Although historically women haven’t always treated their brows with the love they deserve, it seems that times are changing.
The modern eyebrow trend is a far more naturally groomed look than ever before. In the past we’ve seen over and under tweezing, extreme arches and over application of brow makeup. As not only a makeup artist, but a brow artist, I personally love that a more natural approach is slowly being adopted.
So, over the next three weeks I’m going to answer all of your frequently asked questions about eyebrows and how to groom them to best enhance your natural beauty - starting with shape!
Shape
Why should I shape my brows?
So many women either don’t touch their brows or think they are too sparse to bother shaping. Whilst technically they exist to protect your eyes from the elements, a well-defined brow can frame and accentuate your facial features and draw attention to your beautiful eyes. Now who doesn’t want that?
It's often a good idea to go and see a professional brow artist, then all you have to do is maintain them.
What shape should they be?
Shape is subjective, one size does not fit all! People are born with their natural eyebrow shape and sometimes changing it can interfere with the balance of their face and look very obvious or harsh. Some face shapes can also look better with certain shaped brows or it can often just be a matter of taste. But what is truly important is that the have shape! Whether you like your brows straighter, rounder or with a strong arch; my top tip for anyone is to make sure that the shape of your eyebrow is tapered. A good brow shouldn’t have any harsh lines or angles, and should gradually get thinner from your inner brow to the tail. This softens the look of the brow, making it appear most natural and ensuring that they don’t detract attention from your eyes.
Where should my brows start?
This is often the subject of debate as there really isn’t a rule of thumb. A good brow artist will help you to match your brows to the spacing of your eyes and shape of your nose to accentuate your best features. People are very rarely symmetrical. You may have different sized eyes, one slightly wider nostril, or maybe the bottom of your nose slants slightly lower on one side.
For example, someone with wide-set eyes may start their brows slightly closer together to create the illusion that they are closer set and narrow their nose bridge. Beware of any artist that tells you to line up to parts of your nose, it’s not that simple!
Where should my arch sit?
While this can depend on face shape, a good rule of thumb is to shape your arch about 2/3 along the width of your brow. Most people have a natural arch which is best to stick to, all we are really trying to do by shaping the brow is to make your arches as symmetrical and balanced as possible and give the illusion of lift in the eye area.
Where should my brows end?
In terms of height, aim to end you brows no lower than they start. This is a really great tip to help lift the eye area - if your tail is lower than the front of your brow it creates a downwards angle that the eye naturally follows and makes you look older and more downturned than you are. In terms of length, aim to draw an invisible line from the bottom of your outer nostril, through the outer edge of your eye. This also helps to lift and elongate your eyes making them appear more of an almond shape.
PRO TIP: If in doubt, fill in your brows the way you like wearing them, before attempting to remove hair for shape. This way you won’t be tempted to go overboard.
What's your favourite brow shape, tip or trick? Do you have any other questions about shape? Feel free to comment below with any other FAQs. 😊
xx FemFox