A Brief Breakdown of Eyebrow Trends Through the Years
Every so often, you’ll log onto Instagram and see a new brow trend. But brow trends aren’t a modern invention—we’ve been coming up with them since ancient times! In ancient Egypt, women, and men used to darken their brows with powdered minerals, making their eyes look heavily lined.
But brow trends didn’t stop with the Egyptians. The twentieth and twenty-first centuries have given us plenty of iconic eyebrow styles—whether pencil-thin, au naturel, or plucked, every decade has had a distinct brow look. Here’s a brief breakdown of eyebrow trends through the years.
The 1920s–Thin, Downturned Brow
Movies heavily influenced 1920s fashion. During this time, women began emphasizing facial expressions, which explains why they favored the thin, defined, and downturned brow. This shape accentuated every facial expression someone made.
The 1930s–Thin and Round Brows
Thin brows were still popular, but instead of a downward slant, people favored a rounded, curved line. During this time, women opted to shave their natural brows and draw them on instead.
The 1940s–Full, Natural Brows
During the wartime decade, women didn’t have much time for grooming as they found themselves busy maintaining their homes. As a result, fuller, natural brows dominated the ‘40s.
The 1950s–Full, Dramatic Brows
The brow trends of the ‘50s weren’t much different from the ‘40s. Women opted to keep full, striking brows like the TV and film industry idols. However, they made them more dramatic by creating a pointed arch.
The 1960s–Spiky Brows With Rounded Tails
During this time, the main focus was on having bold eyes and thick eyeliner, meaning the eyebrows weren’t the focal point. Therefore, people slimmed them down and created rounded tails.
The 1970s–Thin, Arched Brows
Again, eyebrows took a back seat during the ‘70s. During this era, women preferred big hair, false eyelashes, and bright eye makeup. The likes of Donna Summer and Aretha Franklin influenced fashion during this time.
The 1980s–Full, Natural Brows
This decade saw women opting for a more natural look. Whitney Houston majorly influenced this trend as she preferred to rock the bushy, brushed-up brows. Madonna also preferred the au natural look, sporting overgrown brows.
The 1990s–Thin, Neat, Rounded Brows
During this decade, women reverted to plucking their eyebrows. Thin, rounded brows were all the rage in the ‘90s, a trend partially influenced by Mariah Carey and Pamela Anderson.
The 2000s–Thin Brows
If you thought brows were thin in the ‘90s, think again! In the 2000s, brows got even thinner. Many women yearned for pencil-thin brows like Christina Aguilera’s.
2010 to Present–Faded Brows
To finish off our brief breakdown of eyebrow trends through the years, we have the faded brows of today. Inspired by Kim Kardashian, the current brow trend involves faded brows with a thin head that gradually darkens toward the tail.
And, of course, plenty of new brow trends have emerged in 2021 as well! For as long as humans have brows, brow trends will be a thing.
Photo – cottonbro