How to shape eyebrows: Follow these 5 expert steps for perfect brows every single time.

They, whoever they are, say eyes are the window to the soul. This technically means your eyebrows are the curtain rods (?), and do you really want daggy curtain rods hanging over your soul?

While you ponder that existential conundrum, let’s talk about how to properly shape your eyebrows.

No longer an afterthought, eyebrows are big business in the beauty industry. It’s the reason there’s a confusingly large number of eyebrow gels, eyebrow pencils, eyebrow powders and eyebrow crayons to choose from.

Shaping your eyebrows as a part of your everyday beauty routine can make a massive difference in opening up your eye area, as well as giving your face an instant lift.

So, how does one shape their eyebrows?

To find out, we asked Benefit’s National Brow Artist Hannah Mutze and Sydney-based makeup artist Natalie Wright to share their eyebrow advice.

You can watch Natalie Wright share her eyebrow wisdom in her how to shape eyebrows video tutorial below, post continues after video.

How to shape your eyebrows.

Step 1: Get your eyebrows professionally shaped.

“Eyebrows have the ability to transform your face as they create the appearance of lifted cheek bones, a brighter, open eye area and a more youthful appearance,” Hannah told Mamamia.

“Brow experts are trained in creating the best brow shape for you. Take out the guesswork of DIY tweezing and leave your eyebrows up the experts.”

Nat added, “As a general guide, your eyebrow should start at the edge of your nose, your arch in the middle of your eye and the tail of the eyebrow should align with the end of your eye.”

Eyebrow tinting can also make a big difference, especially if your brows and lashes are naturally fair or blonde. If you’re scared about coming out with very dark eyebrows, Hannah said eyebrow tinting can now be customised to suit your complexion.

“An eyebrow tint makes your brows look fuller, thicker and more defined, and feels like waking up with them already half done. The whole tinting proves takes under 10 minutes and the result is a semi-permanent brow colour which gradually fades over two to four weeks.”

Mamamia’s beauty expert Leigh Campbell discussed eyebrow microblading on the You Beauty podcast, post continues after audio.

Step 2: Always brush your brows.

Once you’ve got the overall shape and colour right, you can easily do your eyebrows yourself at home.

The first step is brushing your brows with a spoolie (a naked mascara wand), which Nat said makes it easier to see if you have any gaps that need to be filled.

Hannah added, “brushing your brows up works like an instant facelift. Consider it the slick, high ponytail of the brow world as it opens the brow area, and straightens the brow – reducing the
appearance of dark circles and puffiness.”

Bonus.

Step 3: Find your eyebrow product of choice.

What eyebrow finish you're after will determine which kind of eyebrow product to reach for.

Nat helpfully summarised what to use for what below:

• Eyebrow pencil = precise and defined brows.
• Eyebrow powder = polished brows with a velvety matte finish.
• Eyebrow gel = thicker, natural-looking brows.
• Eyebrow crayon/cream gel = bold, full brows.

Some of our favourite eyebrow products include: Rimmel Wonder'Full Brow Gel ($11.16), Benefit Gimme Brow+ Volumising Eyebrow Gel ($43), Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz® ($38), Benefit Precisely My Brow Eyebrow Pencil ($43), Benefit Brow Zings Eyebrow Shaping Kit ($55) and L'Oreal Brow Artist Plumper ($18.95).

Hannah also said it's OK to use more than one product.

"You can layer different formulas; for example, for an easy, everyday brow, buff a brow powder through your brows for soft focus shaping and filling, then backcomb a tinted brow gel over the top. The result? Quick, natural-looking eyebrows." (See example of this look below.)

soft & natural ????????‍♀️ Post shape & tint, a tiny bit of lovin’ wit FoolProof Brow Powder & a slick of 24HR Brow Setter #benefitbrows #brows #benefit #beauty @kaitlynrodriguez_

A post shared by Hannah (@hannahmutze) on Feb 28, 2019 at 4:50pm PST

Step 4: Follow the natural shape of your brow and fill any gaps.

One of the biggest eyebrow mistakes we make is colouring our brows in, which can look a bit... intense.

Instead, both Nat and Hannah recommend using light, feathery strokes to gently follow the natural shape of your brows - these will look more like actual hairs. Then, only fill in any noticeable gaps with your eyebrow product. This will look a lot more natural, like your eyebrows on their best day.

"Only apply product where your brows need it – think shape tweaks, and filling any gaps or holes. Your brows will look 100 times more natural and you’ll be saving product. Always follow product with a spoolie or a small brush too, to blend and soften colour in with your natural hairs," Hannah said.

Step 5: Set your brows in place.

The final step is to set all your hard work in place with a clear or tinted eyebrow gel.

"Use an eyebrow gel to finish, as it separates the eyebrow hairs to make things look more natural, and sets them in place," Nat said.

If you don't have any brow gel handy, you could also achieve the same result by spitzing your face with setting spray, then brushing your brows up with your spoolie before the setting spray, well, sets.

That's all, folks.

Have you tried shaping your brows? Tell us about your makeup tips in the comments below.

For more epic, no BS beauty advice, get Mamamia's beauty podcast You Beauty in your ears. It's a blast.

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If you're after more content on doing your eyebrows, check out these:

• This is what Leigh Campbell says when people ask her about eyebrow microblading.
• "I gave myself a monobrow to achieve perfect beauty blogger brows."
• 27 irrational but legitimate thoughts every woman has after getting her eyebrows tinted.