Natural is Best - The Most Flattering Shapes

Eyebrows create a flattering frame for the eyes and lend balance to the face. A well-shaped brow can also deflect attention from what you consider a flaw, such as close-set eyes or a wide nose. First, consider what you don't want: patchy, over-tweezed brows; tadpole brows with a thick inner corner and nearly nonexistent line; or brows tweezed into an unnatural half­moon shape. Such misshapen lines create an unfavorable frame for the eye and diminish your good looks. For instance, too-thin brows can make your nose seem wider, tadpole brows lend a furrowed expression to your face, and half-moon brows give your face an appearance of permanent fright.

Limit your hair-removal activities to between, underneath, and at the outer edges of the brows. Shaping above the brow can lead to a flat, archless, unnatural-looking line.

Now consider what you do want: a realistic line following your natural brow shape. After all, when it comes to flattering shapes, nature has probably done much of the work for you.

Preparing to pluck

Ready to shape up those brows? Always bear in mind that your aim is to make the most of what you were born with. The best time to tweeze brows is after a shower or bath, when your hair is at its most pliable; this will make for easier and less painful plucking.

If you have especially sensitive skin, consider numbing the brow area with a topical analgesic such as Anbesol before plucking.

Tweezers at the ready

Stand or sit in front of a mirror. Natural light is ideal, but bright artificial light will also work. Identify obvious stray hairs between brows, under brows, and at brows' outer corners. Using a good-gripping pair of tweezers, grasp individual hairs near their roots. With swift, sharp movements, pluck hair in the direction it is growing.

Styling tips

If necessary, do minor reshaping. Unless your eyes are close-set or wide-set, brows should start at the inner corner of your eye and end slightly beyond the eye's outer corner. Removing hair judiciously along the underside of the brow creates more lid space, making small eyes appear larger and more open.

If your eyes are close-set, consider starting brows a few hairs farther from the eye's inner corner. Creating a wider space between the brows mimics the look of average-set eyes. If you have wide-set eyes, create the illusion of average-set eyes by starting brows closer to your nose, and then removing a few extra hairs from your brow ends. With a brow brush or an old toothbrush, brush brows vertically. Trim any individual hairs that are noticeably longer than the rest. As we age, our brow hairs often grow longer and more unruly. In other words, when you are 30, your brows may look tidy with no trimming, while at age 50 you may find numerous hairs in need of snipping!