(Don't) Shine On: Two Top Tips For Preventing Shiny Eyebrows

Hello folks! Summer's pretty much here, so I've emerged from my blog hibernation to send my best wishes to you all AND share a couple of summery tips with you.

Where I DON'T live.

As lovely as warmer weather is, for us it also heralds the arrival of something even more annoying than wasps at your summer picnic — and that is shiny eyebrows. Heat and humidity are irritating enough when they transform your face into an oil slick, but when they start to affect your painstakingly-drawn brows and make them look unrealistically shiny (or even threaten to make them slide off), it's enough to make you stay indoors in front of an industrial-strength fan until the leaves start falling. So, how do I stop my eyebrows becoming shiny and annoying? With these two amazing products:

Still Here, Still Eyelining!

Hello everybody!

Just wanted to let you know that even though I haven't updated this blog in a while, I have not abandoned it - in fact, I am checking it regularly and see every one of the the lovely comments and questions you guys post. The reason I don't update it frequently is because I wanted this blog to be a helpful resource of photos, videos and tutorials, rather than one of those 'day-to-day thoughts' kind of blogs (goodness knows there's enough of them out there...), and I feel like this site and my YouTube channel now have most of your bases covered.

If you have any questions about the tutorials or specific products, or even have an idea for a new tutorial that you'd like to see, as always please feel free to leave a comment or message me a bit more privately via my YouTube channel. I love to hear from you all!

Keep on lining, lashing and scarf-tying, everybody :)

Video: the foolproof guide to liquid eyeliner

I've covered liquid eyeliner before, but since it's the one thing women often find tricky to get the hang of, here's a short video showing you exactly how to get the perfect shape, step-by-step. Enjoy!

Video: how to wear a Buff

For those days when tying a scarf feels like too much of a stretch, I love wearing Buffs. For the uninitiated, a Buff is a soft, seamless cotton tube that covers the head like a cap - you just slide it onto your head and you're done. (Particularly nice to have to hand when you're relaxing 'au naturel' at home and the postman knocks at the door...)

There are a number of ways to wear your Buff, which this brief video introduces!

PS. Buffs are available in selected outdoors shops and online - here's their UK and US sites to get you started...

The easiest way to tie a headscarf - without knots!

This is my absolute favourite way of tying a scarf - by using a stretchy hairband instead of tying any knots. With a little practice, you'll be able to do this one with your eyes closed. It might sounds strange but trust me: it works!

EyelineHer: now on YouTube and Twitter

Eyelineher has only gone and got itself a YouTube channel as User 'EyelineHerBlog'! Here you can subscribe direct to my tutorial videos.

There's now also a brand-new Twitter feed where I'll be posting updates and generally chatting. Come and say hello - I'm @EyelineHer!

Recreating eyebrows with make-up: another video

Here's another video demonstrating exactly how to restore lost eyebrows with the aid of eyeshadow and pencil. (As comprehensive as my first video on this topic was, the recording quality could definitely have been improved - so, it has!)

If this is your first watch you might find my photo tutorial on recreating eyebrows a useful companion, too. Happy feathering and pencilling, amigos!

Video how-to: applying false lashes

As a follow-up to my earlier post on applying false lashes, here's a video that takes you through the process step-by-step, from applying the base eye make-up to 'hide the join' to actually sticking the little guys on. (The reptitive - ie. boring - bits have been sped up for a better tutorial. Saloon-style piano music to follow later...)

Hey, nice hat - plus, the importance of sizing

People are always nice about headwear - there's something about a good hat that just makes them smile. So I couldn't resist naming this post after the three words I nearly always hear when I'm wearing headwear from one particular company: Suburban Turban. 

In the interests of full disclosure, I should say I'm fortunate enough to now know their supremely talented head honcho Nicky, who's become a dear friend of mine through her work in UK hospitals*. But really, these hand-finished caps, hats and scarves speak for themselves.

Product review: BGDL Brow Sealer

Image: Tim Beach   / FreeDigitialPhotos.net

[UPDATED: now with online shopping links for this product! Go get 'em.]

First, I must kick off with an apology for the radio silence - I have been moving my life's possessions across the globe! EyelineHer is now based out of the California Bay Area, so this means that I'll most likely be covering a lot more US products from now on. However, fear not UK ladies: I will endeavour also to give prices in GBP, as well as mentioning your shipping options.

So, let's kick off the invasion with a new brow sealer product review!

Bad news and good news

First, the bad news: the saviour of faux-eyebrows, Benefit's She Laq, is being discontinued.

As a long-time devotee of this product, which lacquers drawn-on eyebrows into place for over 24 hours, I'm gutted. (The decision, by the way, has been confirmed by their UK head office, although I'm afraid I don't know how widespread the discontinuation is.) This wonder bottle was the product that first reassured me of the power of cosmetics and beauty products to recreate what I'd lost facially, and I know that many other hair-free ladies feel the same way.

Which, in the spirit of indefatigable optimism, leads me to the good news: I have realised it makes poor sense to put all your eggs into one lacquer bottle, and to rely absolutely on a single product. Cosmetics companies are businesses like all the others, and, as frustrating as it is for those who love them, certain products do get withdrawn from sale. So, in between panic-buying my local department store's She Laq reserves and hoarding them in my underwear drawer, I have decided to embark on a mission to road-test all the alternatives I didn't even know were out there, for your lacquering and sealing pleasure. Testing will be fair and rigorous, judging products on a range of consistent criteria. First into the fire is a new one on my radar:

On the lash (part two: falsies)

I'd like to open with a buzz-killing proviso: false lashes are a gigantic pain to master. They take ages to get the hang of, are super-fiddly, and take a superhuman measure of patience. Falsies are designed to cling to pre-existing lashes, so getting them to stay put with no natural lashes there is a real test of will. (Are you feeling disheartened yet?!)


BUT: once you get the hang of it, you’ve got it for life, and it’s like having your old eyelashes back - which, it goes without saying, feels pretty great.

(If any chemo patients are reading this, I'd recommend you stop here: for the length of time it’ll take you working how to get the darn things to stay on, your old eyelashes will have grown back. It’s not worth the hassle, seriously.)

On the lash (part one: just make-up)

In the grand facial scheme, losing eyelashes admittedly isn't as big a deal as losing eyebrows in terms of the difference it makes to a bare face. However, on closer inspection it does subtly change the appearance of your eyes, as even the most fair-haired eyelashes lend a certain framing to the eyes, and seeing them without that framing is a real surprise. You can feel your eyes look smaller - on down days, even a bit 'beady'. So: what you need to is to paint that framing back on.

This first guide is a how-to that recreates the look of eyelashes without false eyelashes. I'll cover falsies in a later post, but for ladies who are experiencing temporary eyelash loss (for example, women undergoing chemo), the make-up-only route is best. False lashes are a fiddly pain to apply, and by the time you've got the hang of it, your real lashes will have grown back, so they're really a more long-term solution.

Eyebrow, you brow... (part two, with photos)

[UPDATED: with new links!]

To accompany the video guide I recently posted on how to draw eyebrows back on, I thought I'd give you a step-by-step photo guide as well.

This simple powder-and-pencil technique works whether you're simply filling in missing parts of the brow, or drawing new ones on totally from scratch. Rather than simply pencilling on a flat, thin line, the aim is to create a 3d-looking brow that'll fool anyone into thinking you never lost yours in the first place.

Eyebrow, you brow...

My first post on EyelineHer, so I thought I'd better make it a good one! And where better to start than eyebrows?

Losing eyebrows, whether totally or partially, is for many just as big a deal as losing their hair, and it's not hard to see why. Eyebrows provide some key structure to your face, and unless you've fallen victim to a 'hilarious' shaving prank in the past, you won't have ever imagined yourself without them. So why not draw the little deserters right back on?

For a realistic look, the absolute key is a combination of powder and pencil (as opposed to just pencil, as many women use). Done right, faux-brows will look almost as good as the real thing, and will stay put for pretty much 24 hours. This video explains how - enjoy!


Products used: 

• Mono Eyeshadow in Brown and Black by Rimmel London
• Professional Eyebrow Pencil in Black-Brown by Rimmel London
• SheLaq makeup sealant by Benefit