Cosplay Make Up Tutorial: Vulcan Eyebrows

I have admittedly only begun exploring makeup (both for cosplay and everyday wear) seriously in the last year or so, and my own insecurities have kept me from trying some cosplays. However, I found a great project for fellow makeup newbies who want to try and branch out and include some small detail to help level up a cosplay a little bit. Clearly, I am referring to Vulcan eyebrows!

If you’re a fan of Star Trek and want to do a cosplay from one of the series’, choosing a Vulcan character or creating your own gives you an excuse to add a little more fun and fantasy (well, sci fi) to your cosplay. Why play a boring human when you could be a stoic, no-nonsense, badass Vulcan? You could even be a Romulan if you want with this relatively quick and simple make up process. It will add a touch of depth to your costume, and you’ll have an excuse to rock a Resting Bitch Face all day if you don’t feel like beaming constantly for photos.

So, let’s get to it! Here’s what you’ll need:

–       Moisturizer

–       Primer

–       BB cream

–       Elmer’s glue stick (the purple one is recommended!)

–       Concealer stick

–       Eyeliner in color you want to make our eyebrows

–       Brow gel/pencils/whatever you use to fill them in

–       Foundation (liquid & powder)

First, I moisturize two to three times, leaving at least a full minute between applications to allow time for it to dry and sink in. I have a very dry skin, so you may need to moisturize less or more depending on your own skin type. Next, I add a primer and again wait at least a full minute for it to dry. Then I add the BB cream, which helps to even out skin tone. Make sure to brush your eyebrows in the direction they grow so they’re neat and smooth.

Once you’re all primed and ready, get the Elmer’s glue stick. I like the purple stuff, which I saw recommended in a forum thread somewhere ages ago, because you can see it when you apply it and it turns clear as it dries, so you know when it’s done. Use something flat and smooth to scrape a little of the glue off—I use the back end of my tweezers, or the end of an eyeshadow brush.

Gently apply the glue to the parts of your eyebrows that you want to hide; I typically start it at my arches and go out from there. Smooth the glue out so it covers all the hair you want to hide and just a little of the skin around it. Let it get slightly tacky (if using the purple glue it will begin to turn clear).

Brush a little bit of your powdered foundation on it; this helps keeps the glue from sticking to the hair in a bad way, and then apply the concealer- just plop it right on there. Use your fingertips to dab at the concealered area and dab it out around the eyebrow area to help blend it in.

Let it stand for about a minute and then very lightly apply the liquid foundation with your finger, blending it out just like you did with the concealer. Let that sit to dry and add a very light coating of the powdered foundation.

Next, take the eyeliner and very carefully outline the rest of your eyebrow. You can decide how dramatic you want it to go; I prefer to pretty much just follow the top line of my brow from the arch where I concealed it. It’s a bit subtle, and that’s why I like it. You can be more dramatic and draw in a sharper angle, it’s all up to you!

All that’s left is to fill it in! I use the eyeliner to fill it in lightly, then go over everything with the eyebrow gel (I use the e.l.f. eyebrow kit in dark brown). I recommend you then apply the rest of your makeup (including your full face foundation) and double check everything looks blended in the missing brow region, and touch up accordingly.

And that’s all there is to it! It takes me approximately 30-45 minutes to get the eyebrows done. I pair them with the Space Ears from Aridani Studios and my Original Series style Ops Division skant. I definitely recommend taking the time to practice before con-day, however. If you have very different skin than me (even drier, or oily skin) you may need to fiddle around with the products your use to get a decent combination. Personally my biggest issue is over blending, which can cause the glue to start to roll up and flake, so try and apply with a light hand! You can always blend more or add more product, but it’s harder to undo too much product/blending.

If you decide to give these a go, please send us your photos! We would love to see what cool effects you make happen. Good luck!

And, of course; live long, and prosper.