Brow basics

Despair of having perfectly arched brows? Our simple DIY tweezing technique can make the job easier

If your face is round, aim the end of the brow towards the tip of the ear. For an oval face, the brow should curve down towards the lower ear. For a square face, slope it towards the middle of the ear. A high arched brow elongates a square face For a long face, shape the brow in a straight-ish line towards the tip of the ear.

Some are born with them, some need to acquire them. For, perfectly shaped eyebrows can do wonders for your face. They can frame the face, draw attention to the eyes, and make them looker larger and well defined.

However, first, you need to determine the shape that suits your face.

How to go about it
It's best to have your brows shaped by a professional first, to get the right arch, and then maintain them at home by tweezing the new hair growth. Get yourself a sharp tweezer with fine points if you intend to shape them yourselves.

Here's how:
Always tweeze your eyebrows in a well-lit area. Natural daylight is the best bet, so sit near a window and use a hand-held magnifying mirror. Cleanse the brow area thoroughly. Using a brow pencil, outline the brow's natural line. This acts as a guide and prevents you from plucking too much hair.

Gently pull the skin of the outer edge of your eyebrow up and out so that you can see the brow bone. Tweeze only one hair at a time or you could end up with a mishap. And always pluck out hair in the direction in which it grows.

When you begin tweezing, start at the middle of the brow and work towards your ear, and then work from the middle in towards your nose. Always ensure that the arch is highest above the center of your eye. Pluck out stray hairs first. While tweezing the area underneath the brow, follow the natural shape and avoid plucking hairs from above the brow. Don't pluck too much from either end - brows should extend a little beyond the corner of your eyes.

After you finish tweezing your brows, wipe the area with a cotton bud or swab dipped in some antiseptic lotion to avoid any infection. Rub a piece of ice on the area if it feels sore.

Keep in mind that plucking your eyebrows regularly will eventually slow down hair growth gradually. So avoid going overboard with the plucking, because if you want to change the shape of your brows sometime in the future, the hair may not grow back as easily.

Grooming your brows
Use an eyebrowpencil to define your brows in light, feathery strokes following the direction of the hair growth. Use a pencil with a built-in brush, so you can groom any straggly hairs. You can also try using brow powders instead of a pencil to get a softer, more natural finish.

If you want to enhance thin brows, use eyebrow powders or eye shadows that are a shade lighter than the brows. Apply the powder or shadow to the brows with a small, angled sable brush. Fill in the brow area with color, concentrating on the highest part of the brow arch. You can also highlight the brow bone and define the brow, by drawing a line underneath the brow with a concealer stick, and then blending it with a cotton bud.

If you have a bald spot within the brow, use a brow pencil or powder to fill it in. Again, select a shade that's a little lighter than your brows. Once you've made up your brows, put some gel or spray some hairspray onto a toothbrush and lightly brush it through the brows. This will help the brows look groomed.