Outdated Eyebrow Trends It's Time To Let Go Of

Ah, the humble eyebrow. You'd think these facial features would rank among the simpler elements of a beauty look, but they can actually have a huge impact on your overall appearance — for better or worse. In 2024, we all had to face a reckoning thanks to TikTok's warning about "brow blindness," which urged us to review some popular eyebrow looks that haven't aged well. So, how can we avoid more major missteps from outdated eyebrow styles?

Looking back over eyebrows' evolution over the last 100 years, it's clear that certain brow trends come in and out of vogue. When one style is on the rise, another inevitably has to fall. This can make it tricky to keep up with the times. Happily, beauty experts are available to set us on the right path. Glam spoke exclusively to celebrity makeup artist and beauty educator Manuel Espinoza, who told us which brow trends to prioritize — spoiler alert: effortless is in — and advised us that high-maintenance fads are ready to be forgotten.

While polished beauty is always sure to impress, Manuel Espinoza warns us that too much precision and nitpicking can actually detract from your appearance. That's why he's putting the kibosh on super-sharp or overdone brow styles. First on his no-no list? Super-skinny brows. "While thin eyebrows might be perfect for a photoshoot or music video moment, this isn't something I would recommend permanently," the expert says. "Laminated brows look good for some, but [they're] not suitable for everyone's brow or face shape. I think in a few years, we're gonna look back at lamination brows and realize we had lamination blindness. You've been warned," he adds.

Fair enough — lamination can sometimes create an uncanny valley of too-perfect brow hairs. In fact, Espinoza exclusively urges Glam readers away from any hyper-flawless styles. "Brows that are too symmetrical or precise look stamped on and sometimes even artificial," he explains. "While the goal is symmetrical eyebrows, if they are too perfect, it draws a lot of attention to the brows and the face. Remember, your eyebrows are supposed to be sisters, not identical twins."

As for Espinoza's final dead-to-me trend, he thinks that the less is said about shaved eyebrows, the better. "This trend deserves to fall from popularity! Why add 15 minutes of stress to your morning routine to ensure you have symmetrical eyebrows?" he asks. "Put the razor down. You'll thank yourself (and me) later." Meticulously shaping your brows with a razor is bad enough, but the makeup artist also doesn't recommend the starkness of a completely shaved-clean brow. "If you're dying to embrace the no-eyebrow look, you can easily achieve it by using makeup without a long-term commitment," he suggests, explaining that shaving your eyebrows off may not be the best choice. 

Keeping up with all the latest, greatest makeup movements can be hard work, especially when they're time-intensive, labor-intensive, or both. So, we're pretty ecstatic to hear from Manuel Espinoza that keeping our eyebrows au naturel is in line with the beauty zeitgeist. "Natural, untouched brows are in for 2025," Espinoza exclusively tells Glam. "It's best to leave the brows alone and let them do their things, grooming them when necessary. Untouched brows give the effortless, natural look we've been seeing people embrace and will continue to grow in popularity."

However, if you like to add a little extra oomph to your brow look, there's more good news: Minimally styled fluffy brows are also fashionable this year. "This isn't a new trend, but it will continue to be an ongoing trend and interest in 2025. All you need is a clear brow gel to achieve this look, making it simple to achieve and effortlessly beautiful," Espinoza explains.

The makeup artist also offers a low-maintenance option for all the statement-makers out there. Instead of being tempted by fully shaved eyebrows, he recommends bleached brows. "Bleached eyebrows are back, and we're bleaching them to intentionally soften the brows for makeup looks," Espinoza says. "In 2025, we will see a rise in strong eyes in makeup trends and looks, which means the focus will be on eyeshadow, and the brows will take a backseat." Say no more. With our easy, breezy brows taken care of, we're ready to reinvent all of our favorite abstract and creative makeup trends from 2024.

Now, for some perfect inspiration, took a look at Lady Gaga's eyebrow transformation, as her latest look fits perfectly into Espinoza's predictions.