Those that survived the trauma of over-plucking the first time around may need a trigger warning, but in the name of public interest – we’re sorry to inform you that skinny eyebrows are back. There’s been speculation for some time, but now it’s official – and you have Pam & Tommy to thank.
While celebrities have flirted with the barely-there brow in recent years (see: Kim Kardashian‘s 90s efforts and Bella Hadid‘s increasingly emaciated arches), the recent release of the Hulu series appears to have accelerated the skinny brow’s return thanks to Lily James’ transformation as Pamela Anderson.
According to data shared by beauty retailer Look Fantastic, since James began appearing on our screens as Anderson earlier this month, there has been a whopping 392 per cent increase in Google searches for ‘pamela anderson makeup’.
And the breakout element of the Baywatch icon’s beauty look is of course, her famously razor-thin brows. During the 90s and early Noughties, scantily pencilled arches were considered the height of style, as demonstrated by the likes of Lil Kim, Christina Aguilera and the entire cast of the Charlie’s Angels film franchise.
The retailer revealed that the renewed interest in Anderson’s makeup has caused a 175 per cent spike in Google searches for ‘skinny brows’, which coincides with the trend’s growing presence on TikTok, where the hashtag #skinnybrows has garnered more than 3.3 million views.
While whisper-thin arches are one of the most divisive, polarising beauty trends, their return perhaps shouldn’t be altogether surprising. As all things Y2K continue to inspire millennials and Gen Z in fashion and beauty, it was surely only a matter of time before our brows began to shrink.
However we have learned a thing or two since the early Noughties, when the skinny brow reigned supreme. The modern skinny brow is arguably less patchy and more considered, with sleek, glossy arches styled precisely – à la Hadid’s recent appearance at New York Fashion Week.
The recent rise of the ‘indie sleaze‘ aesthetic has championed an uncontrived, low maintenance brow, so you can also opt out of styling them altogether.
If you’re keen to try it, our advice is to invest in a fine-tipped brow pencil and when it comes to the shape, tread very carefully – leave the sculpting to the professionals.
