebrow that frames our face may well be the last place we make up yet it’s super important, so the face is complete without a tidy, well-defined brows whether it be big and bushy or fine and pencil-thin. So many films on social media explain what to do and how to use the latest products but the knowledge is actually thousands of years old.

The ancient eyebrows were the symbol of mysterious power, beauty and wisdom. In ancient Egypt, both men and women wore makeup because it was believed to have magical and protective properties, warding off evil spirits and promoting good health.

To honour the god Horus, the ancient Egyptians highlighted the eyes and eyebrows, making them one of the main features of the face. Cleopatra was one of the first people to popularize eyebrow cosmetics, renowned for her darkening and defining her eyebrows. They used a natural mineral pigment called Kohl to make their brows darker, applying it with small sticks or brushes to create bold, dark lines.

During the ancient Greek and Roman periods, strangely to us today, the unibrow, a single eyebrow formed over the nose bridge where the two eyebrows meet in the middle, was considered a symbol of beauty and wisdom at that time. Women used black powdery substances to outline a clear and obvious unibrow shape to highlight the lines and contours of the eyebrows.

Eyebrow trends changed a lot during the Middle Ages. Pale, extremely thin eyebrows that were nearly invisible became fashionable. Women weakened their brows to accentuate the beauty of the forehead, which led to the widespread of eyebrow plucking and shaping.

With the rising popularity of Queen Elizabeth’s strawberry-blonde hair, numerous women opted to dye their hair and eyebrows a similar shade of red as a sign of admiration for the monarch.

In the early 20th century, thin eyebrows remained prevalent, but there was a change from barely visible to distinct, dark eyebrows. Notably, the silent movie star Clara Bow sported thin, straight eyebrows that almost extended to the corners of her eyes, while the American actress Jean Harlow favoured arched, slender brows. These iconic eyebrow styles were widely admired, leading many women to emulate their makeup techniques.

However, by the mid-20th century, eyebrows underwent a significant transformation again. Thick and full-brow-looking was the mainstream. Eyebrows in the 1940s were denser, presenting a softer appearance with distinct arches. In the 1950s, the popular look was fuller and high-arched brows, as many Hollywood stars sported thick and perfectly shaped eyebrows.

Towards the end of the 1990s, eyebrows began to transition towards a more natural look. This period saw a move away from heavily groomed eyebrows towards unmodified, natural, and bushy eyebrows.

The latest eyebrow makeup trend is natural, and detailed with hair-like strokes, and the beauty brand Benefit’s latest brow products can help you achieve this. Throughout this fashion evolution, Benefit has been a leader in eyebrow makeup.

Since launching their first tinted liquid product, Benetint, in 1977, Benefit, a beauty brand founded in San Francisco in 1976, has been committed to providing customers with fun, fashionable, and practical cosmetics. In 1997, they also brought this trend to the UK; they opened their first counter in the Harrods department store in London.

In 2016, Benefit launched 45 eyebrow products to provide solutions to all eyebrow needs. Precisely, My Brow Pencil, is still the most popular eyebrow product in the UK.

In 2024, Benefit will continue the tradition of eyebrow aesthetics, but also launch new products to meet the needs of customers. Benefit’s latest eyebrow products include:

Benefit Precisely, My Brow Detailer: Get ready to perfect your brows with our Precisely, My Brow Detailer. Its ultra-fine 0.8 mm tip ensures precise application for a long-lasting, waterproof finish. Complete with a built-in blending spoolie and protective retraction technology, it’s your go-to brow essential.

Benefit Precisely, My Brow Wax: The lightweight formula that sculpts and defines brows effortlessly, providing bold pigment, 12-hour wear, and precise shaping with its dual-sided brush, ensuring smudge-proof, sweatproof, and flake-free results.

Benefit’s new products integrate innovative technology and high-quality formulas, bringing you a more perfect eyebrow makeup experience.

Apart from using eyebrow pencils and wax to get natural hair-looking eyebrows, do you want to add a cute colour to your eyebrows?

Paul & Joe is a fashion and cosmetics brand founded by French designer Sophie Mechaly in 1995. This brand is known for its exquisite packaging, designs, fun, and high-quality products. Sophie Mechaly has created a captivating range of cosmetics by combining fashion with beauty, which has gained popularity among consumers worldwide.

This spring, Paul and Joe launched their new Eyebrow Mascara, which offers instant brow colour transformation, including cinnamon, cocoa grey, sage green, plum red, and mimosa yellow.

No matter whether you’re feeling bold or subtle, this mascara effortlessly coats each hair, delivering rich colour while maintaining a soft and beautiful appearance. Say goodbye to dull brows and hello to vibrant, expressive looks with Paul and Joe’s Eyebrow Mascara.

Whether it’s the symbolism of ancient times or the natural aesthetics of modern times, the status of eyebrows in the fashion world cannot be ignored. Let’s cherish the beauty of eyebrows together, continue to follow in the footsteps of fashion, and showcase our unique and charming eyebrow style!

To learn more please visit Benefit and Paul and Joe.

If you enjoyed reading Beyond Beauty: Tracing the Origins of Eyebrow Enhancement Through Time then why not read 
Have We Lost Our Way from Simple Splashes to Endless Layers?

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