Posted on July 5, 2022

The shapes, styles and treatments to know about

Nothing defines an era quite like brow trends.

Thin and overplucked? You’re looking at the ‘90s. HD and crisp as hell? You’re in the early ‘00s my friend.

It really makes you wonder if we’ll look back at the brushed up and sleek finish of laminated brows today and think “what the hell?”.

But hey, that’s half of the fun.

And if you’re looking to stay ahead of the eyebrow game, you’ve come to the right place. 

We asked some of the top brow experts what brow trends they think will dominate 2022, including the ones that are likely to stick around from previous years.

Buckle up, these are some serious eyebrow shapes and styles to behold…

The straight brow

Referring to it as a ‘non-surgical cat eye lift’, Aya Zahoui, Brow Specialist @ayabeauty.syd believes the straight brow will be a huge hit in 2022. “Think Kendall Jenner, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Bella Hadid,” she says. “I’ve noticed the majority of my clients opting for this style. It consists of fuller brows with a minimal arch and a tail that drops at the ends in a subtle manner.”

Brow lightening

Bleached brows have been a huge trend in celebrity land, but Fay Rezaei from Royal Clinics Australia says brow lightening (with no bleach involved) will be the mainstream interpretation. “Prior to COVID, brow lightening was super popular; almost one in two clients were booking for lightening to change the brow undertone,” she tells BEAUTYcrew. “It creates a softer look, which will allow clients to play with different makeup styles without having the brows be too overpowering.”

The natural brow

Both Zahoui and Rezaei say the natural brow will prove popular in 2022. “Not so skinny and not so thick; a more minimalist and simplified look,” says Rezaei.

“Sticking to their natural shape with a more defined look,” concurs Zahoui. “This means all of the strays are removed, [with] even thickness throughout the brow right to the tail and a slight arch — so nothing exaggerated.”

Eyebrow transplants

After Chrissy Teigen shared about her own eyebrow transplant, the procedure has certainly gained traction. But unlike microblading before it, this 'treatment' is much more surgical. Donor hairs are taken from the head and transplanted to the brow area; an invasive procedure that can take anywhere between 1-6 hours. 

We'll admit Teigen's brows look damn good, but we're not sure whether this trend will truly take off in 2022. Unless anyone's got a spare few thousand?

Hybrid brow dye

Debuting in Russia this year, Zahoui says the ‘hybrid brow dye’ is yet to reach its full potential on our shores and is likely to make its way into a number of salons. “It’s not your run-of-the-mill brow tint,” she explains. “It’s an extra long-lasting brow dye that stains both the skin and hairs, and is the only tint of its kind in the market that gives you the same effect as Henna.”

Colours can be customised to suit skin tones and it lasts up to two weeks on the skin and seven weeks on the hairs. We’re intrigued…

Brow layout

Another new in-salon treatment Rezaei notes is ‘brow layout’, which involves a skilled brow artist freehand tweezing in between the brow hairs. “We usually do this on brows that are growing in crazy directions or have coarse, thick stubborn hairs and can not do the fluffy natural look due to the density of the brow,” she explains. “Sometimes we even combine lightening with this look to create that soft, subtle and glowy look.” 

The coloured brow

Nicknaming the trend ‘rainbrow’, Rezaei says coloured brows will be a fun look for those after something different. “It won’t be the whole brow but [more so] creating colour on the ends etc,” she says. She predicts makeup artists will experiment with the look most, rather than permanent in-salon changes.

The gemstone brow

Another styling trend we’ve got on standby for Mardi Gras and music festivals is the gemstone brow. It’s like the glitter brow on steroids, with 3D rhinestones layered over arches. You can thank Cardi B for pulling this one out at Paris Fashion Week, and the disco brows Kacey Musgraves’ wore for her album launch.

The ‘90s brow

Yes, it’s been predicted before. Yes, it scares us every time. But Benefit’s Brow Expert, Samantha Tonkin confirms ‘90s style brows will return, just not in the way you fear.

“There is so much more we know about brows now than we did 20-30 years ago,” she tells BEAUTYcrew. “So yes, the brows will be looking a little on the thinner side but they will still be starting where they need to and there will still be arches in the right places (no McDonalds arches).” And this time, there will be NO overplucking.

The fluffy brow

As far as previous eyebrow trends go, all the experts agree that fluffy brows are here to stay.

Zahoui stipulates, however, that it’s not a stiff or shiny brow. “A much more natural, less defined look,” she says. “Brushed up with skin coming through and minimal use of pencils and powders.”

Brow lamination

Laminated brows are also not going anywhere anytime soon, according to Tonkin and Zahoui. “It just keeps getting more and more popular,” says the latter. 

“It is such an effortless look and with more people understanding how easy it is to work with your brows once they’re laminated and how to style them, the more they are becoming comfortable with the idea of it.”

Original article: The biggest brow trends of 2022, according to top brow experts