Spring

If the beauty blogging world had a queen, it would be Elke Von Freudenberg.  When I first launched Raging Rouge, I was naive.  I had no idea there were hundreds of other like-minded bloggers out there, testing gloss and sharing their opinions with the world.  But Elke knew…  she launched The Beauty Blog Network and invited the best beauty bloggers to become one, big, makeup-addicted family. 

Elke is a busy woman!  She's a professional makeup artist, and works on both coasts, she writes her own beauty blog, and she recently launched Elke's Brow Collection, her own line of eyebrow makeup and tools.

I recently had the pleasure of catching up with Elke, and asking her some questions about brow grooming and makeup.  Here's what Elke had to say!

Q:  How can women best sculpt their brows to flatter their face shape?
A:  If you stay within the 4 guidelines of shaping your brows, you should be fine.
1. starting point should be between the tear duct and the bridge of the nose.
2. ending point should be at the end of the nose, a straight line to the end of the brow.
3. arch should be directly above the outer edge of the iris of the eye.
4. the line from beginning to arch should be straight, the line from arch to end should be slightly curved.

Q:  Where should the arch of the eyebrow be placed?
A:  The arch of the eyebrow should line up directly at the outside edge of the iris of the eye. Any further out than that and your eyes can actually look too close together, or even cross eyed, especially in photos.

Q:  If one over-plucks, what should be done for damage control?
A:  Stop tweezing any hairs that are coming in anywhere from 1-2 rows below the brow.  Also, don't tweeze the light, baby hairs coming in. They may actually come in thicker and darker as they grow.  As they grow in, use brow pencil and brow shadow to fill in between the stray hairs as they come in. Focus on growing your brows in 1-2 rows at a time. That way, they will always look good, rather than letting them go for a few months and then they can look wild and overgrown. 

Q:  Should eye pencil be darker or lighter than your natural brow shade?
A:  Pencil should always be 1 shade lighter then your brow color (not hair color) and brow shadow should be 1-2 shades lighter than your brow color. Because you are applying color into another color (your brows) it will always look too dark if you try to match.  Go lighter and the color will blend in every time.  Also, avoid brow colors that are too muddy, orange or have a gray or green undertone to them. The color will look too fake.

Q:  When and why should wax and powder be used?
A:  I use clear brow wax to keep thicker, coarse brows in place. You can apply them either before or after your brow shadow for a different look. Apply before, and you'll find your brow shadows go on sharper, stronger. Apply after and it'll keep keep brows and color in place, but it won't affect the brow shadow. 

Q:  How often should brow makeup be replaced?
A:  Just like any other eye shadow product.  I would replace every 8-12 months. Sharpen eyebrow pencils after every use to keep sanitary.

Q:  What are must-have products from your line, Elke's Brow Collection?
A:  Our brow groomer wax (Brow Tamer) is a top seller because it's clear and keeps brows in place. Also our Brow Ware Clear Mascara goes on like water, to avoid flaking or giving a grayish cast that some clear brow gels can do.  The Brow Ware also makes brows glossy which is really pretty. I'm also really proud of our Day Brow Shadows. All the brow shadows are made without any undertones in them you avoid the brow colors looking off when you've applied them. Our Blonde shade is the truest blonde you'll fine (no green or gray undertones) and our Ash Brown matches so many brunette brows because it's not a muddy brown. Also the Dark Brunette Day Brow is for darker skins tones, such as medium to black skin, so their brow colors look true against their darker skin without looking ashy.

Q:  Any great tips and tricks you'd like to share?
A:  Try applying your brow products different ways to get different looks. My new fav trick is to apply Eyebrow Pencil after your Brow Day Shadow to fill in and get a more even look to the brows. It's easier to apply that way and you get a more natural look.  I also like using our Brow Hi-Lights in between brow appointments because soft shimmer bounces light off the eyebrows growing in so you don't notice them as much.

Thanks for the expert advice, Elke!  Readers…  Be sure to click HERE to shop Elke's Brow Collection.