The Scouse Brow: Liverpool’s Most Famous Fashion Trend

Liverpool is famous for many wonderful things.

From sport, to music, culture, and beyond, our amazing city has contributed a lot in our history. Liverpool gave the world the first commercial wet dock, revolutionising global trade; the first School of Tropical Medicine was here; we are the home of the Grand National, Ken Dodd, and Cilla Black. These are all undeniably incredible contributions to the world.

However, one of Liverpool’s other best known contributions is a more divisive subject: the Scouse brow.

Does it look terrible or does it look great? Just like with the Scouse Trim, it depends on who you ask. But there is no denying the Scouse brow was something of a phenomenon in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

It’s a big, bold, heavily defined eyebrow style that could be seen in every pub and club in the city for a while. It became a bit of a stereotype in the media, but people loved the look nonetheless.

You still see it occasionally, but trends have moved on to more neutral styles. However, people have not forgotten the Scouse brow, and it still comes up in conversation often enough.

Where did the Scouse Brow Come From?

When Desperate Scousewives aired on E4 in 2011, the ‘Scouse Brow’ came to national attention, although girls in Liverpool had been rocking it for a while. It was a statement look, dominating the face of those who opted to have one.

Although the TV show that put it in a place of prominence disappeared almost without a trace, the Scouse Brow itself seemed to grow, thanks to ‘WAGs’ like Alex Gerard and Coleen Rooney boasting the look at one point or another.

The Urban Dictionary offers the following definition of what it is:

“When the eyebrows are very heavily drawn in with a black eye pencil, giving the appearance of two small furry animals crawling across the forehead”.

In order to boast a Scouse Brow, the eyebrows need to be shaded to a large degree, with dark eye kohl in the form of a long arch that not only goes along the natural brow line but also moves beyond it.

However, it’s important to say that not all Scouse Brows are exactly the same. One girl might take them to the extreme while another might have her eyebrows done only just enough to be considered a Scouse Brow at all.

For example, even the likes of Kate Middleton have had such a look at one point, showing that it isn’t just Scousers who can boast an impressive eyebrow look if they want to. The important thing is that the thickness of the eyebrow is exaggerated, usually using a very dark pencil.

Has it Gone Out of Fashion?

There will always be those keen to put the city down, yet it has always been a forward-thinking one that is at the forefront of fashion and trend setting.

Scouse girls know how to do fashion and are more than happy to head to the shops with their hair up in curlers if it means perfecting their look for later. When a major event like the Grand National rolls around, you better have got your make-up artist and hairdresser booked in well in advance.

There are numerous reasons why the Scouse Brow took off, not the least of which was the fact that they meant that people didn’t need to worry about getting their precise shapes matching up.

Accidentally got myself a brutal Scouse Brow 🙄 pic.twitter.com/GNPIg9Oah1

— Emma Leaning (@LeaningEmma) February 4, 2023

As the years went by, however, make-up artists started to feel that the Scouse Brow had has its time. One such artist said, “We’ve never been advocates of the Scouse Brow. You can have a structured brow, but for us it was a step too far. It’s harsh, it’s big, it dominates your face and completely takes over your face”. The eyebrow should instead be ‘quite soft, quite feral…quite fluffy’.

For some, it hasn’t gone completely as a fashion statement but has moved on. Instead of being a ‘block of black’, which ran the risk of looking silly on someone with blonde hair, for example, it is now more ‘distressed’ and more in line with what you’d expect to see on a catwalk.

So yes, it has gone out of fashion – at least, the monstrous ultra thick ones have – but these things have a habit of coming back around, so we may well see a re-emergence of the Scouse Brow in the future.

Tips for Getting it Done

Any eyebrow technician in Liverpool will be able to give you the version of the Scouse Brow you are after, no one will be confused if you walk in and ask for one.

However, as I mentioned they are not all the same, so it helps to have some idea of the different variations of the Scouse Brow. This will help the person doing it understand the exact look you are after.

• The Classic Scouse Brow – Thick, dark and blocky with squared-off fronts; the original look that made headlines.
• The Sharp-Edged Scouse Brow – Defined with concealer around the outline for a razor-sharp, painted on effect.
• The Rounded Scouse Brow – Still bold and heavy, but with a softer, curved arch instead of square fronts.
• The High-Arch Scouse Brow – A dramatic, drawn-in arch giving a permanently glam or slightly surprised look.
• The Ombre Scouse Brow – A fade from lighter at the inner corners to darker at the ends, a softer update on the classic.
• The Permanent Scouse Brow – Microbladed or tattooed brows to keep the heavy, defined look all day, every day.

In terms of recommended salons, I have heard good things about Sister Brows and Royal Beauty of Liverpool, and Danielle James Clinic is known for longer lasting or permanent options.

Like I said though, it’s something anyone who is qualified should be able to do.