Just as there are trends in fashion and beauty, there are also trends in eyebrow shapes, colors. The 1920s brought us a straight and thin brow, Marilyn Monroe's contoured arches dominated the 1950s, and who could forget Brooke Shield's infamous untamed brows of the '80s? We tweeze, wax, thread, tint, and tattoo our brows into submission. Yet, no matter what the current trend is, there seems to be a common desire amongst women: effortless, well-groomed brows.
The steps below will enable you to easily create beautiful, sculpted brows. After all, your brows can provide an instant facelift and they draw attention to your pretty peepers.
1. Assess your eyebrow shape
The key to defining your eyebrows is to work with what natural shape you have. You can always enhance a thin brow or tame an unruly one, but never try to re-create the shape of your eyebrows as it can look unnatural and in some cases, too severe.
2. Decide what shape you want
A rule of thumb to decide where your eyebrows should begin is to take an eye pencil to the inner corner of your eye. Any stray hairs that surpass the eye pencil can be removed, or if you prefer a more natural look, they can remain. Tip: For wide-set eyes leave a few hairs outside the eye pencil line to make eyes appear closer; for close-set eyes leave a few hairs inside the eye pencil line to make eyes appear farther apart.
3. Find your arch
To determine where the arch of the eyebrows should be, take the eye pencil and place at the top of your nostril diagonally across the middle of your pupil. Where the eye pencil meets the brow is where the arch should be. However, if you prefer a more elongated arch, angle the eye pencil just outside the pupil. Once you have determined the arch, you then want to see where your eyebrows should end. Place your eye pencil from the outer nose to the end of your eye; that point is where they should naturally end.
4. Connect the dots
Once you have determined the shape of your eyebrow and are ready to remove stray hairs, use a highlighter pencil or cream and outline the shape of your desired brow. Remove only the hairs that fall outside of your outline. If you don't like waxing or tweezing, the new Christi Harris Precision Brow Planer is a superfine razor that painlessly and effectively removes unwanted hair. Tip: Don't remove too much hair--non-existent brows are not hot!
6. Trim your brows
Once you have removed any stray hairs from under your arch and above your brow, you will then want to trim your brows. The easiest way to do this is using an eyebrow brush; comb the eyebrow hairs in an upward motion, and using scissors or the Precision Brow Planer trim the excess hairs.
7. Define
Now that you have perfectly groomed brows, you can enhance and define them. If you have thin, sparse eyebrows you will want to add some pigment to add depth and fullness. Clarins Pro Palette Eyebrow Kit contains three shades that complement most skin tones and naturally enhance your eyebrow color. Then using a clear/tinted gel or wax, apply to brow to provide shape and hold. Finish off the look with a highlighter powder or cream under the brow bone for a "lifted" effect. If you are blessed with full eyebrows, a simple coat of wax or gel will hold the hairs in place and provide definition; a great product for this is Revlon's Brow Fantasy.
