The Brow Code is here: Our guide on how to get perfect brows – all you need to know about defining the arch, using the right products and all the eyebrow hacks!
How to Get the Perfect Brows
We have made a list for the must-know tips for shaping eyebrows and the must-have brow makeup! Check out to know how to get the perfect eyebrows.
1. How To Shape Eyebrows
To shape your eyebrows, it’s important to mark the beginning, center and end points. Place an eyebrow pencil vertical to your nostril – that’s where your eyebrow should begin. Mark it with the pencil and gently swing it towards your outer corner of your eye and pencil it in to make your end. Swing it back, across the center of your iris, is where your eyebrow should arch.
Achieving the perfect eyebrow involves removing the strays, trimming longer strands, brushing them evenly and filling any gaps. Let’s take a look at each step one by one.
Removing Stray Hair
This is a big part of shaping the eyebrows, especially if you have thick eyebrows.
- You can shape your eyebrows by either tweezing, waxing or threading.
- Waxing and threading are the fastest ways to shape your brows. But while threading can be more precise, waxing has a lot of space for mistakes, so it’s best to get it done by a professional for beautiful eyebrows. Also read: Eyebrow Threading: Benefits, DIY and a Beginner’s Guide to Hair Threading
- Threading is the most accurate and guarantees the perfect eyebrow arch.
- Threading can also be done at home. But tweezing is the easiest way to shape brows at home. Practice and patience is key. Be sure to tweeze only outside the natural line of your eyebrows to avoid making them too thin. Pull them in the direction of hair growth and hold the skin taut to reduce pain.
2. How to Trim Eyebrows
Here are a few tips if you’re trimming brows by yourself!
a. Be sure to be in a well-lit room.
b. You can use a plain or a magnifying mirror while doing this. Use an eyebrow brush or your fingers to comb them out in the direction of the hair growth. Carefully and patiently twitch off any unruly and stray hairs.
c. Brush them with a spoolie and snip off only long hairs, one at a time. Finally, soothe any irritation by applying a cooling gel.
3. How to Fill in Eyebrows
First set your eyebrows in place with a clear gel. A pencil helps you create a more natural look and conceal sparseness. Start off with a pencil and upgrade to a gel pomade once you get the hang of it. Filling in eyebrows ain’t rocket science. With practice, you will master eyebrow shaping.
- Make sure you choose a pencil that’s close to your natural eyebrow color or only a shade darker.
- Use the natural brow hair as a guide. Fill in more where the hair is thicker and less where the hair is sparse for the most natural look.
- Fill in the bald spots by starting off a little near the arch and feather in, into the tail. Apply small light gentle strokes and go as gradually as you can. Being light handed on the brush is supreme.
- Always take a step back from the mirror to have a look and then proceed with any filling in to get the perfect brows.
Quick Tip:
Before beginning, sharpen your pencil to a really fierce point. If you’re living in a warm country and cant make the pencil get as sharp, pop them in the fridge overnight.
How to Draw Eyebrows
Overly drawn on eyebrows are out nowadays. So try to use the filling-in method unless your eyebrows are really, really sparse.
- Settle on a color which is a shade or two lighter to your hair color. Shades of brown transfer a softer look.
- Build up the eyebrow by cross hatching and mimicking the direction of your hair growth with an eyebrow pencil for perfect brows.
- Straight lines are a complete no-no as they give a bold unnatural look.
- Slightly dab on just a tad bit of loose powder over your eyebrows.
- Last step to paint some eyebrow lacquer or sealer and let it dry. This will protect your brows from being sweated off, rubbed off or smudged off.
How to Arch Eyebrows
Side of the nose, across the center of your iris is where your eyebrow should arch. This should be slightly right of the center of your natural eyebrows.
- Your arch should not be in the center or near the end drawn for eyebrows. This shape will give the illusion of surprise or boredom!
- Your arch should always have a natural curve, never a sharp angle.
- Deepest part of the eyebrow while filling in should be your arch.
- Highlight your brow bone with a highlighter or cream shimmery eyeshadow to enhance the arch.
4. How to Make Eyebrows Thicker
Unless you have sparse brow hair, sometimes just filling in with brow gel, cleaning off any face powder that may have gotten onto the brows and brushing them can give the appearance of thicker eyebrows. For lighter or sparse brows, here’s how to make eyebrows thicker:
- Use a very thin angled brush and start creating hair like strokes along the lower line of your eyebrows close to the grain with an eyebrow gel.
- To make them look fuller than the natural growth of the hair, flick them upwards along the front, slightly diagonal near the arch of your brows and downwards towards the tail of your eyebrows.
- Slicking on a coat of light gel gives extra weight to brows and adds that elusive thickness.
- Repeat the step again and layer to create some texture and perfect eyebrows.
- Help define with a concealer on the underneath of your arch.
- You can also use natural oils that help with the growth of eyebrows like sweet almond oil.
5. How To Use Eyebrow Powder
If you are blessed with naturally beautiful eyebrows then just doing this step will take it to the next level by using eyebrow powder, you can achieve those perfect brows..
- When you use the powder, brush your eyebrows upward to form a shape you want to follow.
- Use your ring finger or q-tip to smear some eyebrow wax over your eyebrows.
- Dip an angled brush into the brow powder, proceed with little strokes with the powder starting from the arch into the tail and faintly around the front.
- Fan in the brush with a lighter powder all over the brow, to add a little dimension.
- Set them all in place with an eyebrow gel.
Hack:
You can also set your eyebrows with some hairspray in a spoolie.
6. How To Darken Eyebrows
Eyebrows frame the eyes and really define the face. Properly filled-in, well arched and perfect brows can really transform the face. It makes them look much younger and attractive.
Darkening Eyebrows with Mascara
An easy and quick tip to darken eyebrow, once you’re done with your makeup, give your mascara a quick dip and scrape off the excess. Run the spoolie gently over your eyebrows, applying it evenly without making it too dark. It helps to clean any makeup that may have gotten on the brows and also helps set them in place.
Pro-Tip:
Use your old mascara for a lighter stroke, which matches the brows better without being too dark.
Darkening Eyebrow with Eyebrow Powder or Eye Shadow
Dip the brush in the pigment and slowly and precisely brush it over the shape of your eyebrow. Use a very thin brush to avoid getting excess product. Avoid smudging and wearing off by setting them in with a clear gel.
7. How to Fix Eyebrows
Sometimes makeup can go wrong! But that’s alright, we’ve all been there. You might make a sharp arch or overdraw your brow too much. Here’s a simple eyebrow survival guide:
No Arch:
There are so many different eyebrow shapes from rounded to arched, thin to thick. If you have naturally round eyebrows, you can mimick the arch with makeup but it’s better to just embrace your natural eyebrow shape. Highlight underneath the outer half of the eyebrow and brow bone to bring in some light to that section. Et, voila !!
Over-Plucked/ Bald Spots:
Mimic eyebrow hairs with the use of an eyebrow pencil or gel in the sparce spots and little around the rest of the eyebrow to make them look even and natural. Follow it up by brushing with a spoolie. Fake it till you regrow it is the key to get the perfect brows.
Unruly Brows:
Tame the unruly brows by brushing them upwards and giving them a slight trim. Make sure not to make them too cropped. Look closely and trim only one hair at a time. You can also set them in place with eyebrow gel or matching mascara.
Growing Out Your Eyebrows:
The only way you can fix the mistake is to patiently wait for them to regrow. It may take a day or two. But eventually, it grows back. However, you can try these simple hacks to grow your brow soon. Apply as less product as required around the region – keep it tidy. Religiously brush your eyebrows with castor oil or lash growth serum to speed up the process. And get closer to the perfect eyebrow goal.
8. How to Even Out Eyebrows
Once you’re filling them up, brush them with an eyebrow comb to dust off any excess and even them out.
Perfect brows are like sisters and not twins, so don’t worry about them not looking the same. They are meant to look similar and not identical.
You are never really done taking style notes or fashion/makeup tips or tricks with new trends and fashions emerging every day. So keep learning to master the art of brow perfection.
Hope you found our tips on how to get the perfect brows helpful. Share your eyebrow styles @shilpaahujadotcom on Instagram. We would love to check out your beautiful eyebrows!
Also read:
–Eyebrow Threading: Benefits, DIY and a Beginner’s Guide to Hair Threading
– What’s Your Eye Shape + Best Makeup for Your Eye Shape
Shazia Bargathullah is a regular freelance writer at ShilpaAhuja.com. She is also a fashion design graduate from iNIFD. Her journey started with a keen visual eye, an interest in styling and a passion for design. She has an expertise in modest fashion and writes about makeup tips, beauty trends and runway-inspired fashion ideas. She is also the author of the blog Devil Wears Parda. For comments and feedback, please email [email protected].