After 20 Years Of Trial & Error, I Finally Hacked The Perfect Brows

I have a theory that I’ve sworn by for about a decade: Everyone has a favorite eyebrow. Yes, you heard that right. While these defining arches of the face technically grow as a pair, they are separate entities, and one is always the better behaved of the two. You know the one — the brow that grows full and fluffy and can be groomed with just a flick of a spoolie brush or comb. And then there’s the wayward child. The brow that goes rogue and refuses to grow or does so in a weird direction. My fraternal twin brows have been the bane of my existence since, well, high school, making my attempts at luscious laminated brows a frustrating cycle of trial and way too much error. Until now. Yes, at the age of 35, I’ve finally hacked my mismatched brow dilemma. At long last I have the feathery arches I’ve always wanted — and all I had to was simplify my routine to a few key products.

Now, to be clear, I can’t really blame my rough brow road on a mismatched duo. Like so many, my journey has included some high-level mistakes on my part: mainly over-tweezing, over-filling, and over-loading on product. See a pattern here? (Oh, and it didn’t help matters that my brow hair started to thin and go sparse once I hit my 30s.) But, truly, my issue has always been an excess of grooming or defining. I was either strolling around with super-tweezed, pencil-thin brows, or over compensating with thick, cartoon-like arches above my eyes. It wasn’t until I pressed the reset button and simplified my process that I finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

My brow-rescue mission has been two-fold. The first phase involved not touching my brows for about six months. I typically like to clean them up with tweezers every month or so, but I used my time in quarantine to let them grow out freely. This allowed me to see what I was really working with. The second phase of my mission involved ditching all my brow products — and I had many. Pencils, pomades, mascaras — you name it, I’ve tried it. Moreover, I’ve often tried them all at once, which has contributed to my issue of overworking my brows. I needed to totally overhaul my shaping and filling technique, but didn’t really know where to start.

Then, I was introduced to Refy Beauty, a brand founded by influencer Jess Hunt, who aimed to create professional-grade products for everyday use. In researching the label’s three-piece brow collection, I came across the video below. To say I was intrigued was an understatement. In it, Hunt demonstrates how to put the Brow Sculpt, Brow Pomade, and Brow Pencil to good use, with perfect laminated-like brows as the end result. Sold!

After getting my hands on Refy’s Brow Collection, I used those initial few days to perfect the brand’s “3.0 Stage Process” I saw executed so perfectly on IG. The first step involves shaping and setting my brows with the Brow Sculpt tool. The double-ended brush combs and brushes out my hairs, setting them with firm carnauba wax. Once my shape is set, I go in with the Brow Pomade and fill in any bare areas and add some light depth. My final step involves the ultra-fine Brow Pencil, which allows me to finish outlining my brows.

While replicating a TikTok or Instagram tutorial has never really worked in my favor, this time was different. After my second or third try, I managed to achieve the fluffy, feathery brows I’ve been pursuing to no avail for nearly two decades. Victory was and is mine.

While I think this system can truly work for everyone, there are definitely a few takeaways I’d like to leave you with. The first is to use a light hand on all three products, especially the Pomade. I found a little goes a long way and you an easily go overboard on the product if you’re not careful with application. Dip the brush lightly into the Pomade and use soft taps to fill and define your brows. Same goes for the Pencil, which has a strong pigment. Use short, rapid strokes as you outline your arches, mimicking the look of your brow hairs. It’s always best to start small and build as needed.

The moral of this brow story is that simple is really best. You don’t always need to pack on the product to get an Instagram-ready look.

Shop Refy’s Brow Collection below as well as some other top-rated brow shaping products to help you get the bushy, soapy arches of your dreams.

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