Back in March, Vogue hypothesized that thick eyebrows’ reign may soon come to an end. But given the endless beauty products and procedures promising to give you a pair that even Cara Delevingne would be jealous of, it’s safe to say that bold brows aren’t going anywhere yet. And that’s a lucky thing for 17-year-old Natalia Castellar, whose own eyebrows could be the subject of countless YouTube tutorial videos, but that have actually put her on fashion brands’ radar.
But during her childhood, having a pair of brows that commanded so much attention made her feel insecure. “When I was younger they were all anyone would point out,” she told W Magazine. “I was bullied terribly because of how thick and long they were, so I wanted to shave them down. One day I was about to shave them until my mom interrupted me. It wasn’t until thick brows started trending that I started feeling more confident. Now I don’t care if they stay trendy or not, I love my eyebrows. They set me aside from other models. They’re my trademark, and I wish I would have embraced them sooner.”
So far, Nars, Mansur Gavriel, and Rachel Antonoff have worked with her. And though her brows have certainly helped jump start her career, it’s also a result of her sister’s love of photography. Her sister, Bianca, began taking photos of her and uploading them onto Tumblr. The images soon got Paper‘s attention. The publication reblogged Bianca’s image, and “it all went crazy” from there.
Currently, Natalia’s juggling junior year of high school and her new career. But now, negative comments about her eyebrows don’t get her down. “A lot of trolls leave nasty comments about my eyebrows,” she said. “But I don’t give in and respond, because that’s what they want. I just disabled my notifications. I want my social media to stay as positive as possible!”
Check out Natalia and some of the fashion industry’s most glorious eyebrows at work below: