Bleaching Brow effects - Using Spirit Gum

Recently a recurring make up look on the catwalks has been bleached brows or brows made to look blonde. This is a striking make up look but is something that has really grown on me and I now actually really love. 

Lately I have been incorporating bleached brows into make up looks without bleaching the brow but using an alternative method using spirit gum and camouflage products to help me achieve the appearance of blonde brows on my models. 

I have found that it can turn a really simple make up look into something shocking and edgy, equally it can bring out a really vibrant and detailed eye make up and help give focus onto the make up itself. Below I have tried out the bleach brow effects with a bold and bright artistic make up as well as with a look more subtle. 

The first look I created in my workshop with lecturer Branka so had more time to go through the stages in a timely manner the second look I created on a location shoot in hectic conditions, I was surprised that this worked well despite the conditions and is actually a really easy and simple look to create. 

Photo shoot bleached brow effects- Hair and Make up by me 

The steps to creating bleached eye brows using Spirit gum 

To begin with bleaching the brows I first cleansed, toned and moisturised my models skin removing any make up left on the brows. This was an important step as any make up on the brows will make them harder to lighten using concealers, also the make up will become mixed in with the spirit gum on application and this will also turn a strange colour. 

There are also several health and safety steps to ensure before beginning the bleach brows, gowning and moving my model to the correct height in her chair was first and for most but also because of using spirit gum a strong product near the eye its important to protect the models eye. To do this I gave her a cotton pad and placed it over her eye letting my model rest the cotton pad in place. 

To apply the spirit gum I used a disposable mascara wand and brushed it back and forth in the wrong direction to coat the hairs and finished by brushing the hairs back into place. I used minimal product to prevent from the spirit gum dripping down onto my model also because you only want to coat the hairs and not leave spirit gum on the skin. If this does happen this can be removed using a cotton bud and spirit gum remover/MME. I found it was a good idea to complete this step at the beginning stages of the make up before applying any foundation or other products. This is because it allows the spirit gum good drying time which it needs before applying the concealer. However when I was on set and bleaching the brows It was my second make up look and I did not have a lot of time at all. Because of this the brows had a tacky texture to help dry the brows and get rid of the sticky powder I used a powder puff to apply an extra layer of powder. This allowed me to go ahead and apply the concealer. 

Once my spirit gum was dry and had been powdered and any excess was cleaned of the skin using MME it was now time to think about creating the right concealer with a blonde colour and tone. 

To create the blonde brows I used Kryolan Derma Colour in D7 and D2 this mix helps to create a yellow tone that was perfect for blonde. I mixed the colours on the back of my hand and used a concealer brush to coat each hair with concealer really being careful to cover each hair one by one. I then powdered over the brows and to be extra careful I powdered over the brows and went back in with the concealer and filled in any dark areas that needed more cover. To tidy up any excess around the brows I used a cotton bud. Finally to complete the brow I used a light natural light beige to help set the brow and bring in a light natural finish.