February 8, 2026 — 5:00am
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Fluffy, full brows are the most coveted coathangers for the face; get them right and pretty much everything else will fall into place.
The emphasis this season is on well-conditioned, feathery, soft brows. In practice, what does that mean? Laminated brows go from rigid to more relaxed, and shaping errs on the side of softness. There is also a big trend in peptide conditioners and keratin serums for brows, aka haircare for your arches.
Lily Collins is the ultimate brow inspiration.Getty Images
As far as celebrity inspiration goes, we love Emily in Paris star Lily Collins. As brow expert Amy Jean Linnehan says, “The shift is definitely towards softer, more natural-looking brows. We’ve moved away from the heavily sculpted, blocky look to embrace a sheer, wispy aesthetic.” Tying in with this trend towards lighter brows, one of the newer treatments is mist brow tattooing, also known as microshading, which creates a more natural result.
But what if you jumped the gun, or needle, and are still sporting remnants of the old look? “Laser tattoo lightening with pico laser technology has been a game-changer, offering tattoo removal with no damage to the surrounding skin and hair,” says Linnehan.
If your brows are on the sparse side from over-zealous plucking or thinning, adding a brow serum that promotes growth, with ingredients such as prostaglandin analogues, peptides, biotin and panthenol into your daily skin care routine can help bulk them up. A great all-rounder is
UKLASH Eyebrow Growth Serum, $75.
Linnehan is a huge fan, but consistent application and patience are key. “While these serums can work beautifully on lashes, brows do have a longer growth cycle [around 12-16 weeks], so you need to commit to at least three to four months of regular use before seeing noticeable improvements.”
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If your brows are greying, try not to pluck. Instead, try a product like Olaplex Browbond Building Serum Eyebrow Enhancer, $120. The brand is famous for repairing damaged hair bonds, and this serum contains a mixture of peptides to help boost keratin, and palmitoyl tetrapeptide-20 amide, which may help to re-pigment greying hairs.
Once you have the shape sorted, enhance them with the right shade of make-up. Linnehan recommends blondes go one shade darker than their hair, with taupe or soft-brown tones. Redheads should steer towards auburn and warm brown shades, while brunettes should match their hair depth but could go slightly lighter to avoid harshness. For black hair, choose a dark brown for a softer effect. Greys look best with soft taupe or cool-toned grey-browns that complement silver tones.
As for application, Linnehan suggests a combination approach. “I start with a fine pencil for hair-like strokes, setting with a tinted gel for hold and fullness.”
Once you’ve got your brows the way you want them, commit to their maintenance by getting them shaped and tinted every four to six weeks.
ASK STEPH
Do I really need separate moisturisers for day and night?
Yes. Your lighter day moisturiser should have an SPF 50+ and antioxidants to protect skin from pollution and UV light. For night, go for a thicker version that contains ingredients like retinol and peptides that best work when skin is in regeneration mode. For day, try SkinCeuticals Ultra Facial Defense SPF50+, $71; for night, Dr Dennis Gross Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Intense Wrinkle Cream, $133.
Send questions via Instagram, @mrssdarling.
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