Most people say eyebrows are the frame of the face, but let me tell you: now is the time of full-browed ladies like Cara Delevingne and Lily Collins, now, more than ever, brows need to be in tip top shape.
So, here’s how:
1)
First things first: clean up any stray hairs between your brows, or intolerably below your natural brow line. Avoid the super-magnifying mirror, though—we tend to overdo it when we can’t see the big picture. Pro Tip: Tweezerman’s slanted tweezer never lets us down.
Tweezerman Pink Perfection Slant Tweezer, $22, Sephora
2)
Next, brush your brows up and out with a spool brush, to see your natural shape and which areas need to be filled in. This item pulls double duty, but any clean mascara brush does the trick.
Anastasia Mini Duo Angled/Spooley 7, $18, Sephora
3)
Now, the hard part: Filling in your brows. To find the right shape, take an eyebrow or eyeliner pencil that’ll leave a mark, but is easily removable. Mark the spot where the pencil hits when your brows intersect it with each of the following places: The sides of your nose, your pupils, and the outer corners of your eyes.
Then, take an eyebrow pencil and fill your brows in using light strokes, with the points as guidelines. We love Benefit’s Instant Brow because it’s super soft and waxy, so looks natural without making us press so hard we take out real hairs (it’s happened). Brush through with the spool brush to make it even more convincing.
Benefit Instant Brow Pencil, $20, Sephora
4)
If you’re searching for a perfect color match, you can opt for the powder option. These are great for when you just want to darken your brows or fill in sparse areas without creating an entirely new shape (this one’s for you, blondes), and Urban Decay’s Brow Box comes equipped for everything.
Urban Decay Brow Box, $29, Sephora
5)
An angled brush is best for powder application, and we love the slightly flexible synthetic fibers in this one. Natural fibers are usually more stiff, if that’s what you’re looking for.
Benefit Hard Angle/Definer Brush, $20, Ulta
6)
Wax pencils are a great option to keep everything in place if you’ve got thick, unruly brows, although we like to rub it on with our finger for a slightly more natural look.
Anastasia Brow Fix, $21, Beauty.com
7)
Clear mascara is a cheap alternative to wax, and has almost the same effect. Plus, the mascara wand makes for easy application.
Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara for Lash and Brow, $4.79, Drugstore.com
8)
Finish off with a highlighter either right underneath or above your arch—either helps to brighten and open up your eyes. This is one step that we tend to skip but know we shouldn’t, because it makes a surprisingly big difference. If you don’t want to spring for a separate pencil, light pink or bone white eyeshadow has the same effect.
Aisha and Cyra's guide to beauty and fashion 