11 Tips to Define Your Eyebrows at Home Like a Professional Stylist

Eyebrows are one of the essential features of the face. You could even say that more than any other element of your face because, if they are well groomed, they can highlight your natural beauty and even give you a little more character. More and more specialists can help you shape them in a balanced way. But price and time can easily be an issue, so fixing them at home can be a good solution.

1. Learn their structure.

Eyebrow expert Lauren Hogsden says, “A common mistake we make when shaping eyebrows is not knowing where they should start, peak and end.” That’s why it’s important that, before we start grooming our brows, we know their parts:

1. inner corner;
2. peak;
3. end.

2. Identify the different types of eyebrows.

While all eyebrows are unique in shape and color, they can still be classified into different types. You can find some of them in the image above. Knowing these can help you determine what shape to give them. It’ll then be easier to define them, remove extra hairs, or, if necessary, fill them to balance them.

3. Eyebrows are similar but not identical.

It’s important to mention that eyebrows are not identical, so no matter how much you try, you will likely never manage to even them out. According to celebrity makeup artist Tonya Crooks, that happens because each eyebrow has “different muscle movements caused by the side of our face we sleep on or the expressions we make.”

4. Know your face shape.

To determine your face type, consider three criteria: what is the widest part (forehead, cheeks, or jawline); what is your jawline like (round, square, or pointed); and finally, what’s the overall length of your face (short or long)? Makeup artist Leiah Scheibel recommends measuring each part of your face to determine your face shape.

5. Identify which type of eyebrow goes with which face.

Determining what type of eyebrow best suits you best is no easy task. Eyebrow expert Lauren Hogsden shared some features that explain why some eyebrows suit you better, depending on your face type. The golden rule is choosing the opposite brow and face shape:

• Round face. Length and width are more or less equal. Therefore, your best choice would be a sharp-angle eyebrow. Its high arch will add structure and size to your face, making it look a little longer.
• Oval face. Often very balanced in shape, for such a face, “you don’t need to mess with the shape of the eyebrows.” Simply follow the natural shape of your eyebrows, keeping the arches light and their “soft angles” at the same level.

• Rectangular face. This face type is a bit “long and has a defined jaw.” Ideally, go for a “fuller, unstructured” brow shape that helps “reduce the size of your forehead.” “Soft, slightly more curved arches” help soften the jawline.
• Heart face. This face is wider at the forehead, narrower at the cheeks, and pointed at the chin. To balance it, opt for eyebrows with a “soft, rounder arch”.
• Square face. All parts of this face type are more or less equal in size. To help soften your jaw, “raise the eyebrows with soft arches” and give them an overall “undefined” finish, avoiding at all costs “sharp” and right-angled eyebrows.

6. Follow its natural shape.

In the 2000s, celebrities inspired people to pluck their eyebrows to thin them. But that was just a trend; you don’t need to do that. Good advice when shaping your eyebrows is to follow their natural shape. Eyebrows often have many little hairs that only need to be shaped or set in place to remind us they’re there.

• Bushy eyebrows. Very practical because they don’t require much grooming. Combing, setting, and lining should suffice to look great.
• Thin eyebrows. These require lots of maintenance because if a single hair is out of place or needs to be removed, it can easily be spotted.

7. Let your eyebrow hairs grow naturally before shaping them.

People often adopt unnatural practices just to follow trends, and eyebrows are no exception. Therefore, if you plucked your eyebrows too much at some point, it is best to embrace their natural growth before shaping and perfecting them.

8. Use the right tools to define them.

When outlining your eyebrows, it is essential to have specific tools at hand. These may vary depending on what you want to do, but here are some of the basic things you will always need:

• Natural light;
• A mirror without magnification;
• A flat object that serves as a geomatic ruler and that’s big enough to reach from the tip of the nose to our eyebrow;
• An eyebrow pencil;
• Tweezers to pluck eyebrows;
• A clean eyebrow or mascara brush;
• Dedicated eyebrow scissors.

9. Learn about eyebrow mapping.

Eyebrow mapping is a shaping technique that uses facial proportions to help achieve a little more symmetry and give the most flattering shape to our brows. According to celebrity makeup artist Cara Lovello, the process involves a “brow specialist taking measurements and marking the skin and then shaping the brows and tinting or microblading them.”

But it is also possible to do it at home by marking the three key parts mentioned earlier in the article (the inner corner, the peak, and the end):

1. First, we should start by holding a flat object at an angle next to the wing of the nose, near the start of the inner corner. Do so on both eyebrows and mark that point.
2. Then, place the same object at an angle to the wing of the nose and let it rest on the peak of the eyebrow. Do so on both eyebrows and mark that point.
3. Next, place the same object at an angle to the wing of the nose and let it rest at the end of each eye. Do so on both eyebrows and mark that point.
4. Finally, connect all the marked points with lines, following the shape of the eyebrow.

10. Always pluck your eyebrows in the right direction.

Eyebrow expert Jared Bailey commented, “All the hairs on our body are connected to blood vessels that keep them healthy and allow them to grow back, but if that vessel is broken, the hair never grows back.”

To do it correctly, Bailey suggests tightening the skin with your fingers and plucking in the direction of hair growth. Generally, the direction is upward or toward the temple.

11. Never forget that eyebrow color is very important.

Undoubtedly, determining which eyebrow color suits you best is hard. Experts point out that eyebrows are so personal that they are never one size or color. But the best way to find out what could work for you is to follow these steps:

• Balance hair color and texture with your skin tone. Makeup artist Delina Medhin suggests that the first two aspects help her “determine how light, dark, cool or warm the eyebrow makeup should be.” And the texture, according to brow artist Azi Sacks, can help gauge intensity. For example, dark, dense hair goes with eyebrows with the same characteristics.

• Aim for shades a little lighter than your natural brow color. Medhin and makeup artist Tommy believe that “the ideal color mimics the shade created by the eyebrow hair.”
  The goal is not to find the same color as your hair, but to mimic the color of the shaded skin between each hair. If you have very blonde or dark eyebrows and want to fill in the spaces with the same shade, it will “look pigmented and drawn, but not filled in,” Tommy says. Likewise, brow color should create “density or more depth” but not change its tone.
• If in doubt, it’s best to opt for neutral or cool tones. Tommy says skin tone helps determine how warm or cool colors complement your eyebrows. For example, if your skin is yellowish, you should go for “a warm touch, so it doesn’t look gray or ashy.” According to Medhin, the only exception to the rule is redheads.

What beauty tips do you know or follow that could help highlight your face even more?