When it comes to shaping your eyebrows, it takes more than just picking up the tweezers and hoping for the best. You need to consider different brow shapes, your natural face shape, your desired style and so much more.
Not sure where to begin? Here are our tips for finding your perfect eyebrow shape.
The different eyebrow shapes
Shaping your eyebrows isn’t as easy as plucking away a few hairs. There are a variety of different eyebrow shapes to choose from, depending on the style you’re after and the most flattering shape for your face.
Your brow shape can be angled, curved or soft curve. The shape is always determined by the arch of the brow (this is the high point of your eyebrow). An angled brow is determined by a sharp, angular arch. A curved brow has a rounded shape to it, while a soft curve is somewhere between the two.
Additionally, some people have a very high arch, while others have a lower arch, which can give the appearance of a flatter brow. It is possible to reshape your eyebrows and change the height of your arch, but it takes a lot of expertise to get right, so we would always recommend visiting a professional for this.
How to pick your eyebrow shape
The number one rule for picking your brow shape is to find the perfect eyebrows for your face shape. Brows help to frame the face, so selecting a flattering shape helps to enhance your beautiful natural features.
You’ll need to know your face shape to help determine this. Once you’ve got that, we’ve got a full guide to help you find the right brows for your face shape.
Eyebrow shaping techniques
There are many techniques available to help get your brows in shape. Here’s our overview of each of the eyebrow shaping techniques you can choose from. With any of the methods, we do recommend visiting a professional for perfectly precise brow shaping that is tailored to you.
Eyebrow plucking
Eyebrow plucking is often the go-to method for people shaping their brows at home. It involves using tweezers to pull out individual hairs to create your brow shape. While it’s an easy method, it can be a time-consuming option if you have a lot of hairs to remove. If you choose to pluck away your own stray hairs, be sure to regularly take a break, step back at look at your brows to ensure you’re not over-plucking.
Eyebrow threading
Threading is a hair removal method that has been around for thousands of years. A piece of thread is twisted across the skin, pulling out hairs as it goes. It’s much quicker than plucking as it will remove multiple hairs in one go. You’ll need two hands to twist and turn the thread, plus another set of hands to pull the skin taut, so it’s definitely a method to visit a professional for.
Waxing
Waxing involves applying a thin strip of wax along the brow before swiftly pulling off in the opposite direction to your natural hair growth, pulling out the hairs from the root. It’s a very quick method with minimal downtime – there can just be a little redness straight after. Due to the heat of the wax and the application being crucial for shaping, it’s another technique we recommend leaving to the experts.
Eyebrow shaping tools
Once you’ve visited your local brow stylist, here are our top tips for maintaining that fresh brow shape.
Shaping eyebrows for beginners
If you’re a total brow beginner, it’s best to leave the shaping to the professionals. There are many factors that contribute to your perfect brow shape, and it’s very easy to get carried away (remember those high school eyebrow nightmares?).
However, if you want to keep your brows in perfect condition in between appointments, you can tweeze away the odd stray hair, as long as they are nowhere near your brow shape. Even if something falls just slightly out of your brow shape, leave it; your brow stylist will have a re-growth plan and has kept it there for a reason.
You can also use brow make up to help give a groomed appearance. For beginners, an easy to use brow pencil, such as Browtec, is a fool-proof way to enhance your brows with a natural looking finish.
Shaping thick eyebrows
If you’ve been blessed with beautifully bushy brows, lucky you! If your brows grow rapidly and you feel like they get unruly between treatments, they may need a little trim. Using some precise eyebrow scissors, softly snip downwards into the brow in a feathering technique for a natural finish.
As you won’t need to add in any colour to your brows, you can also use a clear, ultra-strong setting gel such as Brow Glue to tame hairs and set them in place all day long.
Tips for thin eyebrows
If you have thin eyebrows and are looking to get a thicker brow shape, it’s best to visit your local brow stylist. They will be able to put you on a re-growth programme that ensures you achieve your fuller brow goals.
If you’re wanting to fake it ‘til you make it, a brow pencil with a super fine tip will allow you to mimic the appearance of brow hairs. With the Pro Pencil, you can achieve instantly fuller brows that look so natural, no one would ever know it’s make up.
Eyebrow shaping at home
While it’s always better to leave eyebrow shaping to the professionals, we know that’s not always possible. If you really must tweeze at home, you need to invest in a high-quality pair of tweezers with a slanted tip. This will allow you to grip the hairs and pluck them out with ease. Always ensure the tweezer grips the hair right at the root and pull the skin around the area firm and taut – this reduces the risk of hairs breaking and saves you from a painful pluck.
To help you stick within your desired brow shape, you can fill in your brows with make up first. Using your favourite brow product to fill in your brows gives you a guideline of the shape you want to achieve, so all you need to do us pluck around it.
We all love the satisfaction of a magnifying mirror to see every little hair, but be sure to regularly step back and look at your face from a distance so you can check the brows are even.
FAQs
Can I reshape my brows after a recent reshape?
You can, however you need to allow around four weeks between eyebrow waxing and threading appointments to avoid damaging or grazing the skin. Plus, you’ll need to allow time for some hairs to re-grow that you can incorporate into your new brow shape.
Where should my eyebrows begin and end?
Your eyebrow should start just past the bridge of the nose, upwards and slightly out. To find the end point of your eyebrow, trace an imaginary line from the edge of your nose, through the outer corner of the eyelashes (ensure your eyes are open and looking upwards as you do this). The end point should ideally be higher or at least level with your starting point.
Should my eyebrows be symmetrical?
While you should try to get them as symmetrical as possible, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to get them exactly the same and that’s ok. Remember, eyebrows are sisters, not twins, so as long as you can get a family resemblance, your brows will look amazing.
How far apart should my brows be?
How far apart your eyebrows are will depend on your face shape. Your brows should start just past the bridge of your nose, upwards and slightly out.
When should I stop tweezing?
It’s always best to stop tweezing before you’ve overplucked! To avoid this, regularly step back and view both brows from a distance to ensure they are even and you’re not overplucking.
Does direction matter when tweezing?
When tweezing, you should always pluck hairs out in the direction of hair growth. This will allow you to remove the hair from the root and prevent breakage. Be sure to pull the skin taut as you tweeze the hair to minimise discomfort.
Book a consultation
Want to leave the brow shaping to the experts? Book a consultation with your local HD Brows Stylist and get ready to kickstart your brow goals journey.
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