10 Simple Steps to the Best Brows of Your Life

I understand that there are a ton of options for brow styling and shaping, which may be really daunting. Since no two brows are alike (really, take a good look at all of your pals), everyone’s path to having “perfect” eyebrows will be slightly different. Having said that, there are a few broad hints, techniques, and hacks you may use to get there. Here are 15 pretty amazing ways to achieve the most beautiful brows of your life, along with the greatest at-home products to try, professional techniques to attempt, and much more.

1. Avoid overplucking your eyebrows.

K, I know some of you already know this, but just to refresh your memory, letting your brows alone is one of the simplest methods to have the finest brows of your life (!!!). Tweezers are great for sometimes eliminating stray hairs, but they’re not the ideal choice for creating defined brows (more on that later).

Umbreen Sheikh, the creator and CEO of Wink Brow Bar, advised Cosmo, “Try to tweeze pretty far away from your eyebrow—you don’t want to do any actual shaping, so just grab hairs that are out of place or further away from your brow line.” The Tl;dr When you take out your tweezers, you’re almost guaranteed to overpluck, so proceed with caution.

2. Select the appropriate brow items

There are a ton of options available when it comes to eyebrow cosmetics, so choosing the perfect one is crucial. First: Consider your brow objectives. Are you attempting to add definition and fill in any gaps? Reach with an angled brush and some brow powder. Are you attempting to gently comb and shape your hair? Add a thin layer of brow gel with a swipe. Not sure what you need or want? There’s no right or wrong answer, so don’t be scared to experiment and mix and match a few items to see which one works best for you.

3. Take into account threading your brows.

The greatest technique, in my opinion, for defining and enhancing your natural brow contour is threading. Threading is quite exact, in contrast to waxing, which works well for vast sections of skin (such your legs or bikini line). “Threading is basically when we take a twisted thread and use it to gently pull the hair from the follicle, which means it can remove hairs that are too short or fine to be waxed,” she explains. “And since threading puts pressure on top of your skin, it can even push hairs up from underneath the surface to grab and remove.” By the way, threading does need a certain level of competence, so consulting a professional before attempting to do it yourself is usually a smart idea.

4. Form using a stencil for the eyebrows

If applying eyebrow makeup freehand seems a bit too difficult for you (you won’t be able to achieve the right shade), consider using an eyebrow stencil, which is simply a small template you can adhere to your brows to keep your powder, pencil, or gel from “coloring” over their natural lines. They’re a terrific way to try out different styles, like a bolder brow or a straight brow, and they come in a ton of shapes and sizes (I prefer the Anastasia Beverly Hills Stencils and the Ardell Brow Perfection Stencils).

5. Make sure to apply your brow cosmetics by flicking them on.

Alright, please, please, please refrain from using a single, forceful swipe of any product to fill in your brows. The idea here is to create tiny, hair-like strokes, so to achieve the most realistic-looking effect, apply little flicking motions (with an angled brush or powder) in the direction of your hair development.

6. Maintain control over the tail of your brow

If you overextend the tail of your brows, it might depress your face and give off a gloomy, melancholy vibe. You want to keep your eyebrows at the natural stopping point, which elevates your face outward. A brow pencil should be placed diagonally at your nostril and lined up with the side of your eye to determine the necessary ending point for the tail of your brow. The end of your eyebrow should terminate (or can be stretched to) where the pencil meets your brow bone without seeming artificial.

7. Construct a convincing arch

Excessively sharp curves indicate bewilderment or astonishment. Therefore, if you wish to make a slight arch but were not born with one, line the center of your eye diagonally with the brow pencil held against your nostril. That’s the natural location for any arch.

Next, use a spoolie brush to aid with downward hair combing. Next, using your preferred brow product (a pencil and a light hand are essential here!), very slightly change the form of your brows to create a little peak where your natural arch is. Lastly, use a spoolie to gently stroke the hairs in your brows back into place, ensuring that the arch seems natural.

8. Soften any sharp edges.

Using a pencil to draw the outline of your brow and then not blending it in might be a dead giveaway that someone is, well, drawn on. A quick fix? Whether you use a pencil, an angled brush topped with brow powder, or brow gel, create your shape with tiny, hair-like strokes, and then use a spoolie to gently buff away any harsh lines with little back and forth motions.

9. Make your eyebrows more defined

I’m not talking about that kind of style; big, brushed-up brows are trendy. I’m referring about unshaped brow hairs that may really offer your face more structure with a little combing and shaping. Too busy to visit a brow specialist? For flawless arches, use your natural brow shape, which is where most of your brow hair falls, and tweeze any stray hairs that fall outside of it.

10. Attend to your weak areas.

You’re not alone if you’ve previously succumbed to over-plucking—I have, too, so it’s cool. Use an angled brush and brow powder to conceal any sparseness, or use a brow pencil. Next, use brow mascara to neaten your brows (tinted or clear works well here).