Whenever I get my brows done, I joke that I've just gotten a face-lift. A freshly arched brow makes me feel like a new woman; my face is more awakened, and my eyes are perfectly accentuated. But like many others, I've experienced a fair share of brow nightmares in the search for my perfect brow artist. That's where Giselle Soto comes in.
My brows were recently blessed by the hands of Soto, who has Hollywood clientele including but not limited to Normani, Jordyn Woods, and Michelle Williams. Clearly, her skills are seriously nothing to play with. After only one short year of doing eyebrows, she was able to open her own studio that has become California's safe haven for good brows and good vibes.
I got to chat with Soto about everything from plucking to how to make your brows grow, and let's just say your days of bad brows may be gone forever.
Due to her sky-high level of success, one has to wonder what motivated Soto to begin slaying brows in the first place. After one nightmare grooming experience, she decided nobody else would ever touch her brows, hence Giselle Soto Brows was born.
"I’ve always loved the way tamed eyebrows highlighted a person’s beauty. I was determined to never kill my eyebrows again, so I started teaching myself how to properly shape eyebrows."
Her number one key to achieving fierce arches is to find the best shape for your specific facial features — which is possible if you don't have much hair to work with.
"Eyebrow hair is some of the most sensitive area of hair we have on our beloved bodies," she says. "For those who do not have a lot of eyebrow hair to work with, I highly recommend seeing a professional to help shape the eyebrows. Maintaining an eyebrow that has already been shaped is easier than trying to find it on your own."
If you can't find a brow professional you're comfortable with, or are a little OCD about your brows like me, there are some things you can do at home. "Always clean the middle and tweeze the obvious strays without getting close to the brow. Trying to be too defined with not a lot of hair to work with is a bad combination."
She also advises to always have the proper grooming tools on hand, especially for when you're fresh out of a professional brow-shaping session.
Soto says maintaining the fresh brow look is easiest if you tweeze new growth as soon as you spot it. "Tweezing new hairs when they first arrive will be easy to spot out and eliminate. I always believe in a natural look, keeping the essential highlighter, brow powder, brow gel, and a brow brush handy at all times!"
The age of having brows that resemble Nike checks have come and gone, so she also warns about harshly filling in brows. "Some brow pencils and markers might work, but be careful of creating dark strokes unless you’re into that kind of thing."
Don't be afraid of brow tweezers — Soto swears by them — but there's definitely a certain tweezing method you need to master.
If it's precision you're after, Soto says, tweezing is the move. "I love the precision that tweezing allows me to create, because I’m able to focus on each and every little hair."
Watch the order by which you tweeze new brow hairs, though. Plucking freely wherever you see growth could ruin your shape. "Always remember when tweezing to always move in a straight line, try not to jump from area to area of your face. Going from hair to hair will help when trying to create or maintain a shape."
You don't have to pay to have your eyebrows done that often — in fact, there is such a thing as having them done too often.
How often you should have your brows shaped all depends on the rate at which your brows naturally grow — but don't go overboard. "Each and every client is different. I have clients that come every two weeks and some that come in once every other month. On average I suggest that my clients come in for a clean-up once every three to four weeks."
Ultimately, when it comes to your brows, Soto pleads to follow the saying “a little goes a long way." That goes especially for those who prefer waxing to tweezing.
Moderation is key. It's easier to take hair off than it is to grow it. "With wax application, don’t overuse wax under the wax strip because it can spread unnecessarily when pressed down on the skin." That being said, if you're in need of a growth boost, Soto swears by castor oil.
Using a little bit of makeup, but not too much, can also emphasize your brows. "Only apply highlighter to the bottom of your brows. Avoiding applying highlighter to the top, as it might overwhelm the brows."
Soto also revealed to me the six biggest brow mistakes she frequently sees men and women make.
Some of them seem like no-brainers, yet we still fail to follow basic rules.
1. "Not allowing eyebrow hair to grow [and] prematurely tweezing eyebrows in between sessions."
Give your brows enough time to grow before you go to town with the tweezers, she advises.
2. "Tinting eyebrows, [applying] excessive makeup, and rough cleaning all assist in eyebrow hair falling out."
Basically, sometimes it's better to leave your brows the hell alone.
3. "Wanting to copy a celebrity eyebrow shape even though their face & eyebrow shape are different."
Let's be honest, we've all walked into a salon and shown a picture of another person with the exact brow shape we think we want. Soto says you're better off letting a professional determine what shape is best based on your specific features.
4. [This isn't] necessarily a mistake but more of correcting a myth for men: Manscaping your eyebrows doesn’t have to give you a “feminine” look.
Men, don't be afraid to get your eyebrows waxed. If done correctly, it's the perfect way to simply clean up the areas you've been ignoring. "I have many reoccurring male clients that have gotten their eyebrows shaped and are consistently happy and surprised by how subtle the change is in their face but noticeably positively impactful," Soto says.
5. "I’m all for makeup, but it shouldn’t overpower your eyebrow hair."
For Soto, it's all about playing off what you already have. Light strokes are all you need for a fuller and ultimately more natural-looking brow.
6. "Brushing then holding the brow hair straight up while trimming is a negative."
You know how you don't cut bangs while holding the hair straight and taut? The same thing goes for your brows. "The issue with this method is that when the brow hair is released to its natural state, there will be possible holes and uneven hair in the eyebrow."
So, what's the Hollywood brow artist's current favorite brow product?
Though Soto has her own line of brow products coming in next spring, she does have a few other favorites. "I recently tried a few goodies from Benefit Cosmetics," she says. "Their “Gimme Brow” tinted brow gel ($24, Sephora) is simply amazing, and I’m in love! It’s perfect for a quick on the go or no makeup day!"
