How to do your eyebrows at home

Eyebrows set the shape of your face, framing those gorgeous eyes and lashes. A little tweak, and you can go from natural to bold.

Maybe that's why brow bars - salons where an expert will tweeze you into shape, keeping with the hottest trends of the day - are so popular. But not everyone has the time (or the budget) to be waxed, tweezed and penciled every time they need it.

Luckily, it's pretty easy to learn how to do your eyebrows at home. Sure, finding the right shape, tool and method for your brows can be tricky. But with a few wise words from makeup professionals, you can get yourself to an eyebrow-raising look in no time.

En este artículo:

• How to shape eyebrows
• How to draw eyebrows
• Drugstore eyebrow makeup

How to shape eyebrows

Let's start at the beginning. What is the current shape of your eyebrows, and what kind of "personality" do they have?

One common complaint: the brows don't match. "Many of us have one 'good brow' and one 'not-so-good brow,'" explains New York City based makeup artist Ashleigh Ciucci.¹ If that's the case, pick your favorite brow and model the other off of it, she advises. And beware of overgrooming. "Remember, they'll likely never be identical," she says. "Think of your brows as siblings, not twins."

New York City based makeup artist Jennifer Capella² advises that the golden rule is to go for a brow shape opposite of your face shape. This means if you've got a long face, you should consider a low-lying arch and straight, elongated brows to add width to the face.

Remember to use what you're already working with. "Right now, a full brow is in. Other beautiful shapes include a straight brow, soft arched brow, high arch brow, thin brow, rounded brow and S-shaped brow," Capella says. Do some research online and check out a few kinds to uncover which shape may suit you best.

Eyebrow tools

To do that shaping work, you’ll need to start with the right tools. Ciucci notes that a mascara wand tool, also known as a spoolie, is one place to begin.

A spoolie brushes your brows up and tames the ends, bringing order to what already exists.

You’ll also need cutting tools, including rasuradoras.

"Safety razors or brow razors may seem intimidating, but they're excellent for removing the peach fuzz that can grow above your brow," Ciucci says. They also work on larger areas of hair that can grow on the brow bone. Just be sure follow the instructions on the individual products and to use them as directed. Generally, you'll want to lightly pull your skin taut with one hand and shave in the direction of the hair's growth with the other, Ciucci advises.

Finally, you’ll need angled pinzas to fine-tune the shape.

"Start conservatively when tweezing. It's all too easy to start and just keep going until you're left with nothing," says Ciucci. Tweeze the obvious outliers, then brush with the spoolie and reassess. Ciucci herself rarely touches the inner corners of the brows, "only cleaning up a 'unibrow' situation when needed."

With shaping, less is more. New York City based makeup artist Natalia Thomas recommends only tweezing or using an at-home wax kit to tidy up the shape if you are experienced with grooming yourself and have a still hand.³ "If you do choose to go this route, use these tools to touch up between brow shaping appointments with a professional," she advises. "Grooming incorrectly can sometimes stunt the growth of your hair, so proceed with caution."

Eyebrow shaping techniques

Once you have the right tools at your disposal, it's time to start. "Grab a spoolie brush to groom your eyebrow hair before you begin so that you can see the shape more easily," Thomas says. "If you have any hairs that are healthier and longer than where the line of your brow ends, snip a bit off the end with eyebrow scissors once you've brushed your eyebrow."

To better help you get the shape you're looking for, you can purchase a brow stencil set. It can give you a general sense of what to keep and what to remove, Thomas notes.

Mark the area inside the stencil with a white eye pencil to sketch the shape you'd like to create. You can also try it freehand if you're feeling confident.

Then, just begin. As you work, use a clean spoolie, brush the brows up and trim any excess hairs poking up. Trim super-long strays with eyebrow scissors and use tweezers to nix any hairs that fall outside your brow map.

How to draw eyebrows

Makeup is the next phase and the main way you'll be shaping your brow between tweezes. Capella recommends starting with a gentle sketch along the top and the bottom. "The ending of your actual eyelid is a good indicator of where the brow arch should go," she says.

You might consider using a clear eyebrow gel to set the shape in place. Once that's done, fill in the shape with your eyebrow makeup of choice.

Try not to overdraw the shape with lines that are too rigid. This can make the eyebrows look less natural than you might like. Instead, use a small brush to blend out the edges. Tidy up any mistakes or any overapplication with a cotton swab.

Once you’re happy with both the shape and the filling in, add some highlighter underneath the brow bone or on the brow tail for that extra brow punctuation.

Drugstore eyebrow makeup

When it comes to drugstore eyebrow makeup, the options are broad and varied. It's a good idea to try out a couple of different types and brands to see which one you feel most comfortable with. Remember, there's nothing wrong with a little trial and error.

Keep in mind what each of the different products is best at:

• Eyebrow pencil: great for precision and adding volume and is often long-lasting, too
• Eyebrow gel: fantastic for holding shape in place and for helping with definition
• Eyebrow tint: ideal for enhancing an already polished shape and for creating a bolder look
• Iluminador: helps accentuate all your hard work as a final touch