A new look thats razing eyebrows

Bleached eyebrows.

When it comes to eyebrows, high fashion has decided there is only one way to go - and go they must. Emma Watson and Cheryl Cole may adhere to the power of the brow to frame a face, but more and more models are bleaching them to the point of invisibility. The eyebrows, it seems, has become "excess" hair. Agyness Deyn, Lily Donaldson and Linda Evangelista have all gone eyebrowless recently. In Givenchy's latest advertising campaign, eight male and female models recline in a french chateau looking curiously androgenous. Each is eyebrowless.

Perhaps the trend has been a long time coming. Three years ago, the model Lara Stone bleached her brows on the advice of Carine Roitfeld, the esteemed editor of French Vogue. This year she starred at the authum/winter and couture shows, apperaing on catwalks for Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier and Prada among others. And this month the popular 90s model Kristen McMenamy, now 42, appears on the cover of Italian Vogue without brows, 17 years after she and Karen Elson popularised the look during the grunge years.

Makeup artist Pat McGrath worked on the Balenciaga and Prada shows, both of which featured bleached-out brows. "The current economic troubles open people up to be more daring and willing to don cutting-edge looks," she says.

At a time when advertising is suffering, is eyebrowlessness just a more extreme way for a brand to sell its products? Or perhaps the prevalence of Botox (no frowning or eyebrow raising) means we simply have no need for them?

Aiden Jean-Marie, creative director of Premier Model Management, says he has "had a couple of girls who had their brows bleached for beauty stories in the last few weeks. I think clients like the look because it's clean, like a blank canvas, and 90s-inspired, which is a big trend. It's alien-like and quite creepy."

But before you reach for the Jolene, consider a more subtle take on the look. Lisa Oxenham, beauty and style editor at Marie Claire, advises "gently tweaking eyebrows with breach". She says it gives the same effect as freckles on blondes. But she warns against eyebrow removal. "Brows give a face expression - when they are not there the look hardens." And "it is not advised if your face is round, long or if you're hungover.