There are a wide range of eyebrow waxing products available on the market, some of which are very easy to use, such as the pre-waxed and pre-shaped strips.
Some are a little more tricky, with separate strips or requiring warming first.
I have picked out several that I believe provide a good range of choice to suit all preferences, are effective and offer good value for money.
Four are pre-waxed strips, one uses cold wax with separate strips and one which requires no strips, but is first warmed using a microwave.
Which Product Should you Buy?
Eyebrow Wax |
Quality |
Price |
Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
Parissa Brow Shaper Mini Wax Strips |
A+ |
$$ |
Best Buy |
Sally Hansen Wax Strip Kit |
A |
$ |
|
Surgi Wax Eyebrow Wax Strips |
A |
$ |
|
Nad's Facial Wand Eyebrow Shaper |
A |
$$ |
|
Hair Off Instant Eyebrow Shapers |
B |
$ |
|
Micro Tweeze No-Strip Hair Removal |
B+ |
$ |
Eyebrow Waxing Best Buy
For my "best buy" I have picked Parissa Brow Shaper Mini Wax Strips.
There are 32 pre-waxed ready to use cold wax strips which are quick and easy to use anywhere, and suitable for even sensitive skin.
I like the fact that the strips are transparent, so nice and easy to see what you are doing, you just need to warm gently between the hands to soften and off you go!
Also included for the $10 price tag is a small bottle of Azulene finishing oil to remove any wax residue and soothe and moisturize the skin post treatment.
All in all a good and effective, value for money product.
The Sally Hans en Wax Strip Kit is another good buy, and has the advantage of being suitable for use on face, brows and bikini line.
There are 3 sizes of strips, depending on the area to be treated and again, you just need to warm between the hands and they are ready to use.
Priced at only $4 - $5 for 34 strips plus a bottle of Azulene Oil, this product is one of the least expensive that we looked at and represents very good value for money.
I found this product to be pretty effective and easy to use and concluded that it is a great product for the price.
A good thing about it is that it can be easily removed, just using water, so if you do accidentally get the product in the wrong place, it can be easily rectified.
At a retail price of around $6 per tub, which is sufficient for several treatments, it is not expensive and it is effective.
Full Reviews of Each Product
Parissa Brow Shaper Mini Wax Strips
I really liked this product and it was the most effective pre-waxed strip that I tested.
The 32 strips measure 25mm x 7mm and are on clear sheets, making it easy to see where you are positioning them.
They are designed for use on sensitive skin and there is an 8ml bottle of Azulene oil included in the $10 price tag, to remove any wax residue and leave the skin feeling soothed and moisturized.
They are very easy to use anywhere with no warming required, so great for taking on holiday.
Surgi Wax Eyebrow Wax Strips
Straight off these pre-waxed strips resemble Scotch Tape - sticky back plastic on a paper backing.
They are pre-shaped for above and below brow, in 28 sets of two per box, and priced at around $12 for 4 boxes, so very inexpensive.
They are very simple to use, with their pre-shaped cut, however results were a bit mixed; effective enough for fine hair but for thicker brows with coarser hair, I think that they lack the required strength to do a really good job first time.
Hair Off Instant Eyebrow Shapers
As you can see from the pictures, these pre-waxed strips are pre-cut to make shaping the eyebrows super easy.
First impressions are of sticky back plastic, and to be truthful, they are very similar.
The 16 small rectangular strips are designed for use between brows, for upper lip or for chin.
I found them to be simple to use and very convenient but whilst effective for fine hairs, they lacked strength for removing coarser, denser hairs.
Waxing Eyebrows - Tips for Best Results
Getting the Best Shape
It's not a bad idea to visit a salon for the first time, to have your brows shaped professionally, after which you can maintain them easily. Brow hair grows slowly and if you do make a mistake, you will be living with it for a while!
However, if you wish to take the plunge and go for it yourself, there are a few basic rules to help you with achieving a great shape:
What you Need
Start Point
To find the start point for the brow, use the straight edge and place it vertically against the edge of your nose, then line it up with the inner corner of your eye (1).
Mark the point with the brow pencil where the edge meets your brow.
High Point
The highest point is where the straight edge meets the brow when lined up with the outer edge of your iris (2).
Again, mark the point with the brow pencil.
End Point
The end of the brow should be where the straight edge meets the brow when lined up with the outer edge of your eye (3).
Mark the point with the brow pencil.
To Complete
Now comes the tricky part - you need to join the marks in a smooth arch to the shape that you require and fill in so that the desired shape is covered with the white pencil line.
Then repeat the process with the other brow, until they match perfectly.
Now you just need to remove all the hairs that lie outside of the lines.
If you are using wax, it is very likely that you will also require a decent pair of tweezers to get rid of any strays, as it is difficult to be ultra-precise with wax.
There are aids commercially available to help e.g. the Billion Dollar Brow Buddy (pictured left). This is a nifty little product which makes finding the 3 points easier - we have carried out a full review separately.
There are also eyebrow stencils available pretty cheaply, which are just placed over the brow and filled in with a brow pencil. There are various shapes available in the pack, you just need to pick the one you prefer.
Method
It is very important to read all the instructions provided, taking particular notice of any precautions.
Always carry out a patch test 24 hours prior to treatment, to check for any adverse reactions. You should do this before every use, even if you have previous used the product with no problems.
Whatever wax you use, it must be applied and smoothed on in the direction of the hair's natural growth.
It must then be removed against the direction of hair's growth, in one quick, firm movement, as close to the skin as possible.
You should always hold the skin as taut as possible with your spare hand, to avoid damage to the skin. This is especially important where it is looser and more sensitive e.g. underarms, bikini line etc.
Skin should always be clean and free from any make-up, oils or suchlike and very dry prior to waxing. It may help to rub in a little baby powder to the more sensitive areas, to make sure it is very dry and to help stop the wax adhering to the skin.
Start with the area below the brow, applying from the centre outwards and removing in the opposite direction.
Once the area under the eye is done, you can then move on to any extraneous hairs above the line.
Take care not to get wax/strip on the eyelid or lashes and if you accidentally do, remove very slowly and cautiously, holding lid taut and removing in the direction applied.
Any wax residue can be removed with oil, sometimes this is provided with the wax, but if not there are plenty available e.g. Parissa Azulene oil spray.
You should not use any astringents or make-up etc. for about 12 hours after waxing.
If you experience any redness/tenderness, you can soothe the area with a non-alcohol based moisturizer or finishing oil.
It is best to wax in the evening before bed, when you are not planning to go out, so that any after effects have time to dissipate overnight.
Top Tip
If there is one top tip I would give it is to err on the side of caution and don't go mad removing too much hair straight away.
As I mentioned before, brow hair grows back slowly - it is easy to take off a bit more if you are not happy with the result, but not possible to stick it back on!
