Shaping The Eyebrows

by Sarah

Continuing on from part 1 of the eyebrow series HERE, where we discussed the importance of eyebrows in framing and enhancing the face and features, today’s post is all about tips and pointers to keep in mind when shaping the eyebrows.

Note: apply and customise these tips to achieve what you feel is the right look for you and what you personally feel comfortable with. There are no rules, only suggestions ;)

The most common misconception when it comes to shaping the brows is where to start the brows. I see many charts pointing to the side of the nostrils going up, to indicate where the brows should start. This may work for some but in my experience, I find the biggest problem with this tip is:

             1. if you have wider/fuller nostrils, you would lose half of your eyebrow starting them this way (as per picture below)

             2. the further apart the distance between the brows, the wider the nose looks

Here’s what I find has worked for me personally (and also with my clients) in achieving the most natural and flattering shape:

Begin

Start: where the natural curve of your inner brow bone meets the top of the nose – as indicated in the photo.

Arch: hold a pencil or brush handle at an angle from the side of the nostril to where the colored part of the iris ends

End: hold a pencil or brush handle at an angle from the side of the nostril towards where your eye ends

 

Once you establish the 3 basic points of Start, Arch and End of your brows, it is then time to decide how thick/thin you would like your eyebrows to be. The best way to see the shape of your new eyebrows without going ahead and plucking them is to map the shape out by either use a white pencil, or a very dark one:

MarkTheShape

Picture Credit: Makeup by the amazingly talented Charlotte Tilbury

White pencil method: use the white pencil to color over any stray hairs or parts of your eyebrow that you would like to remove. This will leave behind the brow hairs which will make up the final shape. Once you have the desired shape, pluck/remove all the hairs that are coated with the white pencil.

Dark pencil method: use a brow or eyeliner pencil darker than your brow hairs to draw on the shape you like. Pluck/remove the hairs that are outside of the areas you have drawn.

These methods are also great in matching the shape of both brows without removing any hairs. Make sure to stand back now and then and check that you’re happy with the shape you created. If not, it’s as easy as wiping the pencil off and starting again, without compromising the end result.

As with all my tips regarding beauty and makeup, I’m all for easy, practical yet effective techniques. It’s impossible to advice what the right shape of eyebrow would be for every one of you over a blog post, which is why I hope pointers such as the ones above will help you achieve the best possible result for you – without the restriction of set rules.

Next up in the eyebrow series, we will look at brow tools, hair removal methods and professional brow services available. But before then, here’s a collection of the most iconic eyebrows through the years…

 

IconicBrows

 

Which is your favorite iconic shape? xx

 

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7 comments

Lets Talk Eyebrows! | Primp & Prime November 9, 2015 - 2:56 am

[…] face, your other facial features and they can either make or break a makeup look. In this beauty article, professional makeup artist Sara, from Beauty Point Of View , gives advice and discusses the […]

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Sydney April 29, 2014 - 10:48 pm

Audrey Hepburn thick eyebrows all the way!!! I would much rather have overly thick eyebrows than overly plucked! I shape my own eyebrows now after having someone take off too much in the middle (similar to the picture you show above). Great post as always Sarah!

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Sarah April 30, 2014 - 7:02 am

Thank you Sydney! I hear so many stories about unfortunate brow experiences, it’s great you’re able to do your own now. It just takes a bit of practice but isn’t the result well worth it? ;) xx

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Bianca Jennings April 23, 2014 - 1:03 pm

Awwww I love Audrey Hepburn and her brows were so unique.

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Sarah April 26, 2014 - 4:07 pm

Hi Bianca, Audrey Hepburn is one of my all time favorites also – she was so classy in every way.

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Emily April 23, 2014 - 10:58 am

Great post Sarah! I had that problem with a consultant who took half my eyebrow off just to line it with my nostrils. Lesson learned the hard way. I’m loving your blog btw!!!

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Sarah April 26, 2014 - 4:09 pm

Thank you Emily! and I’m sorry to hear about your bad eyebrow experience :( I’ll have a tutorial soon on how to fill in or shape brows so hopefully that will also help get you back on track ;) xx

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