The most common brow soap mistakes and how to avoid them

Are you new to using brow soap or have you been using it for ages, but you’re unhappy about the results?

Unfortunately, we often stumble across people not knowing or being confused about how to use eyebrow soap.

We called on Make-up Artist Shari Kramer (@shari.mua) and Christian Torez (@christiantorez) to help us navigate every brow soap mistake and explain how to avoid them ASAP. A lot of pros, a whole lot of expert knowledge.

Warning: It’s gonna get real detailed, real soon. But promised, if you read this blog, you’ll be an absolute brow soap professional. Say goodbye to bad brow days ;-)

Let’s start with the basic rule: clean equipment. Old product residues can harden the brush and clog the brush bristles. It’s important to clean the brush every now and then. Simply hold the brush under water and wash off the soap residue. Let the brush dry lying down horizontally.

Now that you’re equipment is clean, grab your Brow Booster & Face Spritz and let’s go:

1. WHITE RESIDUE

WHERE YOU’VE GONE WRONG…

Most of us have probably experienced it before, white soap residue. This mistake will eventually happen, especially to those of you, who are new to eyebrow soap. When we asked Shari what she thought about white residue, she said, ‘I actually often have students who work too dry and have white spots on their brows. I always tell them to take their time. Practice makes perfect! :)’. In other words, don’t give up BROWLY Babes! Keep going and don’t give up after using brow soap once ;)

HOW TO GET IT RIGHT...

You’re not necessarily doing anything wrong if you get tiny white product residue particles in your brows. If you have a lot of thin or fine baby hair above your eyebrows, minimal product residue can get caught in it. Simply use the angled brush or a cotton swab to wipe off the excess product. To remove white residue, make-up artist Christian Torez likes to grab a damp brow brush once the styling is done and really comb the product through the brows. This loosens up the brows and picks up any access product.

As a little extra tip, we highly recommend plucking those baby hairsabove your brows, as make-up often gets caught in them, making your look seem cakey and uneven. And let’s be honest, don’t we all want that perfect baby-smooth face ;-).
plucking those baby hairs above your brows, as make-up often gets caught in them, making your look seem cakey and uneven. And let’s be honest, don’t we all want that perfect baby-smooth face ;-).

Is your brow soap colored or not 100% transparent?

Yes? Then why are you surprised that you’ve got residue in your brows. The number 1 rule of getting perfect soap brows is using a transparent eyebrow soap. The BROWLY Brow Booster soap is transparent and so clear, that some customers even ask us if the tin is empty (can you imagine :P). You really need to look twice to actually see the product.

If you answered the question with no and are already using a transparent eyebrow soap but still have white residue, then you’re probably not using the right amount of product or your product has the wrong consistency.

The right consistency is key to good brows! If the soap is too wet, you’ll most likely absorb too much product. Too much product = white residue. To get the ideal consistency, Shari recommends spraying 1-3 spritzes of BROWLY Face Spray directly onto the Brow Booster. That’s all you need! In case you don’t have the Face Spritz or another setting spray, you can also wet the brush by holding it under water. BUT! Don’t forget to shake off excess water as the brush shouldn’t be too wet.

Transparent soap (Check)
Perfect consistency (check)

Lastly, it’s important to use the right amount of product. As with many things in life, less is often more. This also applies to eyebrow soap. Shari advises ‘gently pick up a little brow soap with the brow brush’ and slowly build up the product. The Brow Booster has such a strong hold that even a small amount of product is totally sufficient.

Here’s a little tip: bend the brush to get a better angle, then coat the spoolie with the product until you see a thin layer. If lumps, thick chunks or a gooey consistency forms, then you’re either using too much product or have the wrong consistency.

If you follow all these steps, white soap residues should be a thing of the past.

2. NO LONG-LASTING HOLD

WHERE YOU’VE GONE WRONG…

Your eyebrows just won’t hold up despite using eyebrow soap? Hearing something like that actually make us sad, because when used correctly, everyone, literally everyone, can achieve that bulletproof hold everybody is talking about. We’d even go as far as saying, that there is no other brow product that creates such a strong hold as brow soap.

HOW TO GET IT RIGHT...

Here are our top tips for achieving that amazing, long-lasting 24h hold:

a. The right amount of product

Yes! You guessed it! The right amount of product is essential in achieving perfect and optimal results. If your eyebrows don't stay in shape, then you're probably using too little product. Style your eyebrows in the desired shape and slowly build up the product by applying multiple layers. Repeat until you have the desired hold. Important! Always wait a few seconds to let the soap dry before applying another coat, as the soap will develop its long-lasting hold when it has dried.

b. The two-sided coating

If you have stubborn or a lot of eyebrows, you may need a little extra support. ‘For a particularly long hold, start by coming your brows down and then back up (or first forwards and then backwards). This will ensure that all brow hairs are coated with the product, giving you that unbeatable strong hold’, says Shari.

c. The right consistency

Having the right consistency also plays an important role when it comes to that long-lasting brow soap hold, everybody is talking about. If the soap is too dry, it can't be combed into the brows and individual hairs might not get coated. ‘I like to work relatively wet and keep combing through the brows again and again, until I notice that the soap is slowly drying and the brows are setting in the desired shape’, explains Shari. We therefore recommend experimenting with the consistency. If your brows aren’t holding up, try adding a little more moisture. But remember to let the brow soap dry properly before applying another layer.

d. The right pressure

To get a stronger hold, try applying more pressure when styling your brows. Imagine you are trying to "stick" or "press" your brows to your skin using the brush. The more pressure you apply, the more your brows will stick to your skin. BUT! The whole thing shouldn’t hurt or leave red marks, so don't go Ronda Rousey on it ;-)

e. The laminated look

If your eyebrows are still not holding, this tip should help you: Style your brows in the shape you want. Then ‘using your finger or the back of a brush, gently press your brows against the skin’ explains Shari. Make-up artist Christian also swears by this trick and likes to press the brows to the skin using his finger until they ‘really stick to the skin’. Your brows won’t move an inch until you remove your make-up. Promised!

If the laminated look is a bit too much and not natural enough for you, you can loosen up your brows afterwards by brushing through them again. This will make the look more natural, but still provide you with that killer hold.

3. STICKY OR HARD FINISH

WHERE YOU’VE GONE WRONG…

You’ve styled your brows using brow soap and your brows suddenly feel hard, dry, sticky or gooey? Oh boy! Something has definitely gone wrong.

HOW TO GET IT RIGHT...

If you’ve got an uncomfortable feeling after styling your brows with brow soap, then it’s probably due to the wrong amount of product or consistency. By now you should know that the right amount and consistency is KEY! ;-)

• Dry/hard finish

If your brows feel dry or hard, then you’ve either used too much product or the brow soap isn’t wet enough. Use less product and don’t forget to wet your brow soap or spoolie, before applying the product. ‘If your brows are already too hard and dry and you would like to re-style them, simply wet the spoolie brush with the Face Spritz and style them again’, explains Shari.

• Sticky feeling

Do your brows feel sticky, wet or gooey? Then you’re either using too much product or your brow soap is too wet and cannot dry properly. Remember, a few spritz of the BROWLY Face Spritz directly into the Brow Booster is all you need to activate the BROWLY Brow Soap. To solve this little mess, Shari recommends to ‘wait a moment and let the product dry. Then comb your into the desired shape’.

4. MAKE-UP SMUDGES

WHERE YOU’VE GONE WRONG…

There is nothing worse than smudging your perfectly styled make-up. This might sound familiar when using eyeshadow. We all hate that annoying eyeshadow fallout that tends to fall all over your make-up and ruins your entire look -.-

HOW TO GET IT RIGHT...

One of the main rules of avoiding smeared makeup, is to use certain products first. That’s why you should actually apply eyeshadow before applying any other make-up product. The same applies to eyebrow soap. If you want to get it right, ‘style your brows before using any other makeup’, says Shari.

5. OTHER EYEBROW PRODUCTS DON’T SEEM TO WORK ANYMOREOTHER EYEBROW PRODUCTS DO NOT HOLD

WHERE YOU’VE GONE WRONG…

You are trying to fill in small gaps or give your brows more shape, but for some reason your brow pencil, pomade or powder doesn’t seem to work as usual?

HOW TO GET IT RIGHT...

If you feel like other brow products don’t apply like they usually do after using brow soap, then it is probably due to the order in which you use the products. Depending on the product you're using, be it powder, pencil, wax or pomade, you should use it either before or after applying brow soap. For powders, pomades and felt-tip pens, we recommend using brow soap first. For pencils, it’s recommended to use them before styling. BUT every product is different. So, it's best if you just give both options a try.

Another reason why your other eyebrow products may not work properly is that you’ve used too much product or moisture which is why the eyebrow soap cannot dry properly.

If you managed to read until here, then you’re officially an eyebrow professional, at least in theory. Since Brow Soap is applied differently than traditional brow products, you might need a few attempts to figure out the right application and product quantity for your specific brow type. We recommend trying the above tips alone or in combination. It’s best if you experiment a little. Generally speaking, after a few tries, you should be able to get the desired results. If not, feel free to contact us at any time. Our brow experts are happy to help!