Eyebrow Sculpting 101
Remembering that brows should be sisters, not twins, here are some handy tips from eyebrow and make-up experts that will provide you with all the tools to create the perfect brow be it arched, full, hourglass or natural.
Outline the shape first
According to Paula Begoun of Paula's Choice, "The ideal [eyebrow] shape is when the beginning of the brow is aligned with the centre of the nostril and the arch falls over the back third of the eye."
In order to get the look, Begoun recommends you fill in the ideal shape with a brow pencil before you start plucking.
"Whatever you do, don’t pluck brows into a thin line thinking it will make your eyes look larger. It can look dated and unnatural and it’s not easy to correct once the damage is done."
One, two, tweeze
Make-up guru Bobbi Brown says, "Defined eyebrows make you look polished." And let's face it, she's built her empire on good eyebrows.
To get the best eyebrow shape at home, Brown says, "Use your natural brow shape as a guide when tweezing."
"Tweeze stray hairs between the brows, making sure the inner corner of the brow lines up with the inner corner of the eye. Remove hairs below the natural brow line and arch."
An eyebrow kit is your best friend
Carla Delevingne is the brow queen. She told Byrdie magazine she trims and tweezes them herself and uses Rimmel's Brow This Way palette (Priceline, RRP $12.95).
"When I was a kid, I used to be really ashamed of [my eyebrows] … because they’re really big. So it’s really nice now, especially to inspire other girls to be comfortable with their own [brows].
Take these tips from Rimmel on how to draw the perfect eyebrows at home:
- Using the Brow This Way Palette, dip the accompanying angled brush into the wax. Glide through brows to sculpt your angles, then fill in any gaps using the precision pointed tip.
- Next, define and set it all in place with the new Wonder’Full Brow Gel. Brush through your eyebrows in short, sharp strokes to catch every brow hair. Consider your brows tamed.
- Finish by getting those arches on point. Apply Brow This Way Highlighting Pencil underneath eyebrows, lifting and highlighting just below the highest point of the arch.
How to create the perfect shape
When it comes to eyebrows they come in multiple shapes, lengths and thickness. As does the shape of your face, but whether that's round, heart shaped or square, the advice is the same.
Choose the shape you want and stick to it.
Says Begoun; "Once the shape you want is drawn on, tweeze any hairs that fall outside of it. It’s helpful to use a magnifying mirror and go slowly (one hair at a time) so you don't over-tweeze."
And beware of over-plucking. "Don’t pluck brows into a thin line thinking it will make your eyes look larger. It can look dated and unnatural and it’s not easy to correct."
Brown adds, "For the most natural look, fill in brows with powder shadow applied with an Eye Brow Brush; use the Eye Definer Brush for more definition."
"Start at the inner corner of the brow or where the brow is most sparse and end at the outer corner of the brow."
Waxing, threading and sugaring
Keeping the shape of your eyebrows between salon visits is easy. You simply need to tweeze, pluck and fill your eyebrows as per the above.
Eyebrow sculpting is a fine art and you can do it at home, but if there's one element of eyebrow shaping that should always be left to the professionals, it's waxing, sugaring and threading.
And, adds Begoun, "Never shave brows!" Why? Because there's a risk you'll remove too many hairs and "stubble growing back mid-day is not a good look."
Too true.