Beautifully shaped eyebrows act as a frame to set off your eyes, just as your hairstyle sets off your face and a picture frame sets off a beautiful painting. It’s no exaggeration to say that brow shape can make - or break - your look.

Well-shaped brows can also take years off your appearance. And although brow shapes may come and go the basics of shaping stay the same.

Even if you’ve always been a little intimidated about how to go about brow design, here’s how to create mistake-proof eyebrows every time:

The Basics

1a)Stand in front of the mirror. Look straight ahead. Try visualizing an imaginary straight line from the base of your nose to your eyebrow. (You can also use a pencil as your line, if it helps).

First, imagine the line (or place your pencil) straight up from the outside base of your nose to the browline -ideally, that’s where your eyebrow should begin (A).

b) Second, looking straight into the mirror, imagine the line (or place the pencil) slanting across the center section of the eye, to the right of the pupil. That’s where the arch should be (B).

c) Third, imagine your line (or place your pencil) angling even further, straight past the outer corner of the eye. That’s where the end of the ideal browline should reach (C).

2. Tweeze excess hairs

Working from underneath the brow to even up and clean up the line. Does the line of the natural brow stops short of the outside corner (point C above? )

No problem. Use a freshly sharpened eyebrow pencil to draw a thin, delicate line to extend the browline to the outside of the eye. Blur the color, lightly with a fingertip.

3. Lift the Arch

To lift the arch of the brow higher, tweeze hairs from just below where you want the arch to be highest. This also instantly “opens” the look of the eye.

4. For Thin or Sparse Eyebrows

The eyebrows should be at their fullest at the inside edges, right above the inside corners of the eyes (A). If your eyebrows are thin or sparse, fill in with short, slanted hair-like strokes with your brow pencil.

Follow with a stiff brush dipped in complementary eyebrow powder color. Use the same motion to apply it, adding more weight to the pencil color. Let the line gradually thin out as it goes past the arch of each brow (B).

Shaping - Intensive

Shaping your eyebrows beyond basic grooming is best done by a professional. Although, once you get the line and shape you want, you may be able to maintain it with regular tweezing yourself.

For more extensive re-shaping - with waxing, lasers, electrolysis or threading - consult a professional and plan on regular repeat visits to maintain the look.

Tweezers Tips

The best tweezers are slant-edged, with a slightly textured, rough point that grasps the hair easily. You shouldn’t have to yank to pull the hair. For more control, some styles come with scissor-like handles.

Plan on replacing tweezers every 2-3 years when they get dull and lose their grip. Some manufacturers will even re-sharpen your tweezers for free if you mail them to the company.

Keep your tweezers clean. Dip a q-tip in a little antiseptic or alcohol and swab over the area before and after tweezing. Best time to tweeze: at night, after thoroughly cleansing your face, before bedtime. This allows any redness or puffiness to go down before your morning makeup.

Color

Always choose a brow color that matches or flatters your haircolor and skin tone. In general, natural-looking brows for day and stronger, more dramatic brows for evening.

If you make a dramatic change in your haircolor, lighten or darken your brows accordingly. You’ll find more color choices in powder brow colors than in pencils. Experiment with a few shades to find your best look - perfectionists can even blend 1-2 colors together for a custom effect.

Sharpen pencils before every use for precise shaping. If you use powder formulas, wash the brush and air-dry after every 2-3 uses. The brush will drag, skip, and spill too much color if it’s overloaded with powder.