Julia Fox, Alex Consani, Gabbriette, and many more “it girls” are embracing the newest trend in appearance alteration—the bleached brow.
Whether it’s done for the sake of high fashion, as seen so often in editorial magazines and on the runway, or for the sake of a refresh in appearance, there’s no doubt the bleached brow is in Vogue right now. This seemingly small change can be completely transformative for not only your appearance, but also for your ability to express yourself through experimentation.
The concept of bleaching or lightening your eyebrows finds its roots in 90s editorial modelling, but fell out of fashion in the early 2000s. It’s only recently that a resurgence of this trend has been seen in popular media culture, by celebrities and the common person.
Model and social media personality Alex Consani— who, in my eyes is the Gen Z spokesperson for this trend—is well known for her strikingly bleach blonde eyebrows. Consani spoke recently in a Vogue video about her eyebrows, discussing them as an indisputable part of her look, with her natural colour just not feeling like herself anymore once she made the switch.
As someone who has bought into the bleached brow mania myself, I can speak on the shocking and somewhat uncanny effect they initially have on your appearance. After bleaching my eyebrows for the first time, I definitely had a moment of terror at how different I looked after changing only one—or two—small features.
Some say eyebrows are the most important features of the face, with the shape and colour being integral to recognition, and I have to agree. However, by bleaching your eyebrows, it doesn’t mean losing your perceivable identity, only giving it a different look. This can be revitalizing and refresh any sort of monotony you may be feeling.
Akin to getting bangs or a facial piercing, this type of change highlights certain features of the face, such as the eyes and facial structure. Unlike other modifications, however, bleached eyebrows change the contrast and softness of the face—a much more intense shift in appearance compared to other changes.
If you’re someone who’s been debating whether or not bleached brows are for you, the good news is they’re as temporary as you want them to be. They grow back relatively quickly—often almost fully in one to two months—or can easily re-dyed back to a more natural colour.
There’s little risk, especially compared to other changes, like dying the hair on your head or getting a drastic haircut—we’ve all been there.
With this in mind, bleaching your eyebrows is a fun and easy way to not only give yourself a new, exciting look, but as Consani proves, it could be a way to discover how you feel best with your appearance and what suits you.
As quick as you can say bleach and tone, you could be entering a new wave of self-expression and idealization—all it takes is a little courage to do so. There’s a reason so many people are finding themselves with bleached eyebrows, not just because Gabbriette is doing it, but because it unlocks a new way to show personal style.
Everybody should do something fun and exciting with their appearance at least once in their life, and bleaching your eyebrows is a great way to do this! There’s a sense of freedom in straying away from the comfortable when it comes to how you perceive yourself, and allowing yourself to be expressive in ways you might not have thought of before, even if it’s scary or new.
There’s no harm in trying out new things. Who knows, you might just discover a new version of yourself with just a bit of bleach.
Tags
90s, eyebrows, Fashion, Lifestyle, Model, Vogue
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