In the beauty business, we teach upcoming makeup artists and hairdressers about face shape and form and line... and how to use our tools to create the 'ideal' look. While I don't agree that there is one 'perfect' face shape or 'ideal' structure that makes a person beautiful, I do know that there are basic guidelines about shape and color that can help enhance a person's favorite features and conceal those one doesn't love so much.
When it comes to eyebrows, just like every other part of our bodies, everyone's are different. Each person has a different shape and color; even your own two eyebrows are not identical. There is one absolute truth about eyebrows, when speaking in the context of beauty- eyebrows are the frame of the face. Your eyebrows can help you look angrier or happier, darker or brighter. They can make your face appear more dramatic or more youthful. There was a photo of Julia Roberts on a Bazaar cover (see slideshow), makeup by Kevyn Aucoin, where she had these smokey eyes, but she still looked so soft. A big part of what created the softness was her brows. If you look closely, you can see they've obviously been colored in and drawn. And even though her eyebrows are quite full, they've been shaped and the color is right, so they don't overpower her face. It's a beautiful shot. (See slideshow above.)
Some would be surprised to learn that there are hundreds of eyebrow 'shapes.' There are a lot of ways to shape and trim and color in your eyebrows, each creating a different look. There are also suggestions about how to change your eyebrow shape based on your face shape, in order to create a different appearance.
Here, we're going to address the very basics. How to trim and create the 'ideal' eyebrow, using your own facial features, and how to 'fill in' or line your brows, if you feel that's necessary.
First, there is a very basic measurement we use in the makeup industry regarding the shape of a brow. It all starts at the bottom corner of your nose. (See photo above.)
- If you had a straight line up from that point (use a pencil in front of a mirror for a visual), that is about where youre eyebrow should begin (see Line 1.)
- If you had a straight diagonal line from the nose corner crossing the outside of your iris (the colored part of your eye,) the point at which that hits your eyebrow hair should be where the 'arch,' or highest point, of the brow is. (See line 2.)
- If you had a straight diagonal line from your nose corner crossing over the outside corner of your eye (where your eyelids meet,) that is about where your eyebrow should end. (See Line 3.)
- Finally, the bottom of the beginning point and the bottom of the ending point should be fairly horizontal. (See Line 4.)
Keep in mind that these are just guidelines. Most people's brows don't exactly fit into any certain mold or shape. This just gives us an idea of where to begin. (Look around online for other, more extreme or alternative eyebrow shapes, if you'd like. This site has some interesting drawings and photos.)
If you want to shape your eyebrows a bit, maybe get them just a bit more 'clean-ed' up or trimmed, these guidelines are a great place to start. Figure out where your 'lines' are. Then you can use tweezers, haircutting scissors, a pair of those tiny nail scissors or even one of those battery-operated hair trimmers to do the job. (You can also use hot wax, but that's not something I'd recommend if you're not familiar with it.) If this is your first time, you may want to use your pencil or another straight tool to remind you of where your guidelines are. Any stray hairs that are inside of your first line or outside of your third line, trim those off. When it comes to your arch, any stray hairs above the eyebrow can be trimmed.
Underneath your arch, you must decide how arched you want your brow to be. The more hair you trim from underneath, the higher your arch will appear. A higher arch can help one look more dramatic or even younger, but be careful not to take it too extreme in the beginning. Slowly move your way around so you don't trim off anything you didn't mean to.
One more trick to trimming brows: use a small-toothed comb to comb your eyebrow hairs straight up (you may even need to 'hold' the hairs up with the comb) and any hairs that are longer than the top line of your eyebrow- cut them off. Then comb downward and trim any hairs that extend past the bottom of the brow.
This trimming and shaping we've just discussed can make a huge difference in the look of the face. I should make your brows look 'sharper' or 'cleaner,' and your face may look a tiny bit lighter or brighter.
If you feel you want to use some makeup to fill in areas that are sparse, or to create a different shape or line, here are a few tips. Keep in mind that naturally eyebrows of a natural blonde are a little darker than their hair. For those with brown or black hair, brows may match hair or may be a tiny bit lighter. Redheads' eyebrows may look browner than their hair, and are often a little darker than the hair. There are also people whose eyebrows are naturally a little lighter than their hair.
As a general rule, if you're 'coloring in' or filling in your eyebrows, or lining them, stick to as close to your eyebrow hair color, or your hair color, as possible. Find an eyeshadow or a pencil that matches as closely as possible. If you're using an eyeshadow powder, take a small brush with powder and gently apply some to the sparse areas. They should instantly look fuller. If you accidentally apply too much, run a comb through it and that should help disperse it. If using a pencil, use tiny, light strokes and apply in an upward direction. When you get toward the outside of the brow, you may start to go in a more diagonal direction so the line of the brow looks right. If it's your first time, make sure you've got some time to 'play' and get it how you want it. If you make a mistake or don't like what you've done, simply wipe it off with a makeup remover wipe or with some facial cleanser. Playing a bit and finding the shape, color and technique that feels and looks right for you is the key, but it may not turn out exactly right the first time. Keep trying til you feel confident and comfortable.
Don't forget about the pros, either! There are many professional makeup artists and cosmetologists out there who work with eyes and brows. A pro could do the service for you, and then give you tips on how to maintain the look. They can also show you different eyebrow shapes you could actually try on yourself. There are stencils, tools and even computer programs out there that stylists use to create different looks for you. If you've never trimmed your brows before, or felt comfortable doing it, I'd recommend seeing a stylist just to discuss the basics with them just to see what their recommendations would be.
In the salon, you can receive waxing, trimming, tweezing and makeup services all for your eyebrows. But the consultation itself is really helpful too.
Every face is different, and every face is asymmetrical (not perfectly even.) And on every face, even though many people don't even think about them, the eyebrows can help the face shine through in a brighter, more polished way- just by being shaped up.
