There are certain areas of the face where getting it wrong costs you more than getting it right ever earns you. Brows are one of them. A well-groomed, well-shaped brow can lift the entire face, brighten the eyes and shave years off your appearance. An over-tweezed, poorly shaped or neglected one can do exactly the opposite.
For women in their 40s and 50s dealing with thinning brows, patchy growth, greying hairs or the long-term fallout of a particularly aggressive ’90s waxing phase, working out where to even start can feel overwhelming. And it’s something that makeup artist and beauty therapist Simone Aspinall sees every day. The trick is not about chasing trends or creating a completely different shape, she says, but rather, it’s about enhancing what’s already there and creating balance, softness and structure in a way that looks effortless. Here, she breaks down the mistakes she sees most often, and exactly what to do instead.
The single biggest brow mistake women over 40 make
If you grew up in the ’90s, your brows may still be paying the price. “The biggest brow mistake I still see is over-thinning,” says Simone. “Women in their 40s and 50s lived through the ’90s brow era, and unfortunately years of over-plucking and waxing can permanently damage the follicle.”
The compounding issue is that brows naturally thin as we age anyway. Taking them too fine accelerates the effect. “It can instantly make the face appear harsher and less youthful,” she says.
Her advice? Step away from the tweezers. “I almost never recommend going thinner with brows. A softly structured, fuller brow is far more flattering because it frames the eyes, creates lift and brings balance back to the face.”
The goal she’s working towards isn’t an Instagram brow or anything heavily laminated. “It’s simply a healthy, polished brow with enough fullness to create definition while still looking natural.”
A softly structured, fuller brow is far more flattering because it frames the eyes, creates lift and brings balance back to the face.
Why colour matters more than you think
Here’s one that gets overlooked constantly. As we age, brow hairs don’t just thin, they lose pigment too. They go grey, wiry and less defined. And when the brows fade, everything around the eyes loses definition.
“Even the most subtle tint can make an enormous difference,” says Simone. “You don’t need dark brows, but adding a soft wash of colour helps create fullness, structure and definition around the eyes without looking obvious.”
A professional tint is a simple, low-commitment treatment that delivers outsized results. If you haven’t tried it, add it to your next salon visit. And if you don’t like fiddling with brow pencils or powder, BOOIE has you covered with Bring Back the Bush — a highly pigmented tinted gel that gives colour, shape and volume to sparse brows in one swipe. It’s the low-effort, high-payoff option.
In our shopBOOIE Beauty
Bring Back the Bush
$21
The shape mistake that drags your face down
You can have perfectly full, well-tinted brows and still be ageing yourself with the wrong shape. Specifically: a tail that drops too low.
“When the tail of the brow extends too far downward towards the cheekbone, it can visually drag the face down,” says Simone. “One of the simplest ways to create a fresher look is by keeping the brow slightly lifted and balanced. A gentle arch through the highest point of the brow and a clean, well-positioned tail can instantly brighten the eye area.”
If you’re unsure whether yours are sitting in the right place, it’s worth booking a professional shaping appointment rather than attempting corrections at home.
What to do when your brows are really thinning
For women dealing with genuinely sparse brows, consistency with the right products makes a meaningful difference over time. Simone’s current recommendation is the Aveda Invati Brow Thickening Serum, applied morning and night after eye cream. For a budget-friendly alternative, she rates castor oil. “It remains one of my favourite at-home treatments for conditioning sparse brows and supporting healthier growth over time.”
The other key rule: be careful around the brow area during your skincare routine. “Be mindful of rubbing or pulling at the brow area when applying skincare and makeup,” she says. More brow damage happens through careless skincare application than most people realise.
When tattooing is the answer
For women with very little brow hair left, cosmetic tattooing can genuinely be a game-changer. The caveat is that it needs to be done well. “The goal should always be soft, natural-looking brows that enhance your features,” says Simone, “not the harsh, blocky brows we’ve all seen over the years.”
The good news is the industry has evolved significantly. Techniques like soft feathering and microblading now create remarkably realistic, hair-like results. The key is choosing the right artist. “Look for someone whose work is subtle and natural, and always ask to see healed results rather than freshly tattooed brows,” Simone advises.
Her personal recommendation is Morgan from Pink Cloud Studio in Dee Why. “Through years of working in the beauty industry and seeing clients with cosmetic tattooing, her work consistently stands out for its softness and attention to detail.”
How to fill in your brows properly
For everyone else, a good filling technique makes all the difference. Simone’s method is simple and effective — and you really only need one pencil. The Basics by B Brow Micro Tip Pencil is the one brow pencil you need: an ultra-fine nib that creates natural, hair-like strokes in six shades. “Lightly sketch underneath the brow first, following its natural shape to create subtle structure and lift.” Then use a spoolie to blend the colour upwards through the hairs before filling any sparse areas. “It creates definition without ever looking harsh or overdrawn. The key is to keep everything soft, feathery and believable.”
In our shopBasics By B
Brow Micro Tip Pencil
$34
Finish with a brow gel to hold the shape and create a little lift. “The trick is restraint,” she says. “A softly groomed brow looks modern and polished; overdo it and things can quickly veer into slightly werewolf territory.”
The bottom line
Brows are one of the most powerful, most underestimated tools in a beauty routine. They frame everything. Get them right and the whole face lifts. “Fuller, well-groomed brows that suit your face will always look fresh,” says Simone. “They’re one of the quickest and most effective ways to look more polished, more awake and, ultimately, more youthful.”
