Eyebrow shaping

The time when having thick eyebrows was fashionable is well and truly in the past. These days, eyebrows are shaped more naturally and proportionally. Discover the steps to take to emphasise your eyes and balance the features of your face.

Practical advice
- Choose the right time The ideal time to tweeze is when you get out of the shower, as the heat will have opened the pores and the hairs can be removed more easily.
- Don’t leave too much space between your brows Avoid leaving more than one and a half centimetres between your eyebrows, or you might make your nose look bigger.
- Avoid shaping your brows above your natural hairline It’s best to shape from below as the result will be more natural and in proportion.

The right technique
You should stretch out the skin between two fingers and pull the hairs out, one by one, in the direction of growth. Use a precise and sharp movement, trapping the hair close to its root to prevent it from breaking.
Pull out some hairs from the left, some from the right and so on and so forth, to ensure symmetry between your brows.

The right shape
The basic shape of eyebrows and the direction in which the hairs grow cannot be changed. However, all eyebrows should be shaped so that they’re thicker at the head of the eyebrow (the bit nearest the nose) and then get gradually thinner.

Things to know
- To find out the ideal length, place a pencil vertically against the side of your nose and in the inner corner of your eye. Everything that goes beyond the pencil on the nose side should be removed.
- The thickness depends on the size of the head of the eyebrow and the shape that you want. It’s important that the internal corner is thicker than the rest of the eyebrow.
- The outline of your eyebrow should form a curve that’s ¾ climbing, and ¼ descending.

Tips
- For straggly bits of hair, round the shape of the eyebrow by lightly plucking the upper inner corner of the head of the eyebrow.
- For straight eyebrows, round the shape at the middle of the brow by leaving a bit more thickness at the head of the eyebrow and at the external edge, then pluck just slightly above these two points.
- Avoid over-plucking thin eyebrows.
- For arched eyebrows, very lightly shape the point of the arch for a more rounded shape.

Using wax
Warm wax allows you to make an overall outline of the brow. Apply in the direction of hair growth.
Between the eyebrows, use a small, vertical strip. Avoid using wax above the brow.

Note
- Your skin will probably be red as a result of plucking, so shape your eyebrows the night before a party or at least a few hours before, and definitely not on the big night!
- Once you've finished, brush your eyebrows to put them back in their place and touch up if necessary. 

Photo: L'Oréal Paris