There was a time when having thin brows were popular, but that time is gone as thicker and fuller eyebrows are in vogue these days. However, you will still need to shape them though, especially if you have the classic unibrow! A lot of women are fine with their brows as they are and it’s good to be happy with what you have, but just in case you are not and would like to shape your brows to perfection, here are eight tips that should come in handy.
Take a Shower just Before
By taking a warm shower right before you tweeze, you will automatically be making your job a lot easier. The thing is that warm water makes your brows softer while opening up the follicles. This will make the tweezing process much easier and less painful.
Careful with the Tweezers
Be careful with the tweezers you buy for plucking because the ones you should be looking for need to be sharp but slanted at the same time. You are far more likely to pinch your skin while using the pointy, straight tweezers, so avoid them. Besides, the slanted tweezer is more efficient for getting hold of those nasty stray strands.
The Magnifying Mirror is a Problem
While magnification can help, you are better off with a regular mirror, if perfection is your aim. What happens is the magnified view makes your brows look a lot denser than they actually are, which could result in overplucking and that’s counterproductive.
You Can Reduce the Pain Greatly
Taking a warm shower is definitely one way to reduce the pain from plucking, but there is a more effective way to decrease the pain for those plucking sessions when the eyebrow is way too dense. Apply a numbing gel onto the area to partially desensitize the skin. You will still feel it, but it won’t bother you as much. After the plucking is over, apply a cortisol gel or cream to stop inflammation and redness.
Avoid the Unnatural Arch
Unless you are going for the dramatic look like the actors in some classic plays, you need to be extra careful of the arch. Overdo it and it will look unnatural, drawing attention for all the wrong reasons. Although it’s better to get this done at a parlor, here are a few tips to help you avoid that weird arch.
- Use a brow pencil because it’s a proven way to guide yourself
- Remove only the strands that are outside the guiding stencil you just created
- The ideal brow begins just above your tear ducts and ends at a 45-degree point from the outer corner of the eye
- The entire line in between the two points should peak and fall in line with the outer iris
Hide the Skin
Not everyone has uniform brows, but you can fix those sparse sections with a pencil or some powder. The trick here is to use a shade that’s lighter than your original hair color because it will make it look more natural. For example, redheads should go with a warm brown shade.
Consider Getting Tinted
In case you want to reduce your daily time in front of the mirror, getting your brows tinted may not be a bad idea. Of course, it’s not exactly a permanent solution either as you will definitely need expert touch ups on it every month, but that’s still better than having to use the pencil every morning.
Let Them Grow
The final tip on this list might actually scare you because it recommends letting your eyebrows grow out for at least eight-weeks straight! After eight weeks or more, once your brows have grown out to their full potential and have taken their natural shape and size, you will know which shape would suit you best. This will also make your brows look fuller and better. Since you have let the strands grow out, you may need to trim a few of the wayward strands with a pair of scissors, but only trim the really long ones.
As should be clear by now, it’s possible to get your perfect brows at home, but it’s also difficult at the same time. Ideally, eyebrow shaping should be done by experts because even they don’t do their own brows.
If you have an important occasion coming up and your eyebrows could use a fair bit of work, we suggest that you leave out the practice for some other time and just book an appointment with a professional.
