2023 brow trends

In recent years, the turnover of brow trends has been faster than ever. From the bold “Instagram brow” of 2015 to the recent return of ’90s thin brows, it’s hard to gauge what will be the standout looks for the year ahead, so Kezia Parkins asks the experts

Although a beautiful, natural and well-groomed brow will never go out of style, London-based session make-up artist Callista Lorian Thomas says, “Fashion has shown a palpable shift away from the more defined, fluffy arches of the last few years, giving way to drastically different emergent brow trends.” Here are some of the biggest to watch for next year.

Soap/laminated brows

“Soap brows” have been trending on social media for a while and show no signs of slowing down with 337.1 million TikTok views as of November 2022.

The trend involves using a humble bar of soap and a spoolie brush. The soap acts as a pomade to secure hairs in place to create a fuller, fluffier look and precision shaping. Thomas regularly uses this trend on models for photoshoots to achieve a quick, laminated look.

Soap can be great in a pinch or on set, but if your client wants this look to last then brow lamination is a great option, says HD Brows chief executive and permanent make-up pioneer Karen Betts.

“The biggest trend is still brow lamination. It’s growing, and continues to grow every year,” says Betts. The treatment currently has 947 million views on TikTok. “We’re still getting a lot of clients wanting it and a lot of professionals wanting to train in it,” she adds.

If done correctly, you can tame and shape brows. It doesn’t have to be that dramatic laminated look – unless that’s what your clients ask for.

“I think we’ll see more brow techs laminating within precise borders, keeping a well-groomed brow super streamlined and neatly placed by micro lining and mapping during the treatment,” says Salon System educator, Ruth Atkins. “It’s a more neatened appearance rather than bushy and unkempt.”

In between treatments or instead of soap, products like brow gels can maintain the look, while precision brow pens can help fill in any gaps and create volume.

Make-up artist Isamaya Ffrench took the brushed-up brows to the extreme during London Fashion Week’s Poster Girl SS23 show. Unusually shaped, spiked-up brows are likely to take the laminated trend a step further judging by Ffrench’s influence on make-up trends.

Natural brows

Despite the exciting trends that come and go, a well-groomed brow will never go out of style, says Thomas. Natural beauty has been big since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, with heavy make-up and thick, dark brows replaced by a lowmaintenance, fresh-faced look.

To achieve the look, brow expert Jamie Long, HD Brows lead stylist, uses a fine, sharpened brow pencil to create thin, feathery strokes in the gaps of the brows to create the illusion of hair. “Then, using a spoolie, repeatedly brush the colour into the brows in an upward motion to blend it until it looks natural,” he adds.

Microblading can also support this look by building volume and creating natural-looking hair strokes. With 2.7 billion TikTok views, microblading could be seen as less a trend and more a mainstay in brow maintenance.

Bleached brows

We’ve been seeing the bleached brow popping up on catwalks and on the faces of the experimental and fashion-forward. Now, heading into 2023, and with 155.4 million TikTok views and a 246% rise in Pinterest searches since the start of the year, the trend is taking off.

“With roots in queer counterculture and often described as ‘the gender-neutral brow’, the bleached brow continues to dominate the fashion scene and made a huge splash on the runways of Spring 2023,” says Thomas. “Celebrities such as Julia Fox, Kendall Jenner and Madonna have all rocked this look, opting for a fully bleached-out, barely there blonde.” The technique is also being used to achieve the alienised and “ugly beauty” trends we are seeing at the moment.

Although it’s becoming increasingly popular, brow bleaching isn’t something brow and lash professionals have traditionally offered. This means clients, often with no knowledge or experience of using bleach and toner, bleach their brows at home. While some achieve their desired look, home bleaching comes with risks.

“Bleached brows gone wrong could go orange or the hair could become extremely porous,” says Betts. In the worst cases, brows could be severely damaged, with the hairs breaking off.

Brow strength must be analysed before bleaching and the treatment isn’t recommended alongside lamination treatments.

“For those looking to go lighter but not ready for the all-out bleached aesthetic, the latest iteration of this trend sees a move towards a more wearable, polished look,” predicts Thomas. “More clients will be asking for brows bleached just a few shades lighter than their natural colour and toned according to their hair colour.”

Currently, there aren’t many professional products for brow bleaching but some of the newest product and training launches do cover this trend (see page 46).

Embellished Brows

PHOTOGRAPHY: LUKE NUGENT; MAKE-UP: CALLISTA LORIAN THOMAS; HAIR: EDMUND BOSSMAN

“Experimental beauty had a real moment at Paris Fashion Week [SS23], with embellished eyebrows taking centre stage,” says Thomas. Studs, pearls, sequins, gems and metallic foil all made an appearance, with Doja Cat rocking the look when she attended the Givenchy show.

Balenciaga’s AW22 catwalk show saw brows embellished with silver studs for an industrialised edge, which is beginning to trend. It makes us wonder if we will start to see eyebrow piercings making a comeback.

“A fun one to try at parties or over the holiday season, this trend pairs really well with a bleached or skinny brow,” adds Thomas. Embellishments are easy to come by and are reasonably inexpensive – just search for selfadhesive flat-back adornments for a quick and easy answer to this look.

Skinny brows

Skinny brows are back in a big way and the trend has 86.3 million TikTok views. This is great news for clients that overplucked in the ’90s and noughties, but less achievable for those with fuller brows. With many having learned their lesson, clients may come in wanting skinny brows without plucking or waxing too much of what they already have, says Betts.

“The best way to create the illusion of an extra-slim brow is by drawing a thin line on the inside of the brow, then using a spoolie brush, brush gel along the brow, combining the hairs together to create a thinner more defined look,” explains Long.

Alternatively, to remove some bulk from thinner brows, Betts says dermaplaning could be an option to ensure the hair follicles are not damaged, allowing brows to grow back.

Straight Brows

Long predicts that the “straight brow” will be big in 2023, with celebrities such as Ariana Grande seen rocking the bold, archless look popularised by timeless movie icon Audrey Hepburn. “When people refer to the classic Hepburn brow, it’s typically the look from her 1954 movie, Sabrina,” he explains. The look has also been seen on Meghan Markle and Lily Collins.

“If you have big eyes and dark hair, you can pull off this look,” adds Long. “The tail of the brow is lifted slightly to open up the eyes and lift the face, keeping the eyes looking youthful and fresh.” The trend has seen 14.3 million views on TikTok and has a 93% increase in searches on Pinterest since mid-year.

Coloured brows

“2023 is going to be all about colour,” says Betts. “Especially throughout the summer and due to more people embracing their individuality and experimenting with style. It’ll be a bit of fun and we won’t just see this on the catwalk, but every day, walking down the street.”

“The coloured brow trend peaked in around 2014 and is making a resurgence for 2023,” says Thomas. “Gen Z in particular are embracing eyebrows in every colour of the rainbow.”

“Rainbow brows” currently has 1.3 million views on TikTok and the look has been seen on the likes of singer-songwriter Lizzo and model Cara Delevingne. This look is most easily achieved for those with already bleached or naturally light brows, explains Betts. “That’s the best way to get really vivid colours.” Coloured brows will be a progression of the bleach brow trend, she adds.

Thomas says there are a number of options to achieve this look with make-up. One is colourful mascara for the lashes or brows, used in the same way as brow gel or by mixing a highly pigmented eyeshadow with gel and applying it with a spoolie.

“In 2023 I see custom colour tinted brows coming into their own” says Atkins. “No longer do brows need to be 50 shades of brown – but reds, chestnut, and graphites will be used for extra warmth or coolness.”