The 90s gave us many great things. But the super skinny brows popularised by the pop culture icons of the era – such as Drew Barrymore, Gwen Stefani, Pamela Anderson, and Kate Moss – were not one of them! In the quest for the perfect arches, many of us were guilty of over plucking. Leaving us wondering if our once-lush brows would ever grow back. To shed light on this common concern, Kim Evans – the founder and director of Melbourne Salon Lux Brows and Lashes (as well as the recently launched spin-off product range) – shares her advice on all things eyebrows.

Crafting the perfect eyebrow shape

With over 20 years of experience in the beauty industry (“I’ve always had a passion for eyebrows, beginning way back in art class at school – my portrait drawings always had extra attention drawn into their eyebrows!”) Kim’s approach to creating the perfect eyebrow shape is truly holistic. And revolves around understanding the client’s unique face and bone structure.

Although many clients may request an on-trend brow style, Kim assesses their face shape, lifestyle, and maintenance preferences first to determine the most flattering option. “Different face shapes may require specific arches or thickness. So I work to ensure that their desired trendy style aligns with the client’s unique features. Adapting elements like arch, thickness, or length to create a personalised and flattering outcome.”

During the initial visit, Kim also often encounters the aftermath of over-tweezing. Which requires her to take a creative approach to her services. 

“Lux Brows and Lashes offers a range of services. From brow sculpting and tinting to innovative treatments like Brow Lamination and Brow Feathering. Brow Lamination, a popular choice, relaxes and smoothens brow hairs, allowing for expert positioning to achieve a beautiful shape. For those with minimal brow hair or gaps, Brow Feathering, including microblading and Nano Machine Brows, offers a natural look, saving time on daily brow makeup routines.”

The big tweeze: Can overplucked eyebrows grow back?

As clients age, Kim emphasises the importance of putting down the tweezers and investing in professional brow services.

“Recovering from overplucking and achieving a fuller, natural-looking brow takes time, patience and consistency,” she says. 

“To start, give your brows time to recover and put the tweezers away. So many people tweeze a lot more often than they like to admit. Do not tweeze the hairs weekly, leave shaping to the professionals and let the hair grow freely. This is crucial for achieving a fuller look. Regular hair conditioning to keep the brow hairs healthy and moisturised is also vital for hair health. I recommend using a quality brow serum daily. One that contains ingredients like biotin, peptides, hyaluronate, these can promote hair growth and strengthen existing hairs. 

“Along with using a serum I would also recommend Brow Lamination which addresses several of the varying age-related brow concerns,” adds Kim. “It can smooth and control the brow hairs and can offer thinning brows the options of appearing fuller. I would also recommend an in-studio conditioning brow treatment, Brow Gold, for relaxing and smoothing the coarse, curly brow hairs. Following Brow Gold your brow hairs feel like silk.

“Finally, as the brows start to grow I suggest a professional brow sculpt to help create a balanced, natural-looking brow shape. Because every single hair contributes to your new and improved brow shape you don’t want to remove the wrong hairs.”

2024: Brow trends and predictions

Fortunately, for those who are not a fan of the scrawled on skinny brow, Kim predicts the continued rise of thick natural brows. Although, “overly sculpted, heavily outlined brows will become less popular as people lean towards softer, more effortless brow looks,” she adds.

Kim’s other brow predictions for 2024, include: Sustainable Beauty: “With an increased focus on sustainability, there might be a rise in eco-friendly and cruelty-free beauty products, including those for eyebrows”. Expressive Colours: “Experimenting with bold and expressive colours for eyebrows may become more common, allowing individuals to showcase their creativity. With the abundance of Hybrid Brow Dyes available you’re able to customise brow hair more than you’ve ever been able to before. Brow colours can now be as expressive as your hair colour.” And finally, microblading innovations: “Advances in microblading and other semi-permanent techniques will lead to more realistic and customisable options for long-lasting brow enhancements.”

Best brow products

• Brow Set Go! $38.50, by Lux by Kim Evans (pictured, above) Part-gel, part styling soap, Brow, Set, Go! lifts, shapes and sets your brows in place for all-day hold. It tames even the wildest of brows and its formula is packed with ingredients that offer hair and skin health – including Jojoba, Caster and Coconut oil, Hyaluronic Acid as well as Vitamin B5, E and A.
• Hair and Brow Magic Wand, $15, by ModelCo
• Brow Lamination Kit $39.99, by Ardell
• Tweezer and Spoolie, $12, by TruYu
• Waterproof Brow Definer, $64, by Chanteaille at Mecca
• Brow Freeze Gel, $46, by Anastasia Beverly Hills
• Microblade Brow, $25, by Ciate London at Mecca
• Hey Brow Clear Eyebrow Fixing Gel, $42, by Espressoh at Sephora
• GRO Eyebrow Serum, $118, by Vegamour at Sephora