Eyebrow Trends from Past, Present and Future

Tuesday, 21 February 2023 13:37

By Sara Whatley

Sara Whatley looks at brow trends over the past few decades and sees what’s in store for the eyebrow of 2023.

Brows are face framers. They have a subtle super power to dramatically change a face without being too obvious about it – imagine the difference between a barely there brow and a thick bushy one. HUGE!

Eyebrows naturally come in all shapes, sizes, colours and textures, but many people choose to cajole them into the latest beauty trend. Through the decades eyebrow trends have swung from thin plucked arches to fuller bushier brows, and back again. In some cases brows even disappeared altogether with the wearer then preferring to draw them on instead.

The shape of brow trends in recent years has been everywhere from almond arches reaching right down to the outer eye, to high and rounded, through squarer shapes, and flatter subtle curves. Sometimes the trend is for au natural, in which case one can either leave the brow as nature intended or fill it in with pencils, powders and pomades to achieve the desired look.

So, what’s on the eyebrow agenda for 2023? To be honest, it’s a bit of a mixed bag – this decade wants the best of both worlds.

However, brow trends do seem to fall roughly into two categories so let’s look at each individually.

Sleek and unique

In the 90s eyebrows went thin and plucked, then in the 00s they went ultra thin with many a young thing plucking them into near nonexistence. The 2010s saw the resurgence of the bushy and bold brow and now, in 2023, thin brows are back.

This time around however they are not pencil thin arches, the trend is for a more natural look following the shape and individuality of ones own brows but plucking and shaping to define the look.

A big current trend to achieve this look is to microblade – this is a semi-permanent tattoo applied in ultra fine hair strokes simulating real hairs.

Bold as brass

On the other end of the eyebrow spectrum we find the bold, bushy and full brows we have all become accustomed to over the past few years. This trend is not going anywhere, but shape wise there is a slight shift towards a straighter brow.

This can be achieved by either removing the outer end of the brow and filling in with a straighter line rather than the natural curve; or covering the end of the brow with concealer and filling in as before. This straighter lined brow opens up eyes and draws attention.

Find your shape

Using a makeup brush, measure from the outside of your nostril straight up; this is where your brow should start. Then angle the brush to the outer corner of your eye and find the 45-degree angle where your brow should end.

Eyebrow Trends from Past, Present and Future

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