All brows need a little TLC every now and then. Whilst shaping your own arches at home might seem simple enough, it’s easy to go overboard. They can go from full and feathery, to skinny and permanently surprised in a few ill-advised tugs of your tweezers. Read on for some fail-safe tips and tricks that’ll give you, your dream brows at home of your life in a few easy steps.
- Choose the Right Tools
When it comes to shaping your brows, precision is everything. Techniques like threading and waxing offer little control and can often cause breakage and ingrown hairs. So, sharp, slanted tweezers are the way to go when removing stragglers.
Whilst it may not seem essential, your choice of mirror is just as important, so set that magnifying compact aside. Brows frame the face, bringing balance and proportion to the eyes and forehead. Which is why it’s important that you use a mirror where you can see both eyebrows at the same time. You need to see how the shape is affecting your entire face.
- Natural Light is Your Friend
Bright, natural daylight is the best setting for shaping your brows. Take a mirror and prop it up near a window where your face is evenly lit. No need to bother with bright LED lights if you don’t have them. Yes, you’re stunning but trust us, no one is looking at your brows that closely.
- Exercise Caution
Well-maintained brows require a light touch and a whole lot of restraint. Just ask your friend with the stick-thin tadpole brows that was a bit overzealous with her tweezer usage in high school. Thank you, Nineties and early Noughties.
You can easily avoid over-plucking by filling in your brows before grooming them. Use powder or a fine-tipped pencil to define your brows and fill in the gaps in your preferred shape. This way you can see which hairs need to go to get the most even and natural-looking brows. And remember, brows are meant to be sisters, not twins, so don’t hyper-fixate on symmetry.
4- Your Plucking Technique is Key
First and foremost, start with clean skin to avoid a post-plucking breakout. One of the most common mistakes people make when DIY-ing their brows is tweezing in the wrong direction. Plucking the hair in the direction of its natural growth avoids inflammation and scarring. Pull the skin taught with one or two fingers and then tweeze the hair in the direction its growing- usually this is upwards or outwards towards the temple. When you’re done, use a soothing moisturizer or a cold compress to prevent redness and swelling.
5- When in Doubt, RETREAT!
You can avoid brow blunders by strictly sticking to removing stray hairs from underneath your arches. But if you feel you’ve made a mistake or gone too far, put the tweezers down and leave your brows alone. When in doubt go and see a professional!
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Xx
