For Damone Roberts, beauty and brows go hand in hand. Recognized by ESSENCE, Vogue, In Style, Glamour and Elle magazines as a leading eye brow expert, Roberts’s coveted skills are known to give the face a lift within minutes. When Hollywood’s A-list need a perfect arch they turn to Roberts, who has been dubbed the “Eyebrow King” by Angela Bassett, Tyra Banks, Kelly Rowland, Brandy, Beyoncé and more. The Beverly Hills-based brow guru started off as a makeup artist and says that he “very soon realized that eyebrows are the single most important, underestimated feature on the face.” Roberts chatted with ESSENCE.com about overplucking, common brow mistakes and obtaining a perfect brow shape.
ESSENCE.COM: What tips do you have for women who overpluck?
DAMONE ROBERTS: The old classic rule of thumb “less is more”applies to eyebrow [plucking] as well. My biggest-selling product is “Brow Gain.” This is a topical serum applied nightly to the brows to expedite the growth process, by stimulating the hair follicle.
ESSENCE.COM: How does one determine the perfect brow shape for their face?
ROBERTS: A rounder face should have a higher arch to add length to facial structure. A square-shaped face should have rounder brows to soften facial features. An oval face can carry an eyebrow that is not too defined and not too round but right in between. Lastly, a heart-shaped face should have a straighter brow to lessen the length of the face. The most important thing you should gain from your eyebrows is balance and structure, which add a frame to the face. This is why my eyebrows have been dubbed the “five-minute facelift.”
ESSENCE.COM: Is it practical to update and change your brow shape often or should a woman stick to a signature brow shape?
ROBERTS: I believe women should find the brow shape that works best for them and make that their personal, signature brow shape.
ESSENCE.COM: What brow shapes are the most common and why?
ROBERTS: Thicker, fuller, sexy arches seem to be the most common shape currently.
ESSENCE.COM: What types of tweezers should every woman own and why? ROBERTS: Every woman AND man should own a pair of my precision angle/slant tip tweezers. ($28, www.damoneroberts.com)
ESSENCE.COM: You have worked with many celebrities. Who has the best brows and why? ROBERTS: I work with so many beautiful celebrities, it’s hard to pick one, but I am really loving the look I created on Beyoncé for the cover of November’s [2008] ESSENCE magazine.
ESSENCE.COM: What is the most common brow mistake and how can it be avoided? ROBERTS: The most common mistake I’ve encountered is the over-tweezing of the area between the eyebrows. Doing this creates the appearance of a rounder face and smaller eyes. To prevent from over-tweezing, always keep in mind that the width between your eyebrows should be between 1 inch and 1½ inches.
ESSENCE.COM: What projects do you currently have in the works?
ROBERTS: I just opened my second brow salon in New York and I am currently working on my cosmetics line, which will debut sometime in 2009.
