The brow trends set to reign supreme in 2021

2020 obviously hasn't been a banner year – okay, understatement of the century – it’s been a downright dud.

However, there is at least one thing that has benefitted from the time spent solo and lack of makeup application we’ve all been embracing these past months – our brows. Yep, who knew it would take a global pandemic to finally give our poor arches the break they deserved?

And while, yes, we absolutely missed our tints and trims as much as you did, when it comes to everyday styling we can’t deny we’re kinda loving the low-maintenance brow life we’ve been living lately. TBH we’re not sure if we could ever return to the 15-minute shaping, filling and defining routine we used to commit to on the daily; we're tired just thinking about it.

The question is, is the aforementioned lengthy ritual even necessary anymore, or will we be embracing furry fluffiness far beyond this year? We spoke to Samantha Tonkin, Benefit Australia’s National Brow Artist to find out exactly what’s in store for our arches in 2021...

Which brow styles will rise in 2021 and which will we leave in 2020?

“One of the biggest brow trends we will see continue in 2021 is the brushed up, natural-looking brow; a lot of this influence has come from our time in lockdown,” Tonkin explains. “With all the extra growth most of us have had in our brows over the past year we will be embracing bushy brows and people will be looking for ways to add extra volume and texture.”

“Products that have a natural payoff will be the easiest to use to achieve this look; think [brow markers] like Benefit’s Brow Microfilling Pen, [which are able to add] subtle hair-like strokes, or tinted brow gels with microfibres like Gimme Brow+.”

You can probably shelve your heavier formulas for the foreseeable future, too: “We will see a decrease in big bold ‘painted on’ brows, with any pomade formulas used in a softer and more tailored way [instead]," confirms Tonkin.

Pinterest searches seem to agree with Tonkin, too. In fact, the brand is reporting that two standout styles will reign supreme in 2021.

The first? 'Ombré powder brows' (for which pic searches have gone up 50 per cent). True to the name, it's a brow style that centres around a 'barely there' soft powder gradient effect that leaves the head of the brow light and natural and blends into a darker, more defined tail.

Nail the look using Rimmel London Wonder'Last Brow Tint, a genius eyebrow invention that styles and tints in one, which means that your ombré creation can last a couple of days. Easily add colour and definition using the fine-tip applicator and comb out to blend for a naturally full brow look.

However, if you’re after something even more permanent,  the ombré powder brow shading technique is also available as a microblading style alternative. The technique delivers the same look as a powder would, with semi-permanent results that will last about 2-3 years. The treatment will set you back about $400, but hey, great brows are priceless, right?

The second style, though, takes 'barely there' to a whole new level; it literally wants your brows to be barely there themselves. Yep, you guessed it; bleached brows are only growing in popularity (with searches for inspo shots up a whopping 160 per cent; wow).

Luckily, whether you're down to go all out with a lightening agent, or fake the the look with concealer, we got a celebriy makeup artist's advice for mastering the trend...

What will brow maintenance look like in 2021?

“I foresee brow maintenance being more important than ever [in 2021],” Tonkin explains. “We will have a lot more brows with longer, wilder hairs that will need some expert TLC [after isolation], and brow tinting will be the number one way to add more volume to those bushy brows.” Basically, once your tint and trim is handled, your everyday routine will be a total cinch; cue cheers.

It's also time to give those arches a little TLC. “We're already starting to see a heightened interest in brow conditioning. This means softening the look of any coarse and wild brow hairs,” she shares. “BrowVo Conditioning Primer is great at being able to create softness and control to our brow hairs.”

Which brow shapes will reign supreme in 2021?

“I think we will see some lowering in those high arches and a lot more straighter brows [coming through],” says Tonkin. “This is a great way to actually create more of a youthful look to our face shapes, and with more brows being grown out, I can see the brows being styled in a much straighter shape [as hairs naturally occur beneath the arch if not regularly removed].”

Main image credit: @perrieedwards

Interested in trying more eyebrow treatments? Here's everything you need to know about brow lamination...