beauty

The seven brow mistakes we're all guilty of - and how to fix them.

Eyebrows have been a ‘thing’ for a while now, with everything from the big and bushy to the downright wacky.

But while YouTube gurus may have perfected their ‘Instagram’ brows, many of us are still bewildered that eyebrows are something we need to ‘do’.

To bring it back to basics, we asked Benefit Australia‘s national brow artist Hannah Terrett for the common mistakes we’re all making – and the tips and tricks we can use to fix them.

1. Matching your eyebrows to their hair colour.

“Most people think their brow colour should ideally match their hair tone but there’s a few things I look at when I’m determining the best tone for someone’s brows,” explains Terrett.

She looks at three things – someone’s natural hair colour, their brow colour and their skin tone – to determine what colour will suit them best.

“It’s always a good guide to go at least shade or two deeper than what you are naturally to give you better shape and definition. It just helps to frame the face, bring the eyes forward, give the face a little more symmetry and balance because they’re framing up your eyes,” she says. (Post continues after gallery.)

2. Tweezing between appointments.

How you look after your brows (if at all) is down to personal preference, but stick to one rather than mixing.

“There’s no right or wrong when it comes to brow sculpting and shaping but it’s best to to leave your brows along if you’re a regular waxer,” she explains.

“If you start tweezing in between you can stunt the growth which can make your brows look a bit uneven. So it’s good to stick to what you’re doing.”

3. Doing it yourself the first time.

"Go and see a brow expert to start you. It's always good having a full consultation to work out what's the best shape for your brows and get a bit of direction from an artist and they can guide you on the next step," she says.

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4. Overplucking.

You're not alone - we all do it.

"Try and keep your brow as thick as you can. The thicker they are, the more natural they will look and it will also give you a more youthful appearance," she says.

Listen: Another helpful fashion study (not). Post continues after audio.

5. Being intimidated by brow products.

"Brow products are just makeup at the end of the day, they wash off! Try not to be too scared of them," she says.

"Start off with a pencil, it's the easiest option for someone who's starting off with brows. Benefit Goof Proof, $42, is really good for a beginner. Just a really easy natural colour. Pencil is easiest to start, then opt for a powder formula, then more advanced try a gel. Pencil is very controlled.

6. Getting the wrong shape.

"Your brow should ideally start on the inside corner of your eye, the highest point of your arch should run through the centre of your pupil and connect to the creaseline of your nose and the tail should end at the outside portion of the eye and connect down to the inside corner of your nose," she explains.

"So whenever I'm shaping anyone's brows, I'll always measure those three points. It's called eyebrow mapping - that's a three-step custom technique we do on every new customer".

brow expert
Image via iStock.
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7. Stressing that they're not symmetrical.

"You know that saying - brows should be sisters not twins? It's very true.

"Like anyone's body, there's always going to be one portion that's going to be a bit bigger, smaller, longer, thinner. Brows are never going to be exactly symmetrical but your job is to get them as close as possible. Definitely don't stress - brows are supposed to have a bit of character."

For the month of May, $10 from every brow wax from Benefit counters at Myer stores nationally will be donated to local charity partners Fitted4Work, Look Good Feel Better and Sister2Sister.  The Bold is Beautiful initiative was introduced by Benefit in 2015 with the aim of fostering women's empowerment through education, access to wellness and financial self-sufficiency.