Soap Brows: Are they here to stay?
If you’re a beauty fan who loves discovering new makeup styles, you’ll probably have heard of the Soap Brows trend. Sometimes known as laminated brows, soap brows have become one of the biggest eyebrow trends in recent years. It is just as influential as the Anastasia Beverly Hills dip brow, it uses significantly fewer products and a lot less technical skill. Actresses, musicians, A-Listers and influencers have all been seen rocking this makeup trend recently. But is it here to stay, or is it just another fleeting Tik Tok microtrend?
Eyebrows are one of the aspects of makeup and beauty that have changed the most over the years. The war between having high-arched, thin eyebrows and natural, bushy eyebrows has been going on for decades. In the 60s and 70s, thin-high arched brows were incredibly popular, in order to better display the innovative eye makeup looks of the time. The 80s however, went for a more natural, fuller eyebrow look – perhaps inspired by Brooke Shields. In the 90s, high-arched, thin brows became incredibly popular again, as stars such as Pamela Anderson became highly influential on makeup and beauty trends. However, since then, bushy and natural have been the most popular choice for women. Stars such as Cara Delevigne and Emilia Clarke have made large brows dominate beauty trends since the late noughties. Recently, soap brows have been incredibly popular, but what are they, and are they here to stay?
What are soap brows?
The soap brow trend is exactly as it sounds. The outcome of the look includes a brushed-up, fluffy appearance. The beauty technique is sometimes referred to as brow lamination, however, soap brows take slightly less maintenance. You can get the ‘soap brows’ look with a spoolie and glycerin soap. It’s incredibly affordable and doesn’t take a lot of technique to be able to apply. They have exploded into popularity in 2023, on Tik Tok, on the red carpet, and pretty much everywhere you look. While brushing your eyebrows with soap seems silly and nonsensical, this has been a favourite of many high-end makeup artists, as soap often has a better hold on hair. It makes your eyebrows look fluffy and voluminous, which is the ideal standard right now. But is this simple and affordable eyebrow hack going to stay around for a while, or will it already be dated by this summer?
Who’s wearing soap brows?
Even though the ‘soap brow’ trend may seem silly, plenty of influential celebrities and makeup gurus don’t seem to think so. While Cara Delevigne may naturally have amazingly fluffy eyebrows, female celebrities are copying this trend everywhere. Madison Beer, Hailey Bieber, and Rihanna have all been seen sporting these brows. Celebrity make-up artists are swearing by the soap brow trend, and it is evident it is also incredibly popular amongst the stars when you look at recent red carpet beauty looks.
How to apply them?
Soap brows are incredibly easy to apply. Here are all the steps involved in applying soap brows.
1. (OPTIONAL) If you normally fill your brows in, you might want to start the soap brows routine by doing so. The aim of soap brows is to get your eyebrows looking as full as possible. You need to do this before, as the pigment will be really hard to blend after you apply the soap.
2. Dampen a clean spoolie brush with a setting spray or water. Make sure you’re spoolie brush is not too wet, as it could cause the soap to create suds, and leave you with white eyebrows!
3. Coat your spoolie in Glycerin soap – remember that less is more. It is easier to add more than it is to take off too much.
4. Brush through your brows with the spoolie, making sure that the hairs are pointing upwards towards your hairline. However, make sure you brush the hairs at the tail of your brow down to avoid creating a ‘struck-by-lightening’ look!
5. Press in the look with your fingers to make sure it stays all day.
If you don’t normally apply makeup to your eyebrows, you might want to look around for makeup tutorials to find so you can find a soap brow look that suits your facial features. If your brows are on the sparse end, you might want to add more makeup to them to make them look fuller. If you have thick brows, you may want to play around with creating a softer look so your eyebrow look doesn’t overcrowd your face.
Are soap brows here to stay?
Soap brows have become a huge trend over the past couple of months, and might become a defining trend within 2023’s beauty scene. The soap brow revolution has inspired women all over the world and has changed how beauticians and makeup artists do their makeup.
But is it here to stay? Looking at the past, eyebrow trends seem to be as fleeting and ever-changing as other trends, like fashion. Just as the fuller eyebrow trend takes hold, people may start shaping thinner, high-arch eyebrows again, mimicking the eyebrow trends of the past.
However, considering the soap brow trend has been around since 2018, it will probably be around for a long time yet. It might not become a staple look, such as little black dresses or winged eyeliner, but it will definitely be around for a few years yet. Because it is easy and affordable, it is predicted that it will remain a huge beauty trend. However, if you want to try soap brows, there are many ways you can customise the look to suit your face – so don’t be worried about trying it out!
Guest post by Zoe-Louise Tomlinson
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