Big, bold brows trending

The 1990s are long over, and so is the thin eyebrow trend that came with it.



“It’s a big brow boom right now. It is really a good time to be in the brow business,” Joey Healy, a prominent eyebrow stylist who is a favorite among celebrities and companies, told Drug Store News.

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The trend toward thicker, bold brows has been in for several years, but as celebrities and models — think British supermodel Cara Delevingne — increasingly flaunt the look, consumers are following suit and are seeking products and services that will help them get lush brows.



A look at the sales data tells a similar story. NPD Group reported earlier this year that sales of eyebrow products have increased by double digits over the past three years, and now represent $122 million, and 117o of total U.S. prestige eye makeup sales.



At U.S. multi-outlets, sales of eyebrow products for the most recent 52 weeks are up nearly 18%, according to IRI. Among the new products making waves at mass is Maybelline’s Eye Studio Brow Drama Sculpting Brow Gel, which launched in October.



Experts agree that the trend toward thicker brows is not going away any time soon, but celebrity eyebrow specialist Elke Von Freudenberg told DSN she is seeing a change in the look for next spring/summer.



“It used to be the trend for a thicker brow was very drawn on. ... Now — and it was all over the runways for spring/summer — [the trend] is growing the hairs much longer and growing more hair underneath the brow, so it looks not as perfect,” Von Freudenberg said. “... And the hairs in the front of the brow are much longer. We are no longer trimming them anymore.”



Healy added: “I feel like now it is getting back to basics and nothing could be more fundamental than having really good brows.”