THE BROW MAINTENANCE

Eyebrows. There's been the over plucked, the bushy, the 5 shades too dark, the non existent brows (shaven off), and the invisible brows, and many people struggle to find the level in between, but I think I have found my brow preference. As seen in Bazaar Magazine, strong, slightly masculine brows are in now, and after having my brows a little too thin for a while, they are looking a tad thicker, and I am liking it.

It is a question of finding the right colour for your brows, whether this is a powder shadow, a pencil, or a gel. There's the whole 2 shades lighter, two shades darker statement, but for me as a individual, I would much prefer the trial and error method, and my preferred shadow is ELF Pebble, a slightly ashy, dark but still a little warm toned brown, that it isn't too red, nor too dark and grey. It works fabulously in the crease too, so it is a win, win.

Secondly, whether you have a stray hair here and there, or a full on bushy mess, a brow gel is your best friend. This £1 MUA Clear Mascara keeps the bushiness at bay, whilst also keeping all the colour from the last step in place. Beware, it'll get a little murky throughout it's life, so not one for displaying on the vanity I'm afraid.

Throw in some tweezers, I opt for the budget friendly Boots Tweezers and they seem to do the plucking job okay. Also, a handmade spoolie-comb to brush through them is an essential, and whatever else you choose. Darn, I wish we had mini eyebrow razors at easy access like you US ladies...

 

MAKING SAVINGS ON TOOLS

I'm sure every beauty blogger out there dreams of the Shu Uemura lash curlers, but our purses - not so much. In the same way, of course we all hope to get our mitts on a MAC Brow comb, but it's not realistic either. Although my options may not be equal in quality, they serve me well and I am going to share my thoughts anyway.

If you want a brow comb, and you have finished/dislike a cheap mascara, give the wand a clean. This will be your new brow comb, without the price tag. The one I use is from a Natural Collection mascara, which wasn't the best, but it does a jolly old job of combing though those brows. In the same way, grab a cheap clear mascara and use it as a brow gel, instead of paying £15 for the same product with a brand name on it.

Lash curlers. The torture device look-alike. Primark sell these ones for £1-£2 with a replacement of the rubber pad to make sure you don't cut those lashes off, not a finest moment to pin in the photo album. Although the pricier ones will no doubt work a bit better, for someone like myself on a budget , they serve me well, and should do until I have the money for new ones. You can even get No.7 or Models Own ones from the likes of Boots, for under a tenner, instead of the £20+ high end ones.

I know most of us are probably brand snobs, but it doesn't hurt to make a few savings here and there, I know I do, and I feel pretty good about it. No-one likes an empty purse, with a 2p coin and a staggering receipt lingering at the bottom.