Ananda Mahony
NaomiMonobrows, trends and the movies
October 1st 2008 04:36
While waiting for my brows to grow, I thought I would continue with the eyebrow theme. When discussing this topic with my Dad, he told me about brow trends and beauty status in Uzbekistan. As with other Central Asian countries, eyebrows that grow together over the bridge of the nose…yes we are talking “the monobrow” are a symbol of ultimate beauty for Uzbek women. Sometimes if this look doesn’t come naturally Uzbek women will actually pencil the space between brows to get the right effect. This discussion reminded me how cultural beauty is and how unfortunate it is in some ways that with global trends, we are losing some of the cultural nuances in our appreciation and expression of beauty.
It also reminds me of a thankfully short time in my life I call “the Groucho Marx Incident”. This incident was actually just a visit to a beauty therapist for a brow tint. The tint was left on far too long and I came out with thick, black brows that made me look like the female version of Groucho Marx. After rubbing my brows raw with a toothbrush, to no avail I might add, I just had to wait for them to fade. Fortunately, there are no photos of this time in my life. When I work up the courage to have my brows tinted now days, I remind my therapists that less is more!
Another discussion sparked by “My 90’s Brow’s” was with a make-up artist who told me that apart from clothing styles, one of the most important visual cues that provide authenticity across different eras is eyebrows. For example, during the 20’s thinner brows that had been severely plucked was the trend with many actresses shaving their brows, never to have them grow back properly again. The 30’s were still highly plucked but with exaggerated height and length.
In the 40s eyebrows started to gain a more natural appearance again but by the 50s, thick, dark eyebrows with a distinct arch were the trend. The 60’s saw the use of pencils to fill in brows, creating a fuller brow with distinct pencil lines. By the 70’s it was a return to a basically natural look brow again. Unfortunately we hit the 80’s and everything was excessive including the brow – I call it the decade of caterpillar brows!
Skipping the 90’s, as that is what I am still living with, we are now headed for a natural look again. And to that I say “thank goodness”!
The beauty of a monobrow
It also reminds me of a thankfully short time in my life I call “the Groucho Marx Incident”. This incident was actually just a visit to a beauty therapist for a brow tint. The tint was left on far too long and I came out with thick, black brows that made me look like the female version of Groucho Marx. After rubbing my brows raw with a toothbrush, to no avail I might add, I just had to wait for them to fade. Fortunately, there are no photos of this time in my life. When I work up the courage to have my brows tinted now days, I remind my therapists that less is more!
Bushy Eyebrows are OUT
In the 40s eyebrows started to gain a more natural appearance again but by the 50s, thick, dark eyebrows with a distinct arch were the trend. The 60’s saw the use of pencils to fill in brows, creating a fuller brow with distinct pencil lines. By the 70’s it was a return to a basically natural look brow again. Unfortunately we hit the 80’s and everything was excessive including the brow – I call it the decade of caterpillar brows!
Skipping the 90’s, as that is what I am still living with, we are now headed for a natural look again. And to that I say “thank goodness”!
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