A Definitive Guide to Understanding Your Brow Texture

Because shape isn't everything.

A Definitive Guide to Understanding Your Brow Texture
(Image credit: Marie Claire)

Just when we thought the brow obsession had reached its fever pitch, picture-perfect arches are primed to be one of fall's biggest beauty trends.

Buuut while we've spent countless concentrating on the shape and color of our brows, our texture has taken a bit of a backseat. This, even though there's more styling products than ever to cater to all kinds of it.

To help us understand different types of hair, growing patterns, and setting techniques, we looked to Anastasia Beverly Hills founder, Anastasia Soare, who tames the most famous arches in Hollywood, including Kim Kardashian's. With Soare's expert tips as our guide, here's a breakdown of each kind of texture and how you should approach it. 

Thick Brows: Cara Delevingne

(Image credit: Marie Claire)

Hair Type: Thick follicles 

"Use Anastasia Beverly Hills Perfect Brow Pencil to outline the brows and give them more definition," says Soare. "To soften edges, comb color through with the spooley end."

Fine Brows: Rihanna

(Image credit: Marie Claire)

Hair Type: Thin follicles

"You can make them look much thicker with Anastasia Beverly Hills DIPBROW Pomade and an Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Brush," she explains. "Use the brush to outline the brows, then fill in sparse areas using the edge of the brush to mimic the appearance of natural hair. Comb product through with the spooley end for a soft, natural finish."

Straight Brows: Kim Kardashian

(Image credit: Marie Claire)

Hair Type: Straight follicles that grow upward and stay in place  

"To help straight brow hair mold better and stay put, apply Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Primer wax over brows from the beginning to the tail," she explains. "The wax gives weight to the hair that sticks up, and helps hold it in place."

Curly Brows: Kerry Washington

(Image credit: Marie Claire)

Hair Type: Coarse, wiry follicles that are prone to shifting

"Use Brow Primer wax followed by Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo to help tame wayward hair and create the illusion of a smooth finish," Soare advises.

Sparse Brows: Keira Knightley

(Image credit: Marie Claire)

Hair Pattern: Follicles grow sparsely, with more excess space. 

"Use Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz Pencil in short, quick strokes to fill in the spaces that need it, and follow with DIPBROW Pomade and Anastasia Beverly Hills Brush #12 for bold definition," she says.

Dense Brows: Emma Watson

(Image credit: Marie Claire)

Hair Pattern: Densely-packed follicles that stay in place

"If you hair is dense, you're lucky!"  she explains. "All you need is a pair of Precision Tweezers to remove stray hair and a trace of Brow Wiz pencil to perfect and clean up edges."

Must-Have Tools for *All* Brow Types: Anastasia Beverly Hills Duo Brush #12, Precision Tweezers, Scissors

(Image credit: Marie Claire)

1. Anastasia Beverly Hills Duo Brush #12, $18; anastasiabeverlyhills.com.

2. Anastasia Beverly Hills Precision Tweezers, $28; anastasiabeverlyhills.com.

3. Anastasia Beverly Hills Scissors, $22.50; anastasiabeverlyhills.com.

Lauren Valenti
Beauty Editor

Lauren is the former beauty editor at Marie Claire. She love to while away the hours at coffee shops, hunt for vintage clothes, and bask in the rough-and-tumble beauty of NYC. She firmly believes that solitude can be a luxury if you’ve got the right soundtrack—that being the Rolling Stones, of course.