How To Achieve Soap Brows

Brows really do make a look—and tell a story. It’s interesting to note how many brow trends have popped up throughout the years, each one marking decades of beauty history. From the bold powdered brows of ancient Egypt to the pencil-thin brows that took 1930s Hollywood by storm, from the caterpillar brows of the 1980s to the dramatic Instagram-worthy arches of Cara Delevingne, there’s a lot that happened in the brow world.

As we continue to navigate the world of Zoom meetings and masked up outdoor living, brows have become one of our beauty non-negotiables. As of late, the soap brow trend has been making the social media rounds. It’s an old insider trick long used by make-up professionals and drag queens; now that the beauty influencers have gotten wind of it, it’s no longer an industry secret. 

Long story short, soap brows are what they are: natural, fluffed out brows groomed using—you guessed it—bar soap. This look is achieved by applying a soap paste to the brow hairs via a spoolie brush. It takes the place of the brow gel, and people are drawn to it for its simplicity, affordability, and ease of application.

We've seen it all over Instagram, so we're sharing them here with you too:

Before you try it out using any soap within reach, here are a few things to take note of:

• Make sure your soap contains glycerin. This is the key ingredient that keeps those brow hairs in place. Glycerin also has a low pH level that prevents irritation, which is something to keep in mind because you’ll be applying this directly to your face. 
• Be sure to use clear soap. Otherwise, you’ll be facing the world (or your Zoom mates) with white-coated brows!
• Here’s how to go about applying it: Wet your soap with water or a few spritzes of setting spray (recommended) for that extra hold. Once you have a nice goopy texture, run a clean spoolie along the surface.
• Brush the soap through your brows using an upward motion to get the fluffy look you’re going for. Work quickly as the soap can dry down!
• Fill in any sparse spots if necessary. It’s an easy trend to work with should you have the right tools.