An Expert’s Guide To Eyebrow Styling And Shaping

Hannah Mutze is Benefit’s National Brow Artist and the owner of some truly astonishing brows. So when we got the chance to grill her a few weeks back and she generously agreed, we were bloody thrilled.

FYI - Hannah’s been shaping brows for nine years so, yeah, she knows her stuff. (See her Instagram for brow heaven.)

What does your everyday brow routine look like?
I’m a low maintenance gal at heart and (guilty confession) would rather squeeze in a morning swim than fuss over my own brows (I prefer to fuss over other people’s). This means my routine calls for fast, efficient, and easy-to-use products. I tidy and tint my own brows once a month (an absolute must for anyone wanting to make their brow routine easier) and when freshly tinted all I need to do is brush them up into a feathery style with my all-time brow MVP, 24HR Brow Setter. It’s a clear setting gel that locks them into place all day. When my tint starts to fade I bring in the big guns in the form of Gimme Brow. It’s a tinted brow gel that adds life-like fullness and colour to brows. I use a shade 3 and layer this ON TOP of my clear brow gel. Controversial, I know! But it’s a game-changing routine if you like effortless, thick, and fluffy looking brows!

What are the biggest mistakes people make with brow styling?

1. Using the wrong colour! It makes the brows look unnatural. If you’re unsure, pop into a Benefit BrowBar and have an expert find your perfect match, or have a look at the tips below!
2. Not blending! Use a spoolie brush or similar to blend all applied colour! It softens the lines and prevents the brows from looking too drawn on. (Look for products that come with built in spoolies like Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil.)
3. Over styling! Less is often more when it comes to brow styling. A couple flicks of a brow pencil here and a slick of fibre gel there is often all they need. Brush through your brows before you style then try to only apply colour where your brows need it most – fill any gaps or holes and define lines, etc!

What are your top tips for great brows?

1. DIY brow shaping or tidying calls for good quality tweezers. Invest in a pair of tweezers with a slanted tip. The angled tip allows for the most precision.
2. Pencil in your brows before tweezing. Only remove the hairs that lie outside the lines and you can’t go wrong!
3. Train your growth cycle by only tweezing strays at most once a week. (Ideally once every fortnight.) Frequent tweezing creates an inconsistent growth pattern and consistent regrowth.
4. Always use a brow gel. Layer a tinted gel on top of your pencil for the most natural finish or set in place with a clear gel to secure the shape and colour for the day.
5. Make sure you're using the right toned brow product, it’s the key to natural-looking brows. Look at your brows in natural light, if you see red, auburn or strawberry hues you’re warm-toned; if you see black, grey, ashy or taupe like hues you’re cool-toned; if you see both or aren’t sure what you see – opt for neutral toned products.
6. If you’re trying to grow out your brows, put down the tweezers completely for at least eight weeks, and give them a chance. It’s the only way. All good things take time!

If you could only pick one product to do your brows, what would it be?
24HR Brow Setter. It’s like strong hold hairspray for your brows and is a must-have for all feathery/fluffy brow lovers out there. Just brush up and go!