Having great eyebrows is essential for a polished look. So how do you nail the perfect shape for your brows? Try working with the bone structure of your face.

Round
A round face is almost as wide as it is as long with round edges. The nose is the center guide and the widest point is at the cheeks and ears. To balance off a round face, go with high arched eyebrows with the peak toward the end of the brow and a short tail.

Celeb Icon: Julia Stiles, Catherine Zeta Jones

eyebrows

Guys I finally did it – I went and got my eyebrows threaded today! I got it done at House of Fraser on Oxford Street and paid £13 (~$26) for it. The whole process took less than 5 minutes but here is one word for you – pain, excruciating pain (okay that was three *lol*) But seriously I never thought threading would hurt that much, like when I went for the Brazilian I already knew it was going to hurt so I was all prepared and ended up walking out thinking hmmm that was not too bad. But this? This really did hurt. I could literally feel the hair getting caught by the thread then pulled out slowly (ouch!) and I ended up tearing up so much =*(

All in all, it was a good experience and I am happy with the results. My eyebrows definitely look a LOT better now. All the stray hairs are gone and the shape is definitely more clean cut. Plus my skin did not get all red and irritated like it would if I waxed. I will definitely be going back again in 4 weeks and hopefully, it will not hurt as much next time.

*Update: My facialist just told threading your eyebrows can cause your eye area to lose elasticity and sag faster – booo!

eyebrows

Here are a couple of ways you can shape your eyebrows:

Tweezing – pick a pair of tweezers that is sharp enough (try Tweezerman). Pull in the direction the hair is growing.

Waxing – this method involves spreading a thin layer of wax over the skin. A cloth or paper strip is then pressed on the top and then ripped off with a quick movement against the direction of hair growth. This removes the wax along with the hair and dead skin cells leaving the skin smooth. Waxing provides long lasting results – hair will not grow back from three to eight weeks – plus when hair does grow back, it is soft and not as coarse. However, pain is definitely the biggest drawback.

Trimming – to trim your eyebrows, brush the hair upwards then using a pair of trimming scissors, trim the “excess” hair. This is relatively painless and easy compared to other methods but may be difficult when it comes to more precise areas.

Threading – this is an ancient method used in Asia and should be left to the pros. Basically, what they do is use a 100% cotton thread and twist the hair to pull out a whole row of hair from the follicle. It might hurt a little but is probably the least irritable to your skin.

Shaving – this used to be very popular in Japan. Girls would actually shave off the entire end and fill them in with pencils. I personally do not recommend doing this because looking eyebrowless when you do not have your eyebrows filled in is not hot.

I have never had my eyebrows done at a salon. However, I did have a couple of makeup artist shape them for me during makeovers. Now I trim and tweeze my eyebrows myself regularly.

Eyebrow Shapes
How you shape your eyebrows depends on what kind of look you are going for. Thick dark eyebrows tend to give off a stronger look. Thin brows with high archs will make you look more mature while bushy eyebrows tend to make people look younger. If you have a round face, you might want a more pronounced arch; on the other hand, if your face tends to be more angular, try to soften your look by keeping your eyebrows “rounder”. I would also recommend keeping your natural shape and plucking only stray hairs. Super thin, overpluck eyebrows are sooooo out.

Stay tuned! I will do a tutorial with pics on how to fill in your eyebrows tomorrow.

Related Entries
My Threading Experience

eyebrows, how to

Here’s an entry on eyebrow products for Jadebutterfly.

Eyebrow Powder
Without a doubt, powders give the most natural look. They are great for filling in sparse areas and you can build up the color gradually. Powders also have the most lasting power but they do require an angled brush for application.

Canmake Powder Eyebrow (~$5) This comes in a cute little compact with two different colors and a two-ended applicator. The powder itself is not very pigmented but is sufficient to add a little color to my sparse eyebrows. I also like the tiny applicators that came with it. The slanted one is great for applying the powder onto the arch. My only rant is the packaging. The case is not very sturdy and mine broke within a few months. The powder also cracked so I had to throw it away.

Stila Espresso Eyeshadow ($18) I use this “shimmery grey brown” with my MAC slanted brush to fill in my eyebrows every day for a natural look. The color is perfect and very pigmented. Plus since it is powder, it stays on all day until I take it off. Loves it!

MAC Eyeshadow in Smut ($13.50) Described as a “muted black flecked with red shimmer”, this color can double as an eyeshadow and a brow powder. It is a little darker than the Stila one and works just as great.

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eyebrows, product reviews