Brow beaters

Brows du jour on actress Jennifer Connelly. Photo / AP

Most cosmetic companies offer brow pencils and many of them have powders or gels, but I was surprised by quite how many brow products there are out there. Many emanate from America, the home of brow obsession, where brow bars are almost as numerous as nail bars. They're also popping up in Sydney, where you can get reshaped in your lunch hour.

Here, most beauty salons offer brow shaping, but there are very few specialists. Off wax and brow bar in Newmarket, has one in overseas-trained Rhondda Carnevale, who is passionate about matching the right shaped brows to her client's looks. At the moment, she says the heavier brows of actress Jennifer Connelly are considered desirable, but fashions change - remember the rake thin arch of Marlene Dietrich.

That over-tweezed look is simply old-fashioned and generally unflattering. Carnevale also dislikes the exaggerated tadpole-effect, where the brow is thick to the arch, then tapers dramatically away to a skinny tail.

The best - and safest - option is to stick with a tidied-up natural look, supplemented with smart brow grooming to match fashion's tailored edge and fill in any gaps that nature overlooked or foolish handiwork caused.

Some people prefer to pay for the sharp look that threading achieves, others opt for waxing to remove vellus hairs - those fine little ones that are hard to nab with plucking - but most of us stick to plucking the odd stray at home.

Getting a good initial shape is the best starting point if you've never been much of a plucker. A professional can also coax a botched job back into decent shape. You'll pick up good tricks of the trade to use yourself, and know which of the plethora of products out there will best allow you to make your brows the elegant eye frame you're after.

1 Anastasia Brow Kit $153.90

This super-duper kit has everything you'll need to sort out your eyebrows, including brow stencils. There's also a pouch with brow powder, brush, setting gel and tweezers. Available in five colours, including the often forgotten auburn. Anastasia also makes a good pared-back kit for blondes or brunettes called Brows in Bloom for $66.50. The company founder is Beverly Hills-based Anastasia Soare, of whom Jennifer Lopez says: "She's the only person I let touch my brows."

2 Smashbox Brow Tech, Taupe $46

This little pottle contains both powder and wax for use on fair to medium brows. Smashbox recommends using it with its Brush No 12.

3 Estee Lauder Brow Setting Gel $42

This gel is clear, which makes it good to use over brow powder, or on its own to hold brows in shape for a natural but defined look.

4 Billion Dollar Brows concealer/highlighter pencil $35

Who would have guessed what this was for? Mush concealer into the brow to build it up before colour is applied, then use the other end to highlight the arch. Worked a treat when my brows were shaped at Off, but I suspect most won't bother at home. BBD's range is great though.

5 Dior Show Brow Fixing Gel in brown-black $48

A mascara-style brush applies tinted gel to hold hairs in place. Trickier to use than clear gel, this replaces brushing powder into brows, but a steady hand is needed to ensure dye is not smudged. Sets fast with a high shine.

6 Innoxa Eye Brow Pencil in Brownish Black $21.90

This comes with a handy brush attached, so you can feather out your pencil markings and avoid the drawn on look. The trick is to use short strokes. Softer wind-up crayon-style pencils are good too. Za makes an economical option.

7 Bare Escentuals The Essential Brow Kit $112

An angled brush, mineral brow powder and clear setting gel come in this pack, which has choices catering for fair, dark and auburn brows with a simple three-step instruction. Modelco makes another good basic kit.

Stockists: Brand counters. Anastasia from Smith & Caughey or online at theelementsspa.co.nz. Bare Escentuals at selected salons, stockists Ph 0800 575565 Smashbox, Ponsonby Rd. Billion Dollar Brows, Off wax and brow bar, Osborne St, Newmarket, Ph 520 3212.