Before you start tweezing your eyebrows
Choose tweezers that make shaping easier
Before you get to the actual tweezing, you need to pick the right tweezers. No matter how good you are at shaping your brows, poor-quality tweezers will get in the way.
What you want are high-quality slanted tweezers with a precise tip. Low-quality tweezers tend to break the hairs rather than pluck them cleanly, so you may not get the result you're after — and the whole process becomes far more frustrating than it needs to be.
We recommend the Xbrow Tweezer — it has a great grip and excellent precision, making it easy to catch even the finest hairs.
How to soften the skin and hairs beforehand
Softening the skin before you begin makes the hairs much easier to tweeze. Here are a few ways to do it:
- Tweeze directly after showering, as warm water opens up your pores.
- Alternatively, wash your face with warm water.
- You can also soak a cotton pad in warm water and hold it against your brows for a minute or two.
This makes the hairs less stiff and the whole process noticeably more comfortable.
Reduce the discomfort with a numbing gel
Let's be honest — tweezing can hurt. Even with the warm water prep, it can still be quite uncomfortable, especially just before and during your period when your skin is more sensitive.
To take the edge off, apply a numbing gel to the area before you start. It dulls the sensation around your brows and makes the whole experience much more bearable — so you can focus on getting the shape right rather than getting through the pain.
How to pluck your eyebrows step by step
Use the right mirror
Your instinct might be to reach for a magnifying mirror, since it gives you a closer view. But this is one of the most common mistakes when shaping brows.
When you see every tiny hair up close, it's easy to over-tweeze. You step back, look in a regular mirror, and realise you've taken off more than intended — leaving your brows looking sparse and thin.
Stick to a standard mirror throughout. It gives you a truer sense of proportion.
Find where your eyebrows should start
Before you tweeze a single hair, work out where each brow should begin. Brows that start too close together can look like a monobrow, while brows that start too far apart can look unnatural.
Everyone's face is different, but this simple technique works for all face shapes:
- Hold your tweezers or a long-handled makeup brush vertically.
- Line it up with the outer edge of your nostril and the inner corner of your eye.
- Where it lands is where your brow should begin.
Repeat on both sides and mark each point with a white eyeliner pencil.
Mark where your eyebrows should end
Next, find where each brow should finish. The process is similar:
- Line your tweezers or brush up with the outer edge of your nostril.
- Angle it towards the outer corner of your eye.
Mark this point with the white pencil too.
Decide on the thickness that suits your brow shape
Before you start tweezing, decide how thick you'd like your brows to be. This will guide how much you remove both above and below the brow line.
Tweeze your way to the perfect shape
Now you're ready to start shaping. Use the marks you've made as your guide for where the brows begin and end.
Remove hairs that fall outside the brow line — both below and above. Be cautious when tidying above the brow: here, you only want to remove hairs that clearly sit outside the shape, not reshape the upper edge entirely.
Pluck one hair at a time, gripping as close to the root as possible. Work slowly and check the overall shape regularly — this is the best way to avoid taking off too much. Try to keep both brows as symmetrical as possible, though don't worry if they're not perfectly identical. Brows are sisters, not twins.
Finishing touches for well-shaped brows
When and how to trim your brows
If you have particularly thick or long brow hairs, you may want to trim them once you've finished tweezing:
- Brush the brow hairs upwards with a spoolie.
- Trim any hairs that extend beyond the upper brow line.
Soothe your skin after tweezing
After tweezing, your skin will be sensitive and a little red. Always finish by applying a gentle, calming moisturiser to the area.
Tweezing your eyebrows doesn't have to be a daunting task. With the right technique and a little patience, you can shape brows that complement your features and look naturally groomed.
The right tools make a real difference too. A pair of precise, well-made tweezers helps you catch even the finest hairs and shape your brows exactly as you want them.
