Out Of Brow Gel? Try Hairspray Instead For Eyebrows That Won't Budge

Whether you wear them full and fluffy, natural, or pencil-thin, eyebrows are the unsung heroes of the face. They not only offer protection against elements like sweat, but they're important social signals used to express emotions and are involved in facial recognition (via Lentz Eye Care). More than that, eyebrow fashion has long been a key way to communicate our aesthetic ideals, and however you prefer to shape them, there's a good chance that it's influenced by what's trending. Usually, that's a twist on revered eyebrow looks of the past.

Fluffy or bushy brows are on trend, and they're reminiscent of natural-looking '80s brows, only with more refinement. With this in mind, a more polished beauty routine is in order to give those fluffy brows just the right amount of structure. While eyebrow gel is what we need to hold brows in place, there are definitely those days when life is life-ing and you run out of gel without a back-up. A convenient and quick solution to this problem is hairspray, which you can easily find at the drugstore, and there are different ways to use it. You can simply use hairspray on your brows and nothing else, or make it part of a larger beauty routine. 

If you're short on time, don't have eyebrow gel, and need a quick fix to hold your brows in place, all you need is a bottle of hairspray and a spoolie brush, or a regular toothbrush. Next, squirt the hairspray onto the brush at about a pencil-length away, and then brush it onto your brows, typically in an upwards fashion to get that feathery brow look. You can spritz and brush once, or more than once, to get the desired look. 

Of course this easy-peasy solution typically works best if you have had your eyebrows "done" using some semi-permanent technique like threading or waxing. Otherwise, you'll want to spend a little extra time trimming and shaping your brows to your satisfaction. If your skin is sensitive, you'll want to be cautious about putting hairspray in contact with your skin. And if you are not sure about it, consult a dermatologist to determine whether hairspray works on your particular skin type.

Brow styling has come up in the world, and there are a number of innovative ways to keep yours looking fresh and clean. You may have heard of soap brows, a convenient way to hold brows in place using eyebrow soap and a spoolie. And while it can do the same job as hairspray, you may find that soap does not hold up all day, or you have to use less soap due to residue buildup, making it less effective. If that's the case, you can use both soap and hairspray on your brows for extra-strength protection.

One way to incorporate these two hacks together is to apply the hairspray on the brow first and then the soap. Alternatively, you can apply the soap first and then the hairspray. The benefit of applying the hairspray first is it may prompt you to use less soap, which can reduce the chance of there being excess product to overwhelm your brows. The benefit of applying soap first is that the hairspray can act as a setting spray for the soap in much the same way that hairspray sets hair.

Should you have extra time, you can include hairspray as part of a more elaborate beauty routine designed to make your brows look fuller (a must if you're going to master the fluffy brow trend), rather than as a last-minute quick fix to hold them in place. TikTok creator @youngbeautyglow reveals that you can begin this routine by applying the hairspray, and then brushing it up or in the direction of your choice. 

If you have excess hair that makes your brows seem a little unruly, you can trim it (this is a good way to keep up your eyebrow shape between procedures). Next, apply an eyebrow color of your choice with a pencil or small brush, drawing in hair strand strokes to make your brows seem fuller and fluffier. Additionally, you can choose to use concealer to make the eyebrow line sharper, and add a highlighter underneath the brow to lighten up the area.