The eyebrows have it

If there's one beauty task that can be done at home, it's shaping your eyebrows. Once you know how, it's surprisingly simple.

There are two methods for shaping eyebrows: waxing or plucking. Waxing can be tricky and messy and not as accurate as plucking. So if that's the way you want to go I'd strongly suggest going to a salon with well-trained professionals. All eyebrow plucking requires however, is preparation, patience and a steady hand. If you follow my easy guide, you really can achieve gorgeous results - in the comfort of your own bathroom!

1. Prep your eyebrows

Always pluck your eyebrows immediately after a shower and after applying a pre treatment cream like Revlon Pre & Post Tweezing Cream. Your skin will be softer and the hair follicles looser, making the process more bearable.

2. Find your ideal shape

Drawing a basic template for your eyebrows is a great idea and makes plucking so much easier.

To determine the length of your brows: hold a soft white kohl pencil along the edge of your nostril up to the inner corner of your eye. Follow this up and mark a dot at both the base and top edge of your eyebrow. Repeat the same process, but this time, line the pencil up with the outer corner of your eye and mark with a dot.

To outline the bottom edge of your brows: start at the nose and draw a gentle curve on the underside of your brow from dot to dot.

To outline the top arch of your brows: place the pencil against your nostril and line it up with the outer edge of your eye. Mark this point at the top of your brow. Now join the dots along the top edge of the brow, curving gently as you go. If you have thick eyebrows you'd like to slim down, simply bring the marks further in to the brow.

3. Pluck your eyebrows

You've done all the prep work, now for the fun part! Remember - plucking is a job that needs to be tackled with confidence and a sense of purpose. So be brave! And make sure you have a great pair of tweezers. I find slanted tweezers easier than pointed ones; check out Revlon’s Vision™ Pink Tweezers, in store now. 

First, brush the brows out so you can see where the hair shaft meets the skin. An eyebrow brush is essential here, the two-in-one Manicare Brow & Lash Comb is perfect for the job.

Pluck the hairs that fall outside the kohl lines to create your new brows. To minimise pain, firmly grab the hair shaft close to the base with tweezers and yank it in the direction of hair growth. If plucking still hurts pull the skin taut to ease the pain.

Alternating brows every 3 to 4 plucks eases any pain and ensures symmetry. If you hold the end of the hair, it could break and refuse to come out. Try to avoid making facial expressions, like lifting your brow, as this distorts the shape and throws out the balance you're trying to achieve.

Some brows need taming as well as shaping. Long, unruly hair which curls above your brow should be trimmed. Brush the brow hair straight up towards your hairline and anything that goes outside the line you've drawn should be trimmed off with sharp nail scissors.

4. Assess your eyebrow shaping handiwork

Wipe off the white lines and step back to see the result. Tweeze any uneven spots.
Revlon Pre & Post Tweezing Cream will calm your skin, especially if it's a little red and irritated.

5. Add colour to your eyebrows

Now you have the desired shape, 'fill' your brows in with a brow pencil such as Revlon ColorStay Brow Enhancer or Prestige's Brow Liner. Even if you feel you don't need it, subtly shading your brows makes an amazing difference and frames your face. Subtle is the key word here.

Match your eyebrow pencil to your brow colour and lightly 'feather' it on with short strokes, up and out in the direction of the hair growth. Brush your brows in between every few strokes to blend in the colour. Stand back occasionally so you can see your progress. Finish with Prestige Brow Gel - it's like hairspray for your eyebrows!
Knowing how to shape your eyebrows gives you the freedom to choose and experiment with different styles. If you go thin and stay that way for a long time, the hair will not grow back. Fashion always swings from one extreme to another, so you have to follow it, but with a wave of your tweezers you just might be able to keep up! 

Priceline ♥'s these eyebrow shaping and beautifying products, which are in store right now!

Revlon Pre & Post Tweezing Cream

Manicare Brow & Lash Comb

Revlon Vision™ Pink Tweezers

Revlon ColorStay Brow Enhancer

Prestige Cosmetics Brow Liner