Eyebrows are big business, and the quantity of products that can potentially be used on them is almost obscene. I have witnessed makeup artists use up to six products on the same set of brows in order to give them the desired volume, texture, tone and lasting power. I don’t know about you, but there is no set of circumstances under which I could ever muster the energy to put six products on my brows. It simply isn’t going to happen.
Just over a year ago, I began to notice that many of the brows in images I particularly admired were the work of one London makeup artist, Nikki Wolff. Wolff's makeup is poetry applied to skin – you'll find her @nikki_makeup but don't go looking at her feed unless you have an hour to lose there. Her ability to create mood through makeup is rare, and the looks themselves are almost painfully beautiful. The brows in particular are always full, natural looking and combed upward to maximise their shape and volume.
It turns out that Wolff credits one unusual product for her delectable brow work – an unassuming little tin of soap from Durham based, mother-daughter owned and run brand, West Barn Co. I was consumed by curiosity, and had to get my hands on it at once.
Soap brows is a universal, untinted soap product that comes in a sturdy and entirely portable little tin, and will set you back £10 (plus £3.50 for shipping to the Republic of Ireland). To apply the product, you mist a clean mascara spoolie with water or a facial mist, rub it gently in the soap a little and wiggle it upward through clean brows. I prefer to apply any tinted product like powder or pencil afterwards, when the brows have set and puffed up just a little, though you can apply them before. It is also perfect for those who don’t use any brow products, or wear makeup at all. It controls a fuller brow (perfect for men) while making it look groomed. For best results, make sure not to dampen the spoolie too much, and to wait for it to dry before proceeding. It creates the most obedient, fulsome brow – frankly, it kicks fancy branded brow products three times the price into the dust.
As West Barn Co. is not stocked in Ireland, you will need to buy online, but it is worth the sterling conversion. Soap brows is not the only brilliant product that they make. I have also been entirely converted by the Coconut Dew Mist (£16), a delectable refreshing mist that sets makeup perfectly, and their Balancing Cleanser with Bog Myrtle and Lime (£28), which is my favourite morning cleanse at the moment.
Smaller brands are often dwarfed by the big boys – this is one of those rare finds that feel especially thrilling to a lover of beauty and particularly natural skincare. If you try nothing else, get your hands on Soap Brows – it won't change your life, but it will change your brows. All products available at https://www.westbarnco.com/shop
