Sometimes you have to go-all out with your makeup for a costume.  There are some more elaborate makeup styles that look better when you conceal your natural eyebrows and draw in new ones.  For example, drag queens often cover all or part of their brows and then draw in a new brow in a more feminine shape.  Some costumes may also require you to alter the shape, colour or size of your brows to get the right look.

So how do you do that without removing your brows entirely?  I promise you that there is a way.

Today I’m going to show you the method I use to cover my brows for costume and special effects makeup.  It takes a while to do, but it’s very effective.  I’ve tried a couple of different eyebrow-concealing methods in the past.  I don’t like to use products like spirit gum, because they can be difficult to remove without taking a chunk of your eyebrow off too.  I’ve used glycerine soap before, but I found that it simply wasn’t strong enough to hold down my ultra-bushy brows.  My method of choice involves a simple glue stick.

The glue stick is used to flatten out your eyebrows so that you can apply makeup over the top of them to mask their appearance.  You can’t just use any old glue: choose one that’s non-toxic and water based.  It also pays to do a spot-test of the glue on your skin before you use it to make sure that you don’t have an allergic reaction to it.

I like this method because it flattens out my brows really well, and makes it easy to apply makeup on top of the brow area.  Once you’ve concealed the brow, you can apply eyeshadow or other makeup to the area for a dramatic look.  You can see in the picture of me in my Columbia costume that I’ve got gold makeup up to and over my brow, and I’ve drawn in new (hot pink) brows for my costume.

This is also a good method for covering brows because the glue is actually pretty easy to remove.  At the end of the night, soak an old washcloth in warm water and hold it over the eyebrow for a few moments.  Then wipe the area firmly to remove.  The glue will dissolve with the water and heat and leave your eyebrows intact.