Shaping and Styling Your Brows: What Not to Do

There’s no “one-shape-fits-all” answer when it comes to shaping and styling your brows. Just like your hair, your eyebrows should be styled in a way that’s flattering to your face shape, the shade of your brows, and your own personal tastes. But regardless of the exact shape you choose for your brows, there are always a few “don’ts” that you’ll want to adhere to.

Don’t Do Initial Shaping Alone

If you’ve never had your brows shaped before (or if it’s been long enough that they’ve lost their shape completely), don’t try to find the right shape for your brows all on your own. Odds are, you’ll overpluck or over-wax, and end up with a look you are far from loving. Instead, invest in a visit to a professional for your initial shaping. Once they give you that perfect arch, you can work on maintaining it at home.

Don’t Tweeze Above the Brow

When plucking your brows, don’t pluck any hairs above the arch. This can leave you with an odd shape that is far from the initial arch given you by the cosmetologist. Pluck only stray hairs below the arch to maintain the shape.

Don’t Fill Brows with Darker Colors

If you need to fill in your brows with powder or pencil, don’t use anything darker than your hair color. Typically, you want to fill with a pencil or powder that is one shade lighter than your hair. Taupe works well for most people, but you may want a darker shade if your hair is very dark brown or black. Never use a black pencil, unless both your hair and your skin are very dark.

Don’t Pluck Lighter Hairs

Whether you just have some odd, light-colored patches in your brows, or you’re getting a few grey hairs in there, don’t ever pluck them out. It may seem like a fast solution, but eventually, this can leave you with sparse-looking brows. Instead, cover the lighter hairs with pencil or powder.

Don’t Fill in Everything

When using your chosen brow filler, you may be tempted to just swipe it across the entire brow. Don’t. Use short strokes and focus on filling in the sparse areas. This keeps the look natural, as well as preventing you from wasting product on fuller areas of your brows.

Don’t Skip the Daily Grooming

Finally, make sure that eyebrow care isn’t just something you do when your brows need to be reshaped. For a truly perfect brow, you should groom your brows every day. Brush your brows for a smooth, well-groomed look, and use a brow gel to keep them in place. Even if you don’t need to fill your eyebrows, these two simple steps will keep your brows looking fabulous every day.