As we spent the past 24 hours gushing over Michelle Obama's Vogue cover, we noticed a major change since her first go as the magazine's cover girl -- and it's not just those "mid-life crisis" bangs. May we direct your attention to... Mrs. O's eyebrows.
The "angry," over-plucked eyebrows that have drawn backlash over the years are now significantly thicker, lower and softer. Our guess is that Michelle's makeup artist Ingrid Grimes-Myles spent less time reaching for this set of tweezers and more time perfecting the first lady's arch with brow shadow. (Tell us your secret, Ingrid!)
We know firsthand how brows can transform one's look. It is the single, most important and underestimated feature on the face, according to "Eyebrow King" Damone Roberts.
"Michelle Obama is the perfect example of how fuller brows, tend to frame one's face by softening the features," said Roberts. "Snow White and Cinderella have fuller brows versus the Evil Queen or stepsisters. This is done because fuller brows make you look softer, prettier and younger, while thin brows make you look harder, stern and older."
He adds, "Women around the world realize the importance of fuller brows and are now trying to correct years of over-tweezing."
One of Roberts' best-selling products in his Beverly Hills and New York City salons is something called "Brow Gain," a topical serum that expedites the growth process. But in the meantime, he recommends using a brow shadow -- applied with an angled brush -- to achieve the illusion of hair.
The April issue of Vogue hits newsstands in the next couple of weeks. But all you need to do is scroll down to see what a difference four years (and less tweezing) did for the First Lady's eyebrows.
FLOTUS for Vogue, April 2013:
FLOTUS for Vogue, March 2009:
Check out the first lady's brow transformation!
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