If the thought of plucking eyebrows takes you back to your teenage tadpole brows, stop and take a long deep breath. Are you calmer? Okay, let’s continue.
We know the tweezer-happy days were traumatic, and you probably haven’t touched your brows since then, but like everything else, brow plucking has evolved.
In fact, the once-scary DIY beauty project might be the easiest thing you can do now, thanks to a thousand products and nifty guides like one.
Of course, shaping eyebrows isn’t a ‘let’s wing it and wait for the outcome’ venture, but by mastering the proper technique and taking your time, you can skillfully achieve the shape you want.
It’s that simple.
With that, here is a foolproof guide to help make your brows look professionally groomed.
Requirements
• A pair of tweezers
• A good mirror
• Daylight: plucking brows isn’t a nighttime task. You need to see every strand. So, if your bathroom has poor lighting, you should move to a room with better lighting.
Here Are the Tips
When you can’t make it to your stylist, here’s how to pluck your eyebrows and get the groomed shape you’re looking for:
Arm Yourself With the Right Tools
If your tweezers keep sliding off, it’s going to take you hours to get the beautiful arch you want. So, before you start the process, ensure you have a solid pair to make your work easier.
You will also need a brow brush/spoolie that features flat, blunt, and angled bristles to quickly separate the lashes and prepare your brows for a nice tweeze.
This will help you see any stray hairs and pluck them accordingly.
If you have thick eyebrows, a pair of tiny scissors might help you trim curling hairs before you pluck the strays.
Figure Out the Shape Your Want
Everyone has a unique brow shape, meaning it’s vital to have a realistic outline before picking up the tweezers.
A faux arch might be the best outline if you have naturally straight brows, while those with a pronounced peak might want to avoid tweezing too much off the top.
Wash Your Face With Warm Water
Various experts claim that warm water relaxes your skin and follicles to allow for a quick tweeze. Just ensure that you wipe and pat dry to get rid of the moisture.
Cleansing your brow area and toning pre-tweeze and post might also help make the process easier.
Map Out Your Brows
If you want to achieve a natural shape, you need to take a moment to assess your end results.
You can use your spoolie or pencil to measure where the eyebrows start and end, or you can fill them in with a dark pencil and tweeze away the strays that don’t fit.
If you choose to measure, place your tweezers on the top bridge of your nose and point them upward.
That’s where your brows begin. So, you can pluck out any hairs between that point and your other brow.
As for where they end, place your tool from the bottom corner of your nose and point it diagonally to the outer corner of your eye. That’s where your eyebrows should end.
Tweeze in the Direction of Hair Growth
When plucking your brows, avoid pulling against the grain. Instead, pull the strands from the follicle, ensuring they don’t break.
You’ll not only achieve a beautiful and sharper finish but plucking your eyebrows in the direction of hair growth will also prevent excess trauma on the tinier follicles.
Stand Back
It’s easy to get caught up in the tweezing process. That’s how so many people end up with gappy brows.
So, every so often, take a step back, peer into the mirror and see if your eyebrows appear visually balanced so far.
If not, tweeze the ‘off parts’ and examine them again.
At arm’s length is where you need them to appear well-groomed. In any case, no one will peer up close enough to study your brow style.
Soothe Your Skin
If your skin appears red or gets irritated, apply a soothing moisturizer with a Q-tip. Ensure you don’t get the product in contact with your eyes.
Fill Them In
Once the brows are all tidied up, you need to give them a slight enhancement.
Take a sharp brow pencil or powder, trace the top and bottom for your eyebrows, and fill them based on how you want to appear.
If you’re going for a natural look, avoid a heavy hand when filling the center. If you, however, want a defined arch, add a little color and brush it through.
How Often Should You Trim Your Eyebrows?
Like with your skincare or makeup routine, you need to create a foolproof tweezing regimen. For instance, if you’re burly-browed, tweezing once a week might be best, while those with sparse arches might be suited with a once-month tweezing routine.
Don’t be scared to edit the timeline, though. If you’re not pleased with the current shape, make a few adjustments and style your brows accordingly.
Plucking your eyebrows shouldn’t feel like a quantum physics test. If you’re equipped with the proper tools and the basics down pat, you can totally do some basic maintenance.
So, relax – you got this!
