While you may have seen the trend gracing your social media feeds of late—controlled, brushed-up brows in all their feathery glory—soap brows are nothing new. Beauty experts have been perfecting the look for ages, and—get this—the technique is one of the easiest to master at home. The look, says Healy, hit the mainstream around 2016, but it’s actually been revered by the drag community for years—performers frequently used soap (or even proper glue sticks) to lay the hairs down, so they could easily cover them with concealer or foundation before drawing on a brand-new shape. The soap allows you to mold the brows however you please, whether you’re looking to cover up any sparse gaps or fluff them upward for a feathery, brushed-up look. Think of it as the middle ground between a strong-hold brow gel and a brow lamination treatment (which can last up to eight weeks). If you’re a brow gel devotee and are looking for something a bit more, without too much of a commitment, soap brows are a great next step. Rather, find a clear, hydrating option, like a bar of glycerin soap. Brownie points if you find one with extra moisturizing ingredients, like aloe, argan oil, or vitamin E. As Marris notes, “I recommend looking for something containing nourishing ingredients to ensure your brow is not damaged in the process.” Plus, if you find a nourishing bar soap you absolutely adore, you can use it as a cleanser, too. The best method is to lightly comb through your brows with a spoolie, fill in any gaps and blend it to your liking, then do your soap brows very lightly so you don’t smudge the product.
