If your brows are bushy
Full eyebrows are a sign of youth and vitality, but that doesn’t mean you can’t shape them up a bit. Nothing makes a face look polished more than a set of well-groomed brows.
If you prefer a thinner shape, try tweezing the underside of your brows to open up the eye area. Always, always tweeze with caution—over-tweezing is brow mistake numero uno and can make your eyebrows look scary and harsh.
If you like your brow shape but it’s the individual hairs that are unruly, trim with brow scissors rather than tweeze.
If you’re in a pinch and need to groom in a split second, use a brush-on eyebrow gel to smooth the hairs into a cohesive shape. It’s a simple thing, but it will instantly make your face look pulled together.
You can also lighten your brows to make them appear more subtle, but don’t try bleaching your own brows at home. “They can turn orange,” celebrity brow expert Anastasia Soare warns. “Instead, try semi-permanent hair color in a lighter shade, and leave it on for just one minute. It’s safer to do it again in a few days (if you still want to go lighter).”
We recommend: Laura Geller Eyebrow Tint & Gel Tamer, $22Anastasia Tweezers, $28
If your brows are thin
Well-groomed brows frame a face, but if yours are thin or sparse, proceed with caution.
There’s nothing quite as horrifying as tweezing your eyebrows, just to look up and realize you went way too far. “Over-tweezing is the most common problem I deal with in my salon,” celebrity brow expert Anastasia Soare says.
The rules she tells her clients to make sure they avoid overdoing it? First, always use a regular mirror and avoid magnifying mirrors. The up-close view encourages over-tweezing.
Secondly, have a shape in mind before you start, then tape a photo of an ideal brow on the mirror. Use a pencil or brow powder to draw that shape over your brow before you start, and then only tweeze or trim outside of the shape.
Here’s an anti-aging tip: Fuller tends to be better. Brows naturally thin over time, so full brows scream youth. If yours are looking sparse, lightly fill them in with a brow pencil or brow powder.
We recommend: Sephora Arch It Brow Kit, $35
