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Eyebrows 101: A Simple Guide
Many women overlook an important aspect of their beauty routine, either because they just
don’t realize the impact it can have, or because they don’t have a clue how to proceed. I’m talking, of course, about shaping the
eyebrows.
I’ve been bombarded with questions from many different women about shaping their eyebrows and
I realize there could be a dozen different looks on a dozen different women. However, there are really only about four basic shapes for
eyebrow styling: arched, angled, curved, and flat. The rest of the variations are a matter of taste and individual need.
In order to get great looking brows, there are some simple steps to follow:
Step One: Separate and Shape
When it comes to eyebrows, a common problem is a sparse (or sometimes not so sparse) path of
hairs that connects the two eyebrows, and forms a uni-brow effect. Separating the eyebrows is a simple matter of tweezing or shaving the
hairs between the eyebrows in order to remove it.
Typically the eyebrows should extend from the inner corner of the eye to approximately
one-quarter inch beyond the outer corner of the eye. If you use a straight edge of some sort (a ruler, slip of paper, etc.) you can lay
the edge along the line of the lower lid to line up the outer corner of the lower lid and the side of the nose, the line will extend to
the point at which the eyebrows should end. This is also the point at which most brows naturally end, give or take a small amount.
As for shaping the brows, the simplest method is plucking the excess hairs. This can be done using
adhesive strips, hair removal wax, or tweezing. The easiest method is obviously the adhesive strips, since the shape desired can be cut
from the strips and used to remove only the hairs that you don’t want.
The basic shapes of brows are angled, arched, curved and flat and they each have a purpose
and are suited to certain facial types:
Arched: Arched brows are the ideal, generally, and are great for those women
who have exceptionally thick brows that ride low along the brow ridge. The arched brow helps to open up the appearance of the eyes and
give a more alert, bright-eyed look. The arch shape is actually a combination of the angled and curved styles and is characterized by
an upward angle from the inner corner of the eye to approximately two-thirds distance, and finishing with a curve downward along the
outside.
Angled: The angled brow is noted for a sharp angle upward from the inner
corner of the eye, and a downward angle toward the outer edge. Angled brows are great for those women who have rounder or wider facial
features. This style helps to create a more vertical line in the appearance of the face, for a slimming look. It is also great for
closer-set eyes in order to draw the focus to the outside.
Curved: The curved brows are marked by a softly rounded shape that follows
the line of the eyelids, only expanded proportionately. Curved brows are ideal for women who have sharp, angular features, and need an
element to add softness to the overall look.
Flat: The flat eyebrow shape is characterized by minimal curvature along the
length of the brow, and is ideal for women (and most men) who have very narrow faces, or widely spaced eyes.
Step Two: Filling In
Some women face the problem of having very sparse, or very pale eyebrows, which leaves them
looking somehow “unfinished” when they apply make-up, since the eyebrows can fade into the background. To combat this problem, cosmetic
companies have made a wide range of colors of “eye pencils” available to help fill-in and define the eyebrows.
The secret to dealing with sparse or pale eyebrows is to use a shade of brow pencil that
matches or is only slightly darker than your hair color. Use short thin stroke with the pencil that overlap to mimic the look of hairs,
instead of drawing in the entire shape, and smudge the lines using a fingertip or tissue to soften the effect. Some women will use
lightly colored mascara to color in the hairs of their eyebrows when the brows are pale in color, but otherwise full and thickly
grown.
Step Three: Grooming
To finish up the look of the brows, you not only want to shape them and fill in any gaps, but
you want to be sure to comb them or brush them into a proper shape as dictated by the shaping you did earlier. Generally the brows
should be directed up and outward toward the outer corner of the eye at an upward angle.
Some women find that their brow hairs are unruly and they need a way to get things under
control. The easiest solution to this is to use styling gel on an eyebrow comb or small bristled brush to arrange the hairs and make
the hairs hold the shape you desire.
Men vs. Women:
I’m often asked about the difference between shaping the brows of a man versus those of
women. The rules are pretty simple here. Men’s brows are typically shaped following their natural brow shapes, or are given shaping that
is almost opposite that typical of women. For men, the narrowest regions of the brow are meant to be toward the inner corner of the
eye, while the outer ends of the brows are usually thicker and fuller.
Men often need to have their brows trimmed and styled with product to keep them controlled. A
dab of gel or a mist of spray on a brush or comb will help make things manageable and will keep the brows from becoming overly bushy.
Stacy - Stylist ©Hairfinder.com
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