Having a thick set of brows is almost a requirement for models these days, but one Greek Cypriot beauty is single–handedly bringing back the unibrow.
Sophia Hadjipanteli, a model and marketing student at the University of Maryland, proudly shows off her jet-black unibrow on Instagram — and she couldn’t care less about the negative comments she receives about her unconventional look.
‘I am not really doing this to show people that they have to like [my unibrow],’ she told Harper’s Bazaar. ‘I am more so doing it to show people that they can get on with their lives by having a preference.’
Striking: Sophia Hadjipanteli, a model and marketing student at the University of Maryland, is bringing back the unibrow
Natural beauty: The Greek Cypriot beauty proudly shows off her jet-black brows on her Instagram page
Sophia explained that she thinks her face looks better with a thick unibrow, but she thinks it is ‘totally cool’ if people disagree with her.
The model’s parent emigrated from Cyprus and London, and she credits her enviable eyebrows to good genetics.
However, the natural blonde admitted the striking appearance of her brows was enhanced when she tried tinting them and accidentally dyed them black.
Ever since her brother told her the look suits her, she has been sporadically dying her brows whenever her blond hair starts to show.
Paying tribute: Sophia recently shared photos of herself dressed as Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, who was also known for her unibrow
Experimentation: The natural blonde said she started tinting her brows after she accidentally dyed them black
In addition to tinting her brows, she also them with castor oil at night before she goes to bed.
‘It really does help, it’s not just a myth,’ she said of the at-home remedy for stimulating hair growth.
It’s hard not to look at Sophia and think of Frida Kahlo, who also known for her unibrow, and just a few days ago, she shared two photos of herself modeling a flower-crown similar to the ones worn by the Mexican artist.
Sophia, who has nearly 50,000 followers, explained in her Instagram post that it is ‘the most requested look’ she has ever gotten in her life.
Enviable brows: Sophia, who is pictured in 2016, puts castor oil on her brows to stimulate hair growth
Ahead of the trend: The model’s parent emigrated from Cyprus and London, and she credits her enviable eyebrows to good genetics. She is pictured in 2014
She ended her message by praising Frida Kahlo and other cultures for ‘leading the way’ for people like herself.
For all the vitriol she receives online because of her brows, there are also those who praise her showcasing her beauty while ignoring societal norms.
Sophia may prefer her natural brows, but she is also a fan of colorful make-up and bright lips.In a recent Instagram post, she stressed that her preferences are not mutually exclusive.
‘I wear makeup because it is fun. I have a unibrow because it is a preference,’ she wrote. ‘I wear makeup and have a unibrow because it is what I like.
Stunning look: In addition to her striking unibrow, Sophia also likes colorful make-up and a bright red lip
Personal preference: ‘Just because I embrace one natural part of me doesn’t mean I’m a hypocrite for wanting to enhance other parts of who I am,’ she said of her love of make-up
‘Don’t put me in a bubble. Just because I embrace one natural part of me doesn’t mean I’m a hypocrite for wanting to enhance other parts of who I am,’ she added.
Although she is a fan of her look, she admitted to Harper’s Bazaar that her thick brows and bright eye make-up lead to people ‘literally staring’ at her when she is at school.
For Sophia, sporting a unibrow is the same as wearing a red lip or a a dramatic cat-eye, and she stressed that her look can easily evolve into something different as she gets older.
And while she doesn’t want her unibrow to define her, she also plans on showing it off for as long as it takes for others to learn how to accept it. She even uses the hashtag #UnibrowMovement in her Instagram bio.
‘Until people start to accept others for this specific feature on their face, I won’t feel ready to move on from it,’ she told the outlet.