There are just some risks we aren’t willing to take in life. Ordering fish from a fast food restaurant? Nope. Telling a room of Game of Thrones fans that we actually liked the series finale? Never. And messing with the shape of our eyebrows? You’ll catch us dead first. We know all too well the dreadful aftermath of over-plucking, and we consider our eyebrows sacred territory. That’s why we typically turn to the professionals for anything that has to do with our arches.
But you can, in fact, shape your brows at home — without any regrets — and the entire process is as easy as filling in your eyebrows with makeup. Ahead, we talked to the professionals to get a step-by-step guide to tweezing your brows at home. But keep in mind: Even if you master this DIY brow routine, you should still see an expert occasionally for fine-tuning. "Try to go at least twice a year, minimum, to see a professional for a check-in," says celebrity brow stylist Joey Healy.
In between those appointments, you can follow this five-step grooming regimen from the pros for gorgeous brows.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
Determine The Starting Point
There are three points that you will need to focus on when shaping your eyebrows, according to Jared Bailey, global brow expert for Benefit Cosmetics: where it starts, where it arches, and where it ends.
To begin, you need to find your ideal starting point, which can be identified by using a super thin eyebrow pencil or tweezers. Stand the tool straight up vertically, aligning it from the dimple of the nose (right where you would have your nose pierced) up to the brow. Draw a small mark with a pencil where the tool crosses the brow, and tweeze any hairs that go beyond that mark towards the center of the face.
The starting position of the brow is very important because "the starting point affects the whole contour of the nose," says Bailey. For example, the distance between the start of the brows can make the nose look wider or narrower, he says.
Find Your Arch
To mark where your arch should fall, measure from the outer edge of your nostril up to the highest point of eyebrow at an angle – but don’t tweeze any hairs yet, just mark it with a pencil.
"That’s where you’re going to get the maximum amount of lift," says Bailey, and this point will be the same no matter what shape of brow you prefer. "Even if you want a straighter brow, you still want to open up the eyes." You can customize your arch to be steep or tapered, straight or curved based on how much you pluck underneath the peak of the arch.
The biggest mistake DIYers make, according to Joey Healy, is believing that the arch is in the dead-center. The result: rainbow-shaped brows. If you’re having a hard time finding highest point: "You really want the arch to be two-third’s of the way out," says Healy.
The End Mark
To find where your brow should end, measure from the outside of the nostril again but, this time, line the pencil up with the outer corner of your eye. Then, mark the spot where the tip of your tool touches the brow.
This step is another one that affects the overall look of the face, according to Bailey, so it’s all about finding the perfect balance. Shorter brows work well on smaller faces, and longer brows can making eyes look smaller.
Draw The Shape
Now, it’s time to connect the three points you’ve marked. Then, use a precise pencil or pomade with a brush to fill in the brows between those connected points, making sure to taper off the color towards the end to replicate your natural brows ("brow hairs tend to get finer at the end," says Bailey).
Even though you can use the filled in area as your guide, don’t rely too heavily on this template. "Sometimes the drawn hairs can throw you off, so you want to be careful so you don’t get any gaps," says Healy. If you’re still feeling a little hesitant, you can do a double check by feeling for your brow bone and making sure that the drawn-in shape aligns with the bone.
Tweeze With Care
Any hairs outside of that drawn eyebrow can now be carefully removed to achieve your perfect shape. Hold the skin tight and remove each hair in the direction that it’s growing to prevent damage or rupturing of the follicle.
Are some hairs too close to the line to tell? Bailey strongly suggests leaving the hairs in what he calls "the no-zone" alone. It’s best to leave those hairs for a professional, because plucking one questionable hair could create a gap in the whole brow shape.
And if you want to do a more thorough brow grooming by trimming extra-long hairs, Healy says it’s important to remember that length can sometimes be an asset. "You rely on the length of the individual hairs to overlap with their neighboring hair, blanketing one another and covering gaps," he says. But if any are just too long, then go for the trim. For this step, brush the hairs straight up and snip the hair that reaches above the area you’ve filled in. Healy recommends using scissors with a straight, sharp blade instead of ones that are curved.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
Apparently Ariana Grande Got A Tattoo Inspired By Her Favorite Jim Carrey Movie
We Tried The KKW Beauty Body Foundation — & Here’s Our Honest Opinion
7 Shampoos That Will Help Preserve Your Box Braids
Source: Refinery29 – Thatiana Diaz