Being able to do your own eyebrows is a seriously underrated skill. You can’t skip or skimp on shaping them because brows help frame your face and are a crucial step for makeup application. So what’s a girl to do when a quick trip to the salon is not an option?

Fortunately, with the right set of tools, proper guidance and a little bit of practice, you can shape your eyebrows at home. Here’s a detailed step-by-step guide to eyebrow shaping in the comfort of your own home!

 

Step 01: Let your brow hair grow out

Step 01: Let your brow hair grow out

We bet your mother’s words are ringing in your ears right about now, “Leave your brows alone!”. Over plucking your brow hair can affect their regrowth, disturb their natural shape and lead to thinning over time.

Before you undertake the Herculean task of shaping your brows, take your hands off of them for at least six to eight weeks. Cancel any threading or brow waxing appointments and don’t randomly pluck at home. Give them the ideal environment to grow by applying Vaseline Aloe Soothe Skin Protecting Jelly and leaving it on overnight.

 

Step 02: Pick a flattering shape

Step 02: Pick a flattering shape

Once your brows have grown to their full potential, pick a shape that is most flattering to your face shape. The trick lies in choosing an easy-to-do arch that is most suitable for your face shape.

  • Oval-shaped face: The ideal face shape that suits any haircut, makeup application, or brow shape...oval faces can pull off full and softly angled eyebrows without breaking a sweat.
  • Square-shaped face: High, curved arches flatter square shapes as they can soften and lengthen your face.
  • Heart-shaped face: Soft arches which can balance your longer chin and fuller features will look flattering on people with this face shape.
  • Round-shaped face: To add structure to round faces, you can go for fuller brows with a sharp, angled arch. You can also widen your face by placing the arches far apart from the nose.
  • Rectangle-shaped face: Straight brows with a gentle arch help widen rectangular shapes, making them the ideal shape for long faces.
 

Step 03: Trim the longer hair

Step 03: Trim the longer hair

Before you jump in with a tweezer, trim the longer hair of your eyebrows first. Use a spoolie to brush up your brows and with a small pair of scissors, trim the longer hairs sticking out of the bristles. Make sure to only trim the long ones and not crop it too close, as this mistake is irreversible until the hair grows back.

 

Step 04: Prep for plucking

Step 04: Prep for plucking

Much like your skin before makeup, your brows need to be prepped before eyebrow shaping as well. Open up the hair follicles by gently massaging the brow bone with your favourite facial oil. The massage also lubricates your skin, prevents hair from breaking and makes the tweezing process considerably less painful. Use a gel brush to coat the hairs with the oil after you are done massaging the skin underneath.

 

Step 05: Tweeze!

Step 05: Tweeze!

Say this with us - “Less is more!”. Go in with the tweezers with the mindset of doing the bare minimum. Hold your skin taut with one hand and tweeze with the other hand, plucking the hair in the direction of the hair growth. Do this in natural light, as magnifying mirrors can make them look bushier than they really are.

Only tweeze the stray hair that you see underneath your arch; leave the baby hair untouched, as they give your brows additional texture. Keep stepping away from the mirror to see how they look from a distance.

 

Step 06: Calm the redness

Step 06: Calm the redness

Once you are done tweezing, calm the redness of your brow with a cooling gel. The Lever Ayush Natural Ayurvedic Aloe Vera Cooling Face Gel works wonders to calm the redness, tightens pores and gets rid of any irritation caused by metal tweezers after eyebrow shaping.

 

Step 07: Fill in the bald spots

Step 07: Fill in the bald spots

Once your brows stop being mad at you for all the plucking, take an eyebrow pencil and fill in any bald spots that catch your eye. The Lakmé Black EyeBrow Pencil helps fake a fuller finish after eyebrow shaping and fills in spots that need some extra texture.

 

Step 08: Let them settle in

Step 08: Let them settle in

Once you are done with eyebrow shaping at home, let your brows settle in on their own. Leave them be and don’t tweeze or pluck for another six weeks. You can reshape them once they start showing signs of getting shaggier!

 

Did you know?

Did you know?

As mentioned before, your eyebrows ideally need six to eight weeks to grow and show. But did you know that they go on overdrive during the summer? Yes! Brow hair grows faster in the summer because the warm weather and humidity give the nourishing conditions needed for hair growth. You are also more active in the summer, which livens up the hair follicles and increases blood flow to the face.

 

FAQs about eyebrow shaping

FAQs about eyebrow shaping

1) Is it wrong to trim your own eyebrows?

A. No, if done right, eyebrow shaping can be easily carried out at home. It is a much better option than shaving the extras with a disposable razor or getting it waxed at the salon.

2) Does castor oil help grow out eyebrows?

A. Truth be told, there aren’t any scientific studies that suggest castor oil aids any kind of eyebrow growth. Having said that, there is no harm in using castor oil to show your brows some TLC. Even if it doesn’t help in hair growth, it can definitely nourish the brow hair to make them look thicker!

3) Do straight brows make you look younger? 

A. Yes, straighter brows manage to mimic the shape you had when you were younger. They are more natural-looking, giving you the freedom to wear them without makeup. All of this contributes to the youthful charm of straighter brows.