A brief history of the penciled brow, from the 1920s to now

Rihanna graced the September 2018 cover of British Vogue with a dark, dramatic lip and a sloping, thin pencilled eyebrow reminiscent of the film starlets of the 1920s and ’30s. A thin brow has gone in and out of style in American and European fashion, with the most recent trend being a dark, natural brow. Forward to the September issue, Rihanna could usher in a dramatic new trend of slim, painted eyebrows.

Even before the eyebrow pencil became popular in early 1900s America, a woman’s eyebrow has been as much of an accessory as a purse or a pair of shoes. Trends have come and gone at a steady pace, but the definition of a perfect brow has never been consistent. Like many women before us, they fashioned their style after the starlets of the time, including their brows.

Here is a brief history of the perfect eyebrow:

The 1920s

Silent film starlets Clara Bow and Anna May Wong made an impact during the postwar economic boom with their thin, painted brows. A trendsetter, Bow shaved her eyebrows off completely and painted them back on, extending them to her temples to create a thin, thoughtful look. Women plucked and pencilled their brows in an attempt to copy this pensive look that contradicted the roaring atmosphere of the ’20s. The painted brows were also more visible in silent films, perfect for an actress at the time.

The 1930s

In the ’30s, thin brows stayed in style, but this time with exaggerated arches. The look was most popular with actor Jean Harlow. A dark, curved brow was also popular with Billie Holiday.

The 1940s

During the war, women stuck to low maintenance beauty routines. Therefore, brows were bushier and more natural, but still, women continued to define their arches. Lauren Bacall exemplified the perfect arched, natural brow of the ’40s.

The 1950s

In line with Christian Dior’s postwar style, “The New Look,” a woman’s brow was now full, arched, and tapered, a look exemplified best by Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn. Starlets also began customizing their own unique brows. For example, Marilyn Monroe was known for her “diva arches.”

Silent movie star and American “It” girl Clara Bow poses for a portrait circa 1926. She sports the popular eyebrow look at the time: thin, sloped arches to create a thoughtful, pensive look.
HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES

The 1960s

Known as the era of experimental beauty, some women removed their brows and used bright colors instead. Natural brows were also popular and women often drew over them with short natural strokes so they’d appear fuller.

The 1970s

The ’70s were met with a cultural and stylistic divide with Natural vs. Disco. Naturally groomed brows were back in style, with some women preferring thicker and darker, while others liked short and thin. Actors like Lauren Hutton and Jean Shrimpton featured the natural look, while a solo Diana Ross came onto the scene with extremely thin brows, allowing for more glamorous disco makeup.

The 1980s

The power brow was in. Eyebrow brushes and gels were popular because they created a full, feathered look. Brooke Shields and Madonna rocked the thick eyebrow in the pages of Voguealong with punks, feminists, and shoulder pads.

The 1990s

The ’90s pushed the thick bush of the ’80s out the door as thin arches made a comeback. Waxing became popular and women plucked their eyebrows to suit their faces. Kate Moss and Drew Barrymore sported iconic looks, especially Barrymore’s Mad Love brows: thin, dark, and arched. With the growth of grunge, eyebrow piercings became popular as well.

The 2000s

Brows stayed thin like the ’90s but had an angular arch that mimicked the look of pop icons like Christina Aguilera and Jennifer Lopez.

The 2010s

The power brow trend of the ’80s came back in full force. Thick, prominent brows are in and many women prefer to grow them out and use pencils to fill them in dark and defined. Actor Cara Delevingne is most notable for sporting this look.

Now

Rihanna appears on the cover of British Vogue with pencilled in eyebrows similar to the painted, exaggerated arch of the ’20s and ’30s, possibly starting a new eyebrow trend.

• This article first appeared in Newsweek