Author: Joannadarrell

How to shape your eyebrows

1. If you’ve tried shaping your eyebrows before and it hasn’t worked for you, then.  I recommend that you leave them for about 6 weeks before you have another go.  The reason for this is that after this period of time, your natural shape should haver, the goal of shaping is to enhance, not redefine.  Otherwise you will look unnatural.  Yukky !!
2. Mark the shape (so you can see what you’re aiming at)  If you’re not going to use stencils then you’ll need to work out the basic shape.  When I’m doing this for clients, I use an eyebrow pencil and showgirls the three points I’m aiming for.  Imagine a vertical line going straight up the side of your nose.  Where it intersects your eyebrow is point (1).  (It’s where your eyebrow should start from) Next for point (2) imagine a line from the end of your nose that touches your iris.  Where this intersects the upper edge of your eyebrow is point (2).  Its where we want the highest point of your arch or curve to be.  Lastly, for point (3) we want to imagine a line from the edge of your nose to the edge of your eye.  Where this intersects your eyebrow is where we want your eyebrow to end.  Take a look at the graphic below to see what I’m talking about.  A good tip here is make sure that point (1) is at the same height as point (3)

3.  Now that we know the points we are aiming for, it never hurts to give the eyebrows a gentle brushing.  This helps to identify any longer lashes or strays that get flattened down and would normally be hidden.

Knowing the basics – Selecting the right eyebrow for your face shape

In my earlier article, I explained one of the most important concepts in makeup and styling, the Face Shape and why it is so important for getting your look right. In this article, I’ll be talking about selecting the best eyebrow shape for your face. I(f you’re nervous about using tweezers, or its your first time, you can get some stencils here, which help you get an even shape.)
First things first
When we shape our eyebrows, we’re looking for the eyebrow has to complement the eye. Remember, they’re the frame to your eye, which is the main feature. You also can’t work with what isn’t there, so don’t be tempted to overpluck. Your eyebrows know what shape they should be, plucking should complement your natural shape and features.
Oval face Shape.

Generally, most Makeup Artists and stylists consider the oval face shape to the ideal face shape (Lucky you !!) and most of the eyebrow shapes that we discuss for the other shapes will try to make the face to look more oval in appearance.

 
Because the oval face is considered to be the ideal, most artists agree that that you only need a soft arch which goes straight up and then gently curves round at the top and down.

Long Face Shape.

With the Long face shape, because its longer than it is wider, we’re looking to create the illusion of width.
We do this by using a flatter eyebrow shape, with a minimal to no arch which tends to draw attention up, away from the face, emphasising the length.
I’m not a huge personal fan of blocking in eyebrows (ie drawing a rectangular shape and colouring in, creating sharp corners at the nose edge. I personally find it a bit artificial and more for cosplay or younger ladies) But, this is one face shape which suits “blocking in” if you want to try it.

 
Round Face shape.

Thinking about the difference between the round face shape and the oval, you can see that what we want to do is create the illusion of length.

We do this by creating as high an arch as we can within the natural brow shape.

If you’re not using a stencil. Start by creating as high an arch as you can that follows a straight line to the peak of the brow, and creates a more vertical line.

You want some really good lines and angles here, so stay away from a rounded brow shape which will make your face look even more round. Oopsy !!

Square Face Shape.

Unlike the round shaped face I’ve just discussed, because it’s more angular, we’re looking to create a softer arch than with the round face shape.

 
The softer curve will help offset the angles of the lower jaw line. Some makeup artists will also recommend you go for an angle line like for the round face, but I tried this on a client once and we both agreed it wasn’t a good look – it made her face look angular and artificial.

Heart Face Shape.

With the heart shape, because the hair line dominates the forehead, rather than use a defined or soft arch, we’re looking to create the same shape in our eyebrow line.
My preference is to use a more rounded eyebrow. A low rounded brow creates a natural look, which is soft, feminine and attractive.

Some makeup artists will suggest using a high angular arch for a more dramatic look, but my preference is to go for softer more rounded one, purely because I don’t want to appear dramatic every day !!!

Diamond Face Shape

In the unlikely event that you have a diamond shaped face, what we want to do is create the illusion that the face is narrower across the temple line and take away some of the angles of the jawline and forehead.

 
We do this by shortening the length of our eyebrow slightly (not too much as you will make your eyes look wider apart than they really are). What you are trying to do is to take out any thinned areas at the ear edge of the eyebrow to keep it tight and tidy with the edge of the eye.
To soften the angles of your face, use a soft rounded eyebrow, which will help soften the face and offset the angles.

 
So, there you have it in a nutshell, the six basic face types and the eyebrows that suit them !! As I said right at the start, if you are unsure of your shaping abilities, the best thing to do is to get some eyebrow stencils, or, if you are feeling more confident, go to a professional eyebrow threader. They’re quick, painless and really effective !!!

Love and hugs

Joanna