It’s an annoying fact of life — as well as heredity and gravity — that our eyebrows start to get a little heavy once we hit a certain age. I knew it was happening to me when my eye shadow started to crease and my upper lids got crepey. While brow-lift surgery can reduce the droopiness, the results, which can sometimes look scary and unnatural, are permanent. Here are some other ways to fake a rejuvenating brow lift:
Get a lift with a high ponytail. Celebs like Penelope Cruz (at the premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides), Reese Witherspoon (at the Oscars), and Kim Kardashian show that this sleek, classic look never goes out of style. A high ponytail lifts everything up and back. Just don’t wear this style too often or you may pull out some hair.
If ponytails aren’t your thing, try taking a small piece of hair (about a quarter inch) from each temple and pull the pieces up and back. If your hair is long enough, tie the pieces together in the back, high on the crown, and hide the tie under the rest of your hair. Or, if the pieces are too short, pin them securely above and behind your ears.
In the office, one of my favorite minimally invasive procedures is a brow “lift” using an injectable filler, typically Restylane or Juvéderm. I put a tiny bit along the underside of the eyebrow, to replace the fat pad that shrinks over time. This gives a subtle lift to both brow and lid. But the injections must be made carefully and precisely, so you don’t end up looking like a Neanderthal.
Many of my patients get great results with a drop of Botox below the brow. This widens your eyes, makes the upper lids less heavy, and lifts the outer part of the brow. If done incorrectly, though, the Botox can make the lids and brows droop, so be sure your doctor has a lot of experience in treating this area.
Use a makeup primer like Urban Decay Primer Potion to help smooth dry patches and calm flaky skin. Your foundation will go on more evenly and last longer. If your skin is oily, look for a mattifying, oil-free primer like Vichy Normaderm ProMat Ultra Mattifying Oil Free Lotion.
Use waterproof eyeliner, eye shadow, and mascara. Waterproof formulas resist humidity, sweat, and greasy skin, so your makeup will be less likely to smudge and smear. No more raccoon eyes!
If you reapply powder several times a day, it can mix with your skin’s natural oils, settle into pores, and become cakey and creased by the end of the day. Instead, use oil-blotting sheets to control shine. I like Clean and Clear Oil-Absorbing Sheets or Shiseido Pureness Oil-Control Blotting Paper. In a pinch, you can use Kleenex or even clean toilet-seat covers. But don’t use toilet paper to blot — it has too many fibers that can stick to your face.
If you have a last-minute meeting or date after work and you don’t have time to redo your eye shadow from scratch, blot first, then use a shadow brush to “reactivate” the shadow and eliminate creases.