How to Create the Perfect Eyebrow Arch

As a Makeup Artist, I am a firm believer in a well shaped and groomed eyebrow. It not only adds balance to your face, but can be an instant lift for your eyes if done correctly. It also makes an eyeshadow application look so much more refined. The very first thing I do with all of my makeup clients is look at their brows. I may trim them, tweeze them or at the very least fill them in. It's very simple to get those same results at home with a little practice. Follow the easy steps below and you're on your way. Remember that the important thing when doing your brows...never over-tweeze, you will regret it!

First and foremost before you shape your brow, the very first step is to trim them. Do this by brushing the brows straight up (with a very small comb or eyebrow brush) and trimming off only the very top edges. You never want to trim too much because that can create a hole in the eyebrows, so remember, just the very top edges. This sometimes can make all the difference, especially if the hair is unruly or long.

A (from diagram) ~ hold a pencil or straight edge from the very outer corner of your nose to the inner corner of your eye. Any stray hairs that exceed this point should be tweezed. You don't want to have your brows start too far in, or too far out for that matter...this is a great starting point.

B (from diagram) ~ now take the same pencil and angle it from the outer corner of your nose to the very outer corner of your eye. This is where you want your brow "tail" to end. You can tweeze any that go further than this point.

C (from diagram) ~ last, hold your straight edge from the outer corner of your eye and go straight thru the eyebrow...this is the ideal spot for your arch to be. Tweeze any hairs in this area that are strays, concentrating on the arch area, but remembering not to over-tweeze.

It's very important to always consider your face shape when doing your own brows. If you have a round or square face shape, don't go for a skinny thin brow. And visa-versa, more oval shapes and delicate shapes shouldn't go for a strong thick eyebrow. The idea here is for your eyebrow to compliment your face shape!

After you tweeze your brows, I always like to go in with a little shadow and refine them slightly with color. I love using eyeshadow or a powdered eyebrow product rather than a pencil. I think it gives a much more natural look. I use an angled eyebrow brush and the look is never harsh. There are so many great eyebrow products right now and it can be confusing on what to choose with your hair color. Blondes should choose a soft blonde or slightly ashy shade. If you have brown hair with some red in it, then choose an auburn/brown shade. If you have dark brown hair then go with a deep rich brown. I think brows kits are especially helpful and also come with stencils which can be really fun to try.

That's it, if you have any questions about what products work best or have any questions, please feel free to comment! I'm literally an eyebrow fanatic, so these are just some very basic tips to get you on your way.