Lara Stone • Gwen Steffani • Givenchy • Tilda Swindon • Rick Owens • Gareth Pugh • Kristin McMenamy • Mona Lisa • Matt Lucas (Little Brittan) • Prada
How far will you go for fashion? Really, I’d like to know. Lately, the conversation about eyebrowless models have been popping up on the internet. While I really enjoy looking at models with no eyebrows as they look even more alien than they already do, however, the whole concept of actually applying it to real life evades me.
We all have our eyebrow horror stories.
Mine was in 1997 and I decided to try the pencil thin eyebrow look. The problem with the pencil thin brow, is that you actually need to have thick eyebrows or your pencil line will be interrupted with spots of baldness. Though in hindsight, anyone who’s not a drag queen or a meth addict or both, really shouldn’t have pencil thin brows.
When I decided to sport a more natural brow line the time it took for my real brows to grow in left an awkward period which seemed to last an eternity. After that, I decided to never mess with my brows.
Or just..naturally invisible eyebrows?
Part of me believes this whole ’shock’ of eyebrowlessness is rooted in the fact that we’re just used to visible eyebrows. I know several fair haired people who go in every month for an eyebrow and eyelash tint. When they have their natural brows, they’re barely visible, and it’s not a fashion statement at all. Perhaps the expectation that you do have visible eyebrows even though it’s not natural is just as strange as shaving them all together, and for some people, visible eyebrows are more work.
Personally, I like the scary android look… on other people. Will I try it myself? As Sonja once said, “Eyebrows are the window frames to the to soul.” I may go a day or two without penciling my eyebrows in, since my eyebrows are pretty sparse, that almost qualifies… but that’s about it. My favorite facial feature are my eyebrows, I’m very happy with them.
Either way, the good news about hair, is that it grows back.
So, would you shave or bleach out your eyebrows for fashion?
{ 31 comments… read them below or add one }
I bleached mine once intending to dye them to match my hair…it was a bad idea. I spent the next month with the eyebrow pencil. I still toy with the idea of waxing them off, but I doubt I’ll ever actually do it.
Pamela Quevedo´s last blog ..Here, There Be Dragons
Well, I found another option, try to put some concealer to “delete” them to try the look. The idea is to try it…but, as sonja well said, without loosing the “windows frames”…
Ladies, please don’t wax your complete eyebrows!
Mer´s last blog ..Bañadores negros para 2009
❤ pamela… oh my! well, i’ve tried tinting myself only i tried dying them black… it was also a bad idea!
❤ mer…oh yeah… i think i also tried the concealer one morning but my eyebrows are too dark… but it’s a good suggestion!
Considering I fill mine in every day to make them darker & fuller, I don’t think going more bare/bald/pale than they already are is an option….
Though I’ve also heard of using wax/glue (theatrical) with a heavy weight concealer to make them appear invisible…
Ashe Mischief´s last blog ..Ch-Ch-Changes
I spend more hours grooming my eyebrows than doing my hair and makeup! I would die without them!
Vyque´s last blog ..Large Slouchy Hobo
I can’t even begin to imagine myself without eyebrows(altough I’m sure photoshop would help me with that
mine were pretty thick to begin with, and I’ve pared them down quite a bit, but losing them altogether would make me look plain bizarre, I don’t think I’d recognize my reflection on the mirror if I did that!
Wicked Halo´s last blog ..Year one: a retrospective
There were times when my brows were pretty far gone due to overzealous plucking. I’ll keep what I have now, thank you very much!
WendyB´s last blog ..Swimming in Creativity
❤ashe…oooh a heavy weight concealer… mine is just light weight… though i need a stronger concealer for other things, like the bags under my eyes
❤ vyque.. you have perfect eyebrows!
❤ wicked halo…yeah the eybrowless look is very tranforming, and a little creepy
❤wendy, you and me both!
I can remember one of Kevyn Aucoins book had a few pics of celebs as other famous people that sometimes involved covering up their eyebrows (Christina Ricci as Edith Piaf comes to mind.) It was definitely jarring just to see how people *used* to do their eyebrows, much less to have none at all.
ambika´s last blog ..Public Enemies
I definitely wouldn’t shave them or bleach them …however, I was letting them go natural and someone commented that I should fill them in …I have been ever since but when my face is bare, I like my light brows.
…love Maegan´s last blog ..Big Flower Necklace~ DIY ~
Wow! Kristin McMenamy! I she used to be all over my wall along with Shalom Harlow!!
In about 1993 or ‘94 when I was all vintage flowery dresses with knee high Doc’s and fur coats, I plucked mine super thin.
Not good. I will never, ever go back.
At least I was 15 and could sort of still be cute.
Carolyn´s last blog ..Re-fashioning a favorite
I don’t think I’d be able to shave or bleach my eyebrows. I also once did the pencil thin brows look and I just looked…awkward. I like my brows thick and dark too much. Whenever I see someone with no brows, it’s one of the first things I notice about them.
Sheena´s last blog ..A Few Words from a Product Junkie
Holy cats, NO! My eyebrows are the most expressive things about me. I love broadcasting my emotions with a wiggle and a raise … I’d never want to obliterate them!
Sal´s last blog ..Tell Me Why
The eyebrowless looks scares me!! Its one thing if your brows are naturally fair but another to make them disappear. I really don’t find it flattering. But it works for runway models and edgy fashion.
maria´s last blog ..What They Wore Today: 07.21.09- Vintage Children’s Clothing
Your brows are given by Mother Nature to frame your perfect and unique features – don’t mess with them!
Tami – fête à fête´s last blog ..Hugo Boss BOSS Orange Giveaway!
❤ambica…ooh christina ricci as edith piaf, that’s very chilling! it’s good to know that no-eyebrows aren’t anything new!
❤maegan, oh might you try letting your brows go natural with heavy eye makeup? natural blondes do well with light eyebrows and bare faces, i always end up looking washed out…
❤carolyn, hahha me too! well, i’m a little older, but yeah, i pretty much did the same thing.
❤sheena, i know what you mean!
❤sal…as a true brunette, i imagine you use your eyebrows to much advantage!
❤ tami… hahah…but i always mess with my brows one way or another!
I love my eyebrows just the way they are. I’ll tweeze a stray hair here or there but that’s about it.
lisa´s last blog ..Get Glowing With Mary Kay!
I’m definitely a fan of keeping the eyebrows. I mean, they’re essential for the everyday expressions of life, plus if anything I’d love mine to be darker and more defined–I really think they can change a person’s face
Kriti´s last blog ..Staycation Beauty Essential: Davines Lovely Weekend Kit
I would not loose my eyebrows! Thats just wrong wrong wrong! xoxoxo
You left out Ziggy Stardust.
I think Tilda Swinton is incredible. And I would never shave my eyebrows! Well, never say never..
Annie Spandex´s last blog ..Rock Rock Rock N Roll
I like some of the looks in the pics at the top but I pretty much don’t have eyebrows already (much like Tilda’s), and I don’t like the look on me. Penciling them in everyday is the way I go (I’m never quite happy with tinting, they never make them dark enough).
Icy´s last blog ..Review – The Thoughtful Dresser
oh god no! i pride myself way too much on having full, arched brows. i went through a horrible phase in middle school when i first started plucking my eyebrows and they were half the normal size. i hide all pictures from those days.
katlin´s last blog ..work in progress
Ha! I really like my eyebrows which aren’t mega thick, but veer towards thickness. I groom them to keep them neat, but I wouldn’t want to remove them. They’re part of my personality!
K-Line´s last blog ..My Latest Online Acquisition
I could never shave mine. My sis accidentally cut one of hers off and I really didn’t like the look. I hate it when they’re too thin!
No go for me.
Alicia´s last blog ..A.W.O.L.
I was born with naturally arched eyebrows (if you don’t believe me, I can show you my baby picture. lol) so I have no horror stories. I’m so happy I don’t have to worry about that.
Sweety P´s last blog ..Fashion is Running Through My Veins
Nonono I would never shave my brows!
My brow “horror” story isn’t so bad. I was at the hair salon and the guy who cuts my hair dalways oes whatever he wants without me saying a thing, and I usually end up liking my haircut. One day he just suddenly took out a barber’s knife and shaved parts of my eyebrows! He made it very thin and defined…it looked…strange. But it grew out haha. All is well again. 
Lucy´s last blog ..Dose of Deals: somewhat discounted faves from 3.1 Phillip Lim
I did the pencil thin brows look in the 1990s as well, never again!
I think that’s me done with experimental eyebrows, they still stick out at funny angles now to remind me never to do it again.
I really think you have to have a great bone structure to pull off that no eyebrows look.
Retro Chick´s last blog ..Devidoll- Mociun Pop Up Sale
i did those pencil eyebrows in the 90s too. i kind of love it. i have so much curly hair that sometimes i think my god do i need eyebrows too?! i think the big bonus is… the smaller the brow, the BIGGER your lips looks. indeed. i did the eyebrow bleaching thing too. i think it creates this fascinating alien glamour. definitely a Ziggy thing.
SwanDiamondRose´s last blog ..Elle S’Ennuie wanders the land SWANclothing Louche tote in hand
oh oh oh! you don’t mess with eyebrows. Once I did and I had a very similar experience with jennine’s. But maybe, if I wasn’t such a brunette I would consider bleaching them. just… maybe!
Renata´s last blog ..Green Belly Design
No, no, this is so not for me. I like to play UP my eyebrows not wipe them out. This transforms the face but not in a good way, in my humble opinion. Great for high drama on the runway, but I’m not goin for it “in real life.” Nope.
I will never do anything with my eyebrows since the hair is already scanty. I just get my eyebrows trimmed and done. Period.
Freya´s last blog ..Elegance