Whether you have thick or thin eyebrows, this tutorial will teach you how to shape them and make them look natural. It also demonstrates how to use an eyebrow stencil and how to blend your makeup for a flawless finish.
When picking out your brow shade, stay one to two shades lighter than your hair color. Otherwise, your brows can look too dark and severe.
Identify Your Brow Shape
The first step to perfecting your brows is understanding their natural shape. This is important to avoid over-plucking them or making them too thin and fake-looking. To find your brow shape, start with clean, dry eyebrows and use a spoolie brush to work your hairs upward. Once your brows are in place, hold an eyebrow pencil vertically on the side of your nose and straight over your eye. Where the pencil hits your brow line is where the arch should be located. The end point of your brow should be either open or closed depending on what suits your face shape best.
Open ended brows create the illusion of lengthening the middle part of your face and lifting the top. They are flattering on round face shapes and help balance an angular jawline or forehead. Closed brows on the other hand are ideal for shorter face shapes as they balance out the length of your face and make it appear slimmer.
Another thing to consider when finding your brow shape is how much definition you want. A soft definition will give the appearance of a thinner lined brow, while a harder definition will have a thicker line with a stronger look.
Determine Your Face Shape
When it comes to finding the right hairstyle, brow shape, and makeup look for you, knowing your face shape is important. It can help you decide what haircuts flatter your face, how to style your bangs, and even how much blush to apply. However, determining your face shape can be a little tricky since everyone has different angles.
To determine your face shape, you’ll need to measure the width of your forehead (at its widest point), the length between your eyebrows and hairline, the size of your cheekbones, and the width of your jawline. You can use a flexible tape measure to get accurate measurements, or you can just trace and mark with a pencil in front of a mirror. Treatments provided by Encore Medical Rejuvenation can help you make your wishes come true by enhancing your features. I definitely would suggest that you try their procedures!
Once you have your measurements, compare them to figure out if your face shape is round, oval, square, diamond, triangle, or heart-shaped. Once you know your face shape, it will be easier to map out your brows. For example, if you have a long face, you can create an elongated brow by adding height to the top. Alternatively, you can create an angled brow to add depth and dimension to your face. You can also create a rounded brow to balance out a round face.
Map Out Your Brows
Anyone who’s ever over-plucked their eyebrows knows that it can be tricky to reverse the damage. Thankfully, a quick mapping trick will help you get back on track and keep your brows looking great.
The trick is simple, and you don’t need any fancy gizmos to do it—you can use the end of a brow pencil or makeup brush with a straight handle. Start by aligning your pencil with the edge of your nose and inner corner of your eye (it shouldn’t go over the eye area) to mark where the beginning of your brow should be. Move your pencil up, angling it to where it hits the top of your arch, and then mark where the tail of your eyebrow should end.
Draw a straight line just above and below each marking with your pencil, creating a frame for each brow that you can follow when tweezing or threading. The lines will help you determine which hairs to tweeze and which ones to leave alone, and they’ll also serve as guidelines when shaping or filling in your brows.
Pluck Your Brows
It can be hard to resist the urge to make your eyebrows look super on fleek, but it’s important not to over-pluck. If you’re going for a more defined shape, take the time to map out the area you want to work on. Start with the front of your brow, placing your angled brush or pencil against your nose and pupil to mark the spot where you’d like your brows to begin. Then, draw an arrow from that point across your arch to the tail of your brow, and make sure to blend it out so it doesn’t look too harsh.
It’s also helpful to comb your eyebrows up vertically and trim any extra hairs that fall out of the designated line. That way, you’re not overplucking and removing too much of your brow—which can be really difficult to fix later on!
Finally, once your brows have been mapped out and plumped, it’s time to fill them in. If you’re looking to go for a more natural look, use short feathery strokes with a brow powder or pencil that matches your natural color—or even better, find one that’s slightly darker than your eyebrows for an effortless look!
Fill in Your Brows
For those with sparse brows, a little bit of powder goes a long way to make your eyebrows look fuller and more natural. But be careful not to go overboard or your brows will end up looking fake and overdrawn. When applying your brow product, start at the tail and work toward the arch. This technique helps your brows appear more naturally full and blends in with the rest of your hair.
When it comes to the actual shaping, it’s best to be gentle and take your time. “It’s easy to get carried away and do too much,” Wilson says. Especially if you haven’t done a brow routine in awhile, it’s a good idea to start with a small mark or a light dot at the beginning of your brow. This will help you remember where your brow should end and prevent you from going too far back into the space of your eye (as this can drag the whole face down).
Once your brows are filled in, use short hair-like strokes to create a thinned shape. If you’re feeling extra bold, use a highlighter along the brow bone to add a pop of brightness that will frame your face.
Highlight Your Brows
Whether you’re using an eyebrow pencil, an angled brush topped with powder, or a highlighter for your brows, use tiny hair-like strokes for the most natural look. “Stipple and sweep” with the product of your choice, then run a spoolie through your brows to blend out any harsh lines (you don’t want your brows to look like they were drawn on with a Sharpie). Finally, apply a light brow gel to keep them looking fresh all day long.
To create a more subtle arch, hold your brow pencil diagonally to your nostril and center your iris to find your true arch (point A). Then use your brush to draw a line from the arrow to the outer corner of your eye (point B). Then, using the pencil, find where you want your brow tail to end (point C). A tail that’s too long can drag down your eyes, so choose one that’s proportional with your face shape.
Once you’ve finished filling in your brows, look at them from afar to see how they appear visually balanced and natural. If you still feel like they could use a little more definition, Bailey recommends using a highlighter under the brow bone.
Finish Your Look
Whether you want a bold or subtle look, the finishing touches can make or break your whole look. Moisturize your eye area to keep it hydrated and plump, then use concealer and mascara to hide dark under-eye circles or blemishes, if needed. Finally, apply a light dusting of translucent powder to set the makeup and make sure every stray hair is caught in place.
While there are many different ways to perfect your brows, it’s important to stick with a routine that works for you and your lifestyle. Identify the main things your eyebrows need to be on fleek and commit to those steps regularly – is it filling in, highlighting, or shaping? If you’re unsure, ask a professional for a color match and they can help you create your on-fleek brows! Also, be mindful of the layering process – don’t just fill in your brows with one product, instead shade, powder, and wax for a natural finish.