The Eyebrow is Back!

This Spring the hottest beauty tip is to get the big eyebrow. This year 34 million pounds will be spent on eyebrow product - up by 14% on last year - the eyebrow is BIG. This sum doesn't even include treatments.

High definition eyebrows are big this year thanks to stars like Megan Fox, Kim Kardashian and top model Cara de Lavigne.

You need to start your eyebrow work-out now to get your brows in shape - the old power-brow has transformed itself into ultra-shaped eyebrows, full and strong but firm, sleek and manicured to within an inch of its life - say no to big and bushy.

So, how shape your eyebrows? For the face of the moment follow these few do's and don'ts when it comes to eyebrow beauty.

You too can make a statement with strong, HD eyebrows. It takes a bit of time and effort to get those wild brows in shape, but once tweaked, shaped and groomed you can maintain this immaculate look in only five minutes a day. Read on to find out how ...

Fabulous Frida Kahlo was born in 1907 way ahead of her time! She was a bisexual Mexican painter famous for her for her self-portraits which she used to explore both her outer and inner self. Sumptuously beautiful she was confident in her skin. And she had much to come to terms with. Her mono-brow was the least of her problems. She suffered in a terrible accident and had to wear a body brace.

She married the talented artist Diego Rivera who didn't make the best husband material in the world- but there's a certain satisfaction in knowing that she is now considered to be the more interesting artist of the two. The film of her life is brilliant too.

I'd like to know what you think of Frida's power brow!

Self Portrait with Monkeys

Unfortunately Kahlo's work is still under copyright and HubPages considered the Amazon poster to be 'spammy' so do have a look at the picture by clicking on the link above.

This self portrait by artist Frieda Kahlo speaks volumes for self-confidence. If you have a natural monobow and the panash to carry it off - love it and leave it, I say.

You are a gorgeous, powerful woman with oodles of inner-strength - just like Frieda and don't dream of getting rid of such a status symbol.

Ok - so if you are not going for the Frida Kahlo look, you need to remove the hairs from the center area, over your nose - but not too much - see below the horrors that may ensue from over-plucking!

The new eyebrow is full and strong but immaculately shaped so how do you make sure you get it right? Draw an eyebrow-shaping map!

It's still best to shape by eye but if you're in doubt here's a rough guide to how to make a shaping map to shape your brows.

Hold a pencil up to the edge of your nose, keep it vertical. This shows you where your brow should start.

To find the apex, or highest point keep the base of the pencil at the side of your nose and, looking straight ahead, line the pencil up with the outside edge of you iris. It's always best, though, to follow the natural upper line.

To determine where your brow should end, keep the base of the pencil in place and line the middle of the pencil with the outer edge of your eye.

This is a guide only. Follow your natural line as far as possible. In the picture above the natural end of the eyebrow should be retained - remember, pluck as little as possible - you brows may not grow back and you'll live to regret it!

Pluck stray hairs from below the eye - but keep this to a minimum - fashions do change although it's hard to believe at the time!

Mariel Hemingway in Woody Allen's Manhattan 1979 did it for me. We all put down our tweezers and let our eyebrows grow back again. I love the shape of Mariel's brows, firm, strong but beautifully shaped.

HD eyebrows are high definition eyebrows and the techniques outlined above for eyebrow shaping have been put together and given this trademark name. This technique was founded by Nilam Patel and is favoured by celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Megan Fox.

The technique includes shaping, removing hairs by waxing, threading and tweezing, defining with trimming and tinting. The treatment is semi-permanent and last for between two to six weeks.

These are the tools of the trade to shape, trim and pluck your eyebrows. the first step to highly groomed brows is to get your natural eyebrows sorted. Get rid of stray hairs or hairs over the nose area - but don't over-pluck - more on the dangers and hazards of zealous plucking later.

With these products you remove unwanted hairs, brush and trim. Get good foundations.

Take a peek at this video and admire the strong, highly defined look that Cara de Lavigne has achieved. Powerfully beautiful. You can get the look too.

Take another look at the divas above and tell me if you think Megan Fox, Cara de Levigne, Mariel Hemingway or Frida Kahlo does it for you when it comes to the EB!

You can carry out this process yourself for that perfect groomed look, but to make sure you have everything you need why not invest in a waxing kit that will serve all your personal waxing needs? For a modest outlay you'll soon recouperate the cost if you can replace salon treatments with a DIY kit.

What You Need To Wax Your Brows:

Includes aloe

This is a long video but well worth watching all the way through. Ryan Christopher gives so much professional advice including important hygiene information and tips on how to achieve the right shape for you. Remember that the eye area is sensitive and you must keep the skin around the eye clean to avoid infections.

Pluck to perfection - but take care!

In Elizabethan times they were non-existent, in the 1920s they were plucked into slim crescents and in the 70's they were massacred into one-hair width lines - some will now rue the day you plucked your eyebrows into extinction!

If you over-pluck the follicles can be damaged and they won't grow back - at least the ones you don't want to grow back do but the ones you do want don't. That's life!

Threading is another technique for removing hair

Eyebrow threading is, in effect, plucking. It's a technique originating in India and is also practiced in the Middle East. It is also sometimes called khite or fatlah. Indian movie stars love it! The technique is carried out using a twisted cotton thread which is used to pick up a hair or line of hair and pluck it out. This leaves a very clean and precise shape.

Anastasia Beverly Hills eyebrows is a temporary shaping technique using stencils. This video shows how to get the Anastasia look.

The difference between the initial, ungroomed (can you say that?) brow and the finished HDEB is amazing.

These stencils are a quick and easy way to gt great, clean results. Stencils come in different shapes and sizes to match your face and the look you would like to achieve. You just place the stencil over your eyebrow, pencil in the shape or brush in a little powder, clean the stencil, turn it over and repeat for the other side. What could be simpler?

Pencils come in all colours and shades: this is my selection from black-brown, dark brown, medium brown, light-brown and red-brown, so that you can match your natural skin and hair colours and tones, or achieve your own personal makeup effect.

Women with very fair skin or hair might like to choose a pencil specially for blonds. A softer look is also more natural and more flattering (I think) on women with grey hair or white hair. Here is a selection of grey and blond pencils. Why not try a few and experiment?

The perfectly shaped eyebrows in the illustration above were created with a specially shaped brush and eyebrow powder. The powder came in several shades so that you can choose the one for your complexion, the occasion or one just to suite your mood.

What can you do?

The pencils, gels and powders will accentuate your brow but what if you are challenged in the eyebrow department?

Over-plucking can damage your hair follicles and you can lose your brows with age or illness, so what can you do?

Use regrowth products You can try eyebrow enhancing or regrowth products but I'm not convinced they work Products to Enhance and Assist Eyebrow Regrowth

But do they really work? I don't believe in them, there wouldn't be any trade in hair transplants if a little cream or gel would do the trick!

Get transplants Hair from the nape of the neck is transplanted into the eyebrow area. This technique is in its early days and is not, so far, very successful.

Get tattoos The eyebrow can be tattooed on - this is permanent. It is sometimes called permanent makeup. See below for more on eyebrow tattoos.

Eyebrow tattoos are increasing in popularity - big time. Demand has been up 20% in the last two years. The new tattoos are oh so subtle with a wide range of colours. The best practitioners tatoo in the brows one hair at a time and go for the natural look.

These days micro pigments are used together with light needles for a chic, professional look.

Why would you want to have your brows tattooed? One thing they don't tell you about getting old is that if your eyebrows don't go all long and bushy - they fade away! Patients with aloplecia or chemotherapy might lose their brows.

How much will it cost? anything up to £500 in London - but then you get what you pay for!

Choose a well-known and experienced tattoo artist. A lengthy consultation with a dry run using makup to choose the correct position and shape of the brows is a must.

And what do you do when eyebrow fashions change? Think about it!

Share your brow beauty secrets with us here. What do you do to attain the hights of brow perfection? Do you follow eyebrow fashion or are you a law unto yourself when it comes to your eyebrows?