Go Nads!

I had a request a while ago for some tips on eyebrow grooming. I started writing a post several times and each time didn't feel quite comfortable with it. I kept imagining you people waxing off your entire eyebrow and hating me forever. I grew up around a lot of eastern European women who had no eyebrows and drew them on with pencil. While they were (and still are) fantastic women, I will never quite get over thinking that the same would happen to me one day.

So I'm going to tell you what I like. I'm going to give you some tips. But if you don't possess fine motor skills, my best advice would be to leave it to the professionals. Some things in life are worth shelling out cash for. This is one of them.

Every girl should own a pair of Tweezerman tweezers. Even waxing involves *some* plucking, and you'll go nuts if you try to do it with a shoddy set of dull tweezers. These have a lifetime guarantee, and if you send them back to the company they'll sharpen them for free. They're not too expensive. I've seen them at CVS and Bed Bath and Beyond for $10-$20.

That being said, I'm not a huge fan of plucking, especially if you have more than a few hairs to remove. It's like torture for me when the pain is concentrated in one small, pin-head sized area. Call me a masochist, but I much prefer the blanket pain of waxing.

I've tried various brands of at-home waxing kits. I've had my brows waxed at the salon. I didn't think they did a better job than I do, and it's much cheaper to wax at home. If your brows have never been shaped before, it would be worthwhile to take a trip to a good salon and have them shape your brows, and then you can keep up the shape yourself at home.

My current favorite brand of wax is the Nad's line. I had seen the infomercials for this when I was in high school and thought it was hysterical. It wasn't until a few months ago that I actually considered buying it. I was shocked to see my other favorite brand of wax had been discontinued, and in looking for a replacement I settled on this. I've been *very* happy with it on the whole. I prefer the tub product for the face with a stick and strips that you can cut up. I do *NOT* like the pre-made strips that you find with just about every brand. I also don't like those roller-applicators. They just don't allow the precise application that the stick offers.

:: Nad's Natural Hair Removal ::

Good things:

1. Doesn't require heating like traditional waxes do, which is both convenient and less painful.
   
2. The strips are washable! You just rinse them with water and dry them out. Better for the environment and your wallet.
   
3. The product itself is water soluble, so you don't have to use oil to remove the excess product like you do with wax.
   
4. I've found that this irritates my skin less than hot wax. It doesn't seem red as long, and it doesn't cause prolonged irritation/breakouts.
   
5. It's natural, and you can supposedly eat it. If the end times roll around I'll have one more thing to eat for sustenance.
   
6. At around $20 for a large tub, and with the reusable strips, it's very affordable.
   

Bad things:

1. Like most products, sometimes it leaves a few hairs behind that didn't take hold. This is where the tweezers come in handy.
   
2. The name. I'm sorry. All I think about is gonads.
   

If you want to know more about the proper way to shape your brows for your face/eyes, take a look at the beginning of this YouTube video which illustrates how to use your nose as a guide for the length of your brow and the arch. (The important stuff goes for the first 3:00.)

Tips:

1. Before you start, make sure your face is clean and dry. 
   
2. You may want to trim your eyebrows first if they are long, using a small comb and a pair of scissors. This will help to keep your application precise without things getting in the way.
   
3. When you apply the wax/sugary goodness, then lay the strip over top, make sure you rub hard with your fingernail over the strip in the direction of hair growth. The better you do this, the more likely it will take off all the hairs without leaving some behind.
   

If any of you have advice or recommendations on this or other methods of eyebrow grooming, please leave a comment. I know threading is hot right now, but I've never had it done. Chime in!