In my teens, I emulated Cher’s pencil-thin brows, only to discover the harsh-looking consequences of overplucking. After more trial and error, I finally figured out what works—using my brow’s natural line and arch as a guide—and I’ve stuck with it ever since. Yet I see so many women who pluck the wrong shape, making them look angry, sad, or surprised. Other major bungles: tattooed-on brows, which can look fake; and shaved brows, which disrupt hair’s growth pattern. To avoid common brow blunders, follow these plucky pointers in my guide to perfect eyebrows.
Unkempt Brows
Full brows à la Brooke Shields are beautiful, but shaggy brows or a unibrow can overpower your eyes and make them seem smaller. (The inner edge of your brows should start directly above your nostrils.) To clean up your look and keep it natural, snatch strays between brows using slant-edge tweezers, such as Revlon’s Expert Tweezer Slant Tip ($6.50; drugstore.com). Then brush brows upward and, using cuticle scissors, trim the tips off any straggling hairs. Comb brows out on a slant, and fix with brow gel or a dab of hair gel. This plumps up skinny brows and makes thick brows look more polished.
Barely There Brows
Although pencil-thin brows can look good on the runways, in real life the look is too harsh. To avoid going overboard, pluck one hair at a time in the direction strands are growing; this also prevents breakage and ingrown hairs. Alternating between eyes helps ensure that brows are symmetrical. However, if you take off too much on one side, don’t try to even out the damage. Instead, disguise goofs with brow powder.
Überarched Brows
Artful arching can turn a shapeless style into brows that wow, but tweeze too high and you’ll wind up with a look of perpetual shock. No matter what your face shape, your arch should peak right above the outside edge of your iris. As a guide, hold a pencil from the tip of your nose over the middle of your pupil and up to your brow. Using a colored eye pencil, mark strays to help you avoid any mistakes. Finally, clean up any stragglers above the outer corners of the brows—but don’t tweeze above the center of the arch or you’ll flatten the entire shape.
OD’ing on Powder and Pencil
Brow pencil or powder is great for filling in meager or even nonexistent brows. Piling on pencil, however, can make you look like Joan Crawford in her Mommie Dearest days. For the most natural effect, patch spots or add definition with brow powder that’s the same tone as your hair—unless you have black tresses. In that case, opt for a dark brown hue, which is more flattering. Try Maybelline New York Ultra Brow Brush-On Color ($7; maybelline.com) or Clinique Brow Shaper ($15; clinique.com). To apply, use a brow-powder brush (designed with a firm, angled tip). When creating or lengthening brows, use a brow pencil (the same shade as your natural hair color) and draw light, hairlike strokes. Top off with brow powder to soften lines. Don’t extend the shape more than an inch from your natural brows. Instead, line up the outer edges diagonally at a 45-degree angle with the outside of your nostrils. Pro Tip To keep plucking pain to a minimum, shape brows after a bath or shower; the water plumps up hair, making it easier to remove. You can also slightly numb the area with an ice cube, or pop an aspirin beforehand. If you’re really sensitive, try an over-the-counter numbing cream, such as LMX 4% ($27; amazon.com), made with lidocaine, an ingredient to help ease the sting. More from Prevention: 8 Biggest Makeup Mistakes That Age You
