Tag Archives: how-to

How to Get Perfect Brows: Q&A with Ramy Gafni

The perfect brow is possible when you have brow guru, Ramy Gafni, in your corner. Since we can’t all get to Ramy, I thought I’d bring Ramy to you.

What are the beauty benefits of having the right eyebrow shape? The right brow shape is like makeup that you don’t wash off. It can lift your eyes, make you look younger or more sophisticated. It’s the easiest way to improve your appearance dramatically without plastic surgery.
Right now, what’s trending in brows? I’m happy to report that for the past several years we’ve seen the trend toward fuller, bolder eyebrows. I’ve always advocated what I call the “fully actualized eyebrow” which is a well groomed brow that’s as full as possible, not too short, not too far apart, with an arch that follows one’s bone structure.
How can a woman find the right brow shape for her face shape? It’s ideal to have your brows shaped at least once by a well recommended expert because its difficult to be objective with your own face. If you don’t have the opportunity to see an expert, look at famous actresses that you might resemble to see what your brows should look like.
If someone has over-plucked or sparse brows, can she fake a fuller brow and still have it look natural?
Yes! You can fake it til you make it! Fill in a sparse or thin brow with a wax based pen, pencil or pomade. Choose a shade that’s two shades lighter than your hair color. If in doubt, choose a universally flattering taupe. Fill the entire brow, not just the sparse area. The brow should look uniform. Apply product directly on the brow hairs, not above or below the brows. After applying, it’s very important to brush through the product. This removes the excess product and blends what’s left behind so you end up with great looking eyebrows, not made up looking brows.
What products are necessary to get and maintain a good brow? good tweezers, safety scissors, a small brush, brow filler if necessary. From RAMY Cosmetics, I use the Ramy Tweezers by Tweezerman ($25), the Ramy Scissor by Tweezerman ($18), the Perfect Brow Wand ($28), Miracle Brow ($28), the Browtility Brush ($21), all available at www.Ramy.com.
*Ramy’s long list of celebrity clients includes Michelle Williams and Taylor Swift.

 

Meow!

Some makeup rules are meant to be broken, but when it comes to the cat eye, you’ll want to play it by the book. The golden rule of makeup is to have one feature (eyes, lips or cheeks) be the focus. The cat eye look plays up the eyes, and everything else is secondary. I prefer this makeup look the classic way, with black liner and black mascara, but feel free to push the envelope with bright blue, green or tangerine liner, shown on the catwalk in more than one recent runway show.

To do:

  • Start with a near-flawless complexion. Depending on you, it might mean applying concealer alone, a beauty balm or primer and foundation. Add very little blush, just enough to give your skin a healthy glow without looking like you have anything on and swipe a nude-toned shadow on your upper lids. You can also apply a tinted lip balm or gloss for moisture and just a bit of color on your lips.
  • Though liquid liner will give you a beautiful look, if you don’t have surgeon-steady hands I recommend you use an extra-creamy pencil or my favorite pen liner, Smashbox Love Me Paint Pen Eye Liner, $24 at smashbox.com. You’ll find the paint pen so easy to use, it will look like a makeup artist did it for you!
  • Look straight in the mirror, and starting at the inner corner of your eye, gently drag it across your upper lash line, making the line just slightly thicker as your get to the end. As soon as your reach the end of your eye, stop. Then, slightly past where you just ended, draw in the opposite direction to make the little tail and connect it to the liner.
  • On upper lashes only, add two coats of black mascara followed by a third coat on the outer upper lashes only.