I’m Grooming My Brows With Soap Now, and I Might Never Go Back

by Phoebe Youl / Monday, 27 August 2018

A post shared by Andrea Sopranzi (@andrea_sopranzi) on Mar 23, 2017 at 5:40am PDT

Over the last couple of years, I’ll admit to becoming really obsessed with my brows. And not with the Instagram brow trend, but with big, full, fluffy and bushy brows.

I’ve spent hours searching for Glossier Boy Brow dupes (convinced it’s the product I need, mainly because I can’t get my hands on it easily). I’ve scrolled Reddit forums, watched video tutorials, and spent way too much money searching for the magical product that’s somehow going to make my brows “all that”. My brief has been simple: A product that will brush my brows up (and fight gravity to keep them there), give the illusion of a thicker shape, and still look natural, fluffy and soft — not asking much, right?

By the time I got to the point where I was thinking, “Hey, there’s a gap in the market here”, I decided to give one last thing a try — a bar of soap. And after some more extensive research, I came to the conclusion a bar of Pears Soap was what I needed. (Important, as Pears Soap is clear and white brows was not the aesthetic I was going for.)

So bar of soap in one hand, and a glass of wine in the other, I got myself situated in my bathroom.

I rubbed a clean, slightly damp spoolie (too wet and the soap will liquefy, too dry and there won’t be enough water to emulsify the soap) into the bar until it was evenly covered, took to my left eyebrow, and brushed the hairs up and out. This is when things got exciting — it actually looked good. However, it became apparent it was almost too effective and made me aware my brows were in need of a trim.

So I washed the soap off, got to trimming my brows, then started all over again (gotta respect the process). However, it wasn’t a home run just yet. Would they dry down weird? Would the soap turn white and look like brow dandruff? Would I end up with soapy sweat if I started perspiring? So I settled in the for the night, intermittently “checking in” on my brows.

Once the soap dried it was evident I had some cleaning up to do around the edges (a cotton swab and water worked fine), but besides a little residue from my initial heavy-handed application, I was left pretty astonished. They looked good. My brows were thicker, more shapely and somehow lifted.

My only other long-term concern was soap-induced irritation. I have sensitive skin and normally stay clear of soaps, so the idea of leaving it sitting on my skin for a prolonged period of time didn’t seem ideal. But besides drying out my brows slightly (after a couple of weeks of consistent use), I didn’t have any adverse side effects.

As far as longevity goes, soap brows (surprisingly) really last. Once they dry down, your brows aren’t going anywhere. And while they might look fluffy, they definitely feel firm to the touch. I’ve tested them on nights out (dancing included), out in the sun, and even at the beach, and they’ve survived all of the above unscathed.

Admittedly, I’m not wearing soap in my brows on a daily basis. I’m pretty low maintenance day-to-day (in regards to makeup, skincare is an entirely different story), and getting soap brows right is definitely a commitment compared to chucking on a clear brow gel. However, if I’ve got something special on, or more time to spend on myself, I’ll always opt for soap brows. The way it changes the shape of my brows and creates fullness that isn’t naturally there is hard to beat, and worth the extra couple of minutes. Yes, carrying around a bar of soap is annoying (and impractical) for sure — but for brows this good, it’s a commitment I’m willing to make!