Eyebrow Edict for ‘90s: Less Is More

Afine line separates the look of 1990s beauty from the look of the ‘80s--the eyebrow. Bold, dark, untamed brows are being plucked, bleached, gelled, waxed, and, yes, even shaved to create the refined arch sported by Hollywood’s reigning princess, Annette Bening.

“It looks fine on Bening,” says Beverly Hills makeup artist Valerie Sarnelle. She’s been getting “dozens” of requests for thinner brows each week since Bening married actor Warren Beatty earlier this year.

Sarnelle and other top Southern California brow-shapers are urging women to think before they tweeze. “You can damage the root and end up with skimpy brows that will never be full again,” admonishes Joanne Fradkin of Pigments makeup salon in Beverly Hills. “A thin brow can be aging on a young woman and looks harsh and artificial on older women,” warns Eugenia Weston, of the Senna makeup studio in Tarzana. “Most women can’t shape their own brows properly, so they end up with a disaster,” adds Janev Youcel of The Gates in San Marino.

For those whose brows must follow the fickle finger of fashion, Sarnelle says, “Don’t even attempt it yourself the first time. Go to a professional makeup artist who can properly reshape the brows for you.” (Average cost for brow reshaping is $15.)

Women brave enough to shape their eyebrows at home should bear in mind that the newest eyebrows are arched to the outer side of the center of the brow. For those in need of more eyebrow-shaping guidance, Weston will create a personalized take-home brow stencil for $18.50.