Grandpa eyebrows

[ReneeVivien]

My eyebrows are out of control and I desperately need some tips on how to tame them. Anyone remember Denis Healey? That's what I've got - as I get older they are growing extremely long and bushy, the hairs are being replaced by bristles (black or white) that grow at 90 degrees out of my face before curling over. Under the eyebrow I am getting a pelt of white silky hairs, but I can deal with them - it's the long bristles that are getting me down.

I started by just trimming them back, and plucking out the worst offenders. As the bristles have got more numerous this has led to my eyebrows getting increasingly sparse, and I now pencil in where I have plucked. But, frankly, soon my entire eyebrow will be bristle and I can't pluck out the whole lot.

Has anyone got any advice? Threading is not the answer - I can shape them pretty well myself, but it's not the amount of hairs but the character of the hairs that is the problem. Please help before I end up looking like this: <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/16800000/Divine-as-Babs-Johnson-in-Pink-Flamingos-dreamlanders-16822589-1200-962.jpg&imgrefurl=www.fanpop.com/spots/dreamlanders/images/16822589/title/divine-babs-johnson-pink-flamingos-photo&usg=__yz7ag4hPhmlbDoxacR6DETlBHE0=&h=962&w=1200&sz=202&hl=en&start=4&zoom=1&tbnid=XqjyUx_GglIwbM:&tbnh=120&tbnw=150&ei=Q8MfT8aTBpTJ8gPw_4mYDg&prev=/search%3Fq%3Ddivine%26hl%3Den%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/16800000/Divine-as-Babs-Johnson-in-Pink-Flamingos-dreamlanders-16822589-1200-962.jpg&imgrefurl=www.fanpop.com/spots/dreamlanders/images/16822589/title/divine-babs-johnson-pink-flamingos-photo&usg=__yz7ag4hPhmlbDoxacR6DETlBHE0=&h=962&w=1200&sz=202&hl=en&start=4&zoom=1&tbnid=XqjyUx_GglIwbM:&tbnh=120&tbnw=150&ei=Q8MfT8aTBpTJ8gPw_4mYDg&prev=/search%3Fq%3Ddivine%26hl%3Den%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1

Blimey, that was a long link. Almost as long as my bristles.

Get a clean mascara wand (or steal a tester wand from a beauty counter!) and a pair of hair scissors or sharp nail scissors, the long thin ones rather than stumpy ones preferably. Brush the hairs up towards your forehead and trim along the top. It's a good idea to sort of cut into them randomly rather than straight across otherwise you may end up looking like a schnauser, once youve done that, brush them downwards and trim any that hang down too long. Then use a clear mascara/brow gel to get them in shape and keep them tidy through the day.

Hairdressers and barbers will trim eyebrows - I've seen DH's being done. They just used a regular comb and trimmed the ends that stuck out.

Then a tiny amount of vaseline to keep them stuck down!

It's very kind of you both to help, but I have to say my bristles are way too outlandish for that. I have done vaseline and clear mascara, and they are simply not up to the task. Honestly, these bristles are tough and they stick out at 90 degrees!

Superglue, maybe?

Unfortunately that's about the limit of what you can do for a natural look. I am a make up artist - there is a product we use called eyebrow sealer which is used for smoothing over brows to block them out completely for a specific fashion or theatrical style but that's not really the look you're after, and even if it were, it usually only smoothes over softer brows. It is quite heavy duty though so you might find a light coat of this holds them in place better than brow gel.

Something like this....
www.makeupatwigsupnorth.co.uk/SFX/pid18329/cid1423/Kryolan-Sealer-Used-for-sealing-eyebrow.asp

If you live in London you can probably get it from Charles Fox in Tavistock St WC2 or Screenface, either in Powis Terrace W11 or Monmouth St WC2

not to be confused with cosmetic eyebrow sealer which only serves to stop eyebrow pencil and the like from smudging.

Thank you, Havingkittens, that's really kind. I DO live in London so will get myself down to Charles Fox or Screenface.

If that fails, I guess I'll be growing a very long fringe. Maybe weaving my eyebrows up into my hairline as I go