Eyebrows can really make or break your look, so it’s crucial to sport a pair that suits your face shape and complements your features. While you don’t want to appear over-plucked, you also don’t want people thinking you spent the past decade living under a rock without access to tweezers. Fortunately, there are tips, tools and products to help you find your happy middle. Here’s how to get the perfect eyebrow shape in five easy steps.
Step 1: Examine Your Face
Faces can generally be categorized into four basic shapes: round, oval, square and heart. Take a look in a mirror and decide which label best applies to you. Then, contour your brows in a way that suits your bone structure. If your face is round, add some definition with an extended bridge that’s as long as possible. If it’s oval or long, opt for a minimal, shallow arch. If it’s square, go for a brow shape that’s soft and feminine, with an arch that doesn’t extend past where it would naturally break. If you have a heart-shaped face you have less work to do – simply groom around your existing brow.
Do you see a heart-shaped face when you look in a mirror? Simply groom around your existing brow.Step 2: Find Your Start and End Points
It’s important that your brows begin and end in the right places, otherwise things like thickness, color and arch shape are a moot point. If you don’t nail this step, you could wind up with brows that are too closely or widely spaced – or too long or too short. First, you’ll need a straight object such as a pencil or makeup brush. Place the object over your nostril, and follow it straight upward to your brow: That’s your start point. Mark it with a dot of eyeliner. To find the end point, place the object beside your nose and rotate it until it reaches your eye’s outer corner. Use the eyeliner again to mark this spot, too.
Step 3: Try a Brow Stencil
Once you know your face shape, you can utilize eyebrow stencils, which can take the guesswork out of the grooming equation. There are a wide variety available, from hard plastic sheets you can buy in stores to paper varieties you can print out at home. Simply hold the stencil directly over your arch (use an adhesive, if necessary, to keep it in place) and fill in with brow powder. Next, remove the stencil and evaluate. This method is smart, as you can decide if the new shape fits your face before removing any hairs. If it doesn’t look quite right, just try on another for size until you find a perfect match.
Step 4: Remove Unwanted Hair
With brow placement and shape decided, it’s time to remove the unwanted hair outside the lines. There are several methods you could use to do this, however, tweezing is safer than applying wax to the eye area. (Waxing in close proximity to the eyes is best left to a professional.) First, numb the area by holding an ice cube to your brows for several seconds. Grip your tweezers firmly and use them to pull out one hair at a time. It’s important to go slowly because once you’ve plucked a hair, you can’t erase that decision. Whatever you do, don’t use a magnifying mirror – those act an invitation to over-pluck! If you notice hairs that appear long and straggly, use cuticle scissors to trim them.
“Whatever you do, don’t use a magnifying mirror.”
Step 5: Style and Fill
For drool-worthy brows, use a soft brush – or a spoolie – to comb hairs upward and out. Use a clear or tinted gel to keep them in place throughout the day. If you were born with sparse brows, use a kit to fill them in and make them appear more voluminous. Select a pencil and powder shade that’s slightly darker than the hair on your head for the most natural-looking results.
If you aren’t ready to take the plunge and re-shape your brows on your own, you can choose to visit an eyebrow laser hair removal expert who will do the dirty work for you. Ideal Image employs only trained medical professionals, and all treatments are overseen by a licensed medical doctor. Request your free consultation today!
