3 Tips to Solve your Brow Dilemmas

We get told time and time again that eyebrows should be sisters, not twins, but ever had one of those days where they don’t even look like distant relatives? Yeah, it’s quite common and luckily easily fixable with a few helpful tips. Eyebrows can instantly skyrocket your look to new heights when they look on point, so it is great to get practicing with a few things to make sure you feel on top of the world every time you step out of the house.

When you look at your eyebrows, do you ever think they don’t quite suit your face? This is a problem many of us have especially when we have been used to doing them a certain way for years, it can be hard to imagine them any other way. Even knowing where to start can be a pain if you don’t know what it is about them that doesn’t look right or should be more flattering.

We’re very used to seeing a standard shape on the likes of Instagram models and influencers that look perfectly groomed and arched, but this may not be what you want or what looks best on you, so it is always advisable to seek out your perfect shape before committing to something that may be a bit more generic. As a rule of thumb a longer eyebrow with a small arch is flattering on most people, but it can vary slightly depending on your features and face shape. So, let’s see what face shapes go with different eyebrow shapes and help you figure out what might be more flattering on you.

Heart Shape – This face shape tends to be wider at the forehead and finishes with a point at the chin creating that heart shape that we are familiar with. Kourtney Kardashian and Reese Witherspoon are both famously beautiful women that rock their heart-shaped faces and are always seen with a great set of eyebrows for their appearances. Fuller eyebrows suit this face shape as hey help balance a narrow chin and they can even support a low arch, keeping the brows long and fluffy.

Square Shape – Faces that are squarer in shape like Olivia Wilde find that their jaw line and forehead are of similar width and tend to be more defined or angular. To break down those angles and compliment a square face shape, requires a bit more of a curve to the eyebrows as straight brows tend to be less flattering. Try a gorgeous “s” shape to the eyebrows with a medium thickness so that they don’t overpower the face but avoid going too thin as this can create more lines that can be less than complimentary.

Oval Shape – Beyonce is the one you may think of when it comes to oval face shapes as her cheeks are amazingly prominent and tend to be the wider part of the face. Oval face shapes can pull off almost any look, avoiding oval lines, the “s” shape is incredibly flattering, as well as straighter eyebrows that create a balancing focus line between the forehead and chin. Oval shaped faces are also able to go with their natural eyebrow shape and just use some grooming techniques to let them shine naturally.

Round Shape – Think Selena Gomez and Chrissy Teigen here, both strong, beautiful women in their own right and both always have fantastic eyebrows whatever the occasion. Round faces are widest at the cheekbones and have a more rounded chin, so the shape of the eyebrows is most flattering when it creates more definition and angles that really compliment the face. Brows that suit round faces are usually curvy and sultry, with a defining arch and less in fullness and more in glamour.

Oblong Shape – This face shape can be so fun to work with when it comes to the eyebrows as they create definition and range in the face that compliments the features. Oblong faces tend to be longer at the cheek bones and have a more defined jaw than oval faces and therefore really suit longer eyebrows with a soft arch toward the outer corners to create the illusion of a wider face.

Diamond Shape – The diamond face shape is wider at the cheeks but with a narrower forehead and chin to create that diamond shape. Angled arches and fuller brows really suit this shape in and flatter by giving the illusion of a wider forehead. Going too long with the eyebrows draws the eye outward so it is best to keep them neat and concise in their area with some glamour thrown in through clever makeup and grooming.

Now you have an idea of what shape you might want to go for, it’s time to get things in motion and on your way to beautiful brows. Now, there is an old saying – if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it – and I’m a firm believer that if what you have going on already looks good and makes you feel good then it can be best to leave those already beautiful brows alone.

It may be that they just need a little tweaking to achieve your perfect shape, or most commonly that over the years your eyebrows have lost their natural or most flattering shape through over-plucking or a few too many threading appointments. But you don’t have to worry too much, there are so many options available for you now to achieve the perfect shape and have you feeling confident about your brows once again.

The best advice when it comes to your eyebrows is to see someone who knows what they are doing and talk about what it is you want from your brows. There is a lot to be said for professionals who know how to give you that perfect shape in a way that works for you, so before you go picking up those tweezers, find out if a licenced aesthetician or cosmetologist can give you some advice.

It may be a consultation you need or treatments to help with hair regrowth, or it could be that you just need a little reshaping to reach your eyebrow goals, but they can definitely help you with this and as they start to grow out, the most important thing is to avoid temptation to pluck a few stray hairs in the meantime.

Other options include microblading, tinting and threading for brows that need some grooming to achieve a shape that will remain faithful to you, but the issue is this can cost a lot of money in the long run that you may not be willing to part with. So what can you do at home to achieve your eyebrow goals that won’t cost the earth?

Makeup is so unbelievably advanced these days that it can last longer than the few odd hours we were all used to years ago, and specifically shaped brushes can – when used right – make it look like your drawn on eyebrows are your natural ones. This could turn out to be a great way of “reshaping” your eyebrows or testing out different shades on a temporary basis, after all, you only need to wash it off later on to go back to what you’ve got.

If eyebrow growth is your main issue – and after years of putting them through all kinds of states, you may find this is the case – then an eyebrow growth serum could be the thing to help you in growing them back faster so you are ready for a fuller set of brows that you can groom to perfection. Similar to an eyelash growth serum, eyebrow serums add proteins and natural extracts that encourage the hairs to grow and can help repair and sooth the skin around them.

Everything being said, even when the best option is to seek professional help when it comes to eyebrows shaping, you will naturally want to look after your eyebrows either in between appointments or just to save some money. The tip is to do this carefully and sparingly.

Grooming isn’t just about grabbing those tweezers and plucking like there’s no tomorrow though, it is about eyebrow care too. So give them the best shot at feeling great and they will look great too. Always come prepared when you are grooming your own eyebrows at home and have everything ready to give yourself an easier ride.

Lighting – First thing you will need to do is make sure you have natural lighting that you can sit in front of to see your eyebrows in their truest form. This way you can se all the stray hairs properly and the natural shape of your brows. If you don’t have much natural lighting at your disposal, a lighted mirror or vanity mirror should help you get that even light without shadow across your face.

Cleansing – Next you will want to make sure your eyebrows are clean of makeup and your skin is cleansed to avoid risk of irritation or infection if you are going to use tweezers. The best time to groom is after you’ve had a shower when your pores are open, and your skin is softer.

Grooming Tools – Some small trimming scissors are handy to have nearby as well as a great set of tweezers and an eyebrow brush and pencil. Xlash do a brilliant eyebrow and brush combo that is firm and precise to allow you to get the best shape out of your eyebrows, while being super kind to your skin and hairs. Your grooming tools are so important to get right so angled tweezers with a wide grip will help you get even those stubborn short hairs with precision.

Soothing – Have on hand some cooling wipes or aloe vera and soft pads to deal with post-tweezing redness and soreness, this step is important to minimise any pain, soothe the area and keep your eyebrows feeling soft and silky. A cooling gel will do just as well, the main thing is that you have this ready before you start grooming so you don’t have any regrets later on.

Once you are ready to go you will need to map out your eyebrow shape, now this is assuming you aren’t going for a full reshape, but just a tidy up. Start by brushing your eyebrows upward so you get an idea of their length; it may be that they just need a snip using your grooming scissors and you can avoid tweezers entirely. Use your eyebrow pencil to lightly mark your eyebrows at the beginning and end by lining your brush with the dimple in your nose and the most inner part of your eyebrow. Then do the same for the outer edge of the brows. To create your arch, use your pencil to measure out a diagonal line through your eyebrow to the highest point of the brow, by placing the pencil at the tip of your nose and guiding it up through the eyebrow across the eye.

You can play around with this depending on how high you want your arch to be but try to follow your natural shape. Join the points you have made lightly with your pencil and you should have a shape that suits and is symmetrical. Anything outside of the lines you have created (if done correctly) can be tweezed away if you are happy with the base shape.

Then you can clean away your lines begin to fill in your brows with a shade that matches your eyebrows and compliments your tone but try to either go a shade lighter or lightly apply your brush using feint strokes toward the inner edges, so they don’t look so blocky! When all is done you should have solved your eyebrow dilemmas and be on your way to beautiful brows!