A basic guide to eyebrow shaping and how to use an eyebrow brush.
If you’re active on any social media platform, you’ll know that eyebrows are a huge deal. There’s even a style of eyebrow makeup named after Instagram itself, and we wrote a guide for glam Instagram brows so you wouldn’t have to miss out. But before you get experimenting, how much do you know about achieving the perfect eyebrow shape for you? There’s a whole range of eyebrow shapes you can play around with for each occasion, and also a eyebrow makeup tool you must incorporate into your makeup routine so that your brow hairs will bow down to your bidding, no matter which eyebrow trend you subscribe to. It’s time to go back to basics for eyebrow makeup shaping and review the importance of an eyebrow brush.
Eyebrow Makeup Shapes
First things first, let’s talk about eyebrow shapes. With so many mind-blowing eyebrow trends out there like the squiggle brows or McDonald's brows, it can be hard to even decide which eyebrow shape would best suit your look. As we discussed before, natural-looking full brows are at the frontline in eyebrow makeup trends, and a whole new form of brow treatment has sprung up just for the trend: microblading. Of course, if brow treatments aren’t your thing and you’d rather take things in your own hands, you can still achieve the perfect natural brow look - or even Instagram glam brows! - with the right eyebrow makeup tools. But of course, it might be helpful for you to know which eyebrow shape you’re starting off with, because everyone is different!
We’re going to cover three main components of eyebrow shapes. First of all is your eyebrow thickness. You might have thin eyebrows that have naturally always been that away, or perhaps because you over plucked them a bit, back when your mother was gushing to you about the pencil thin eyebrows trend that Clara Bow jumpstarted all the way back in the 1920s (sparse eyebrows can be fixed!). Maybe you’re the proud owner of a pair of fuzzy caterpillars that sometimes speak louder than your words. What’s been trending for the past year is right in the sweet spot of natural looking medium brows - perfectly filled in brows with a natural feathered texture, with just enough substance to look like you were born with on fleek brows.
Next we have the arch height. The curve of your brow can go way high up above (not too high, or that would result in a constantly surprised looking expression), or down low for ultimate sleekness. Finally there’s the arch shape that can adjust based upon how angular or rounded you want your brows to be. A general rule of thumb is that you want your face to look as balanced as possible. For example, flatter eyebrows might flatter a longer face shape, and a rounded arch can soften angular faces.
The Perfect Brow Golden Ratio
While each person’s natural eyebrow shape is different and we want to rock different looks for every occasion, it’s still possible to figure out the ideal proportions your brows need to be in to best suit your face and complement your natural features. Meet the perfect brow golden ratio that was pioneered by Anastasia Soare to create the brows of your dreams. The golden ratio naturally occurs in nature and the human body, so following this eyebrow shaping technique is a fantastic way to achieve natural looking brows that are still polished enough to make you look like you were born to be a goddess.
The diagram might scare you off, but in reality, there are only three simple steps to plotting out your ideal eyebrow shape. First of all, the head of your brow (point A) should begin directly above your nostrils. Next, the highest point of your brow arch (point C) should run in a straight line through the center of your iris and the tip of your nose. Finally, the tail end of your brow should be in line with the outer corner of your eye and nose. Who knew eyebrow math could be so effortless! Try this technique out with some essential eyebrow makeup tools.
Eyebrow Makeup Tools for Shaping
How to Use an Eyebrow Brush
Achieving your dream eyebrow begins with an eyebrow brush. And we’re not talking about just any kind of eyebrow brush, but our Cruelty Free Dual Ended Eyebrow Brush, which comes with both a spoolie and angled brush tip. Just like how you brush your hair before styling it, your eyebrow hairs need taming too! Make sure to brush upwards and follow the direction of brow hair growth for a sleek, polished look - no matter your natural brow thickness. Flip over the brush to the angled tip to apply an eyebrow powder with short strokes throughout the entire brow - again in the direction of your brow growth for a dreamy airbrushed look. But don’t forget about the handy spoolie just yet! For full coverage and to eliminate sparseness, brush over your brows again with the spoolie to distribute pigment for a natural finish. The spoolie end of our eyebrow brush blends out eyebrow makeup and keeps your perfectly sculpted look in place, essential for that natural full brow look.
If you want to glam up your brow game, dip the angled brush end into a multi-tasking brow gel to line along the bottom of your arch and define the brow tail. Our angled brush tip was designed for precision and crafting the perfect brow, so you can feel like a brow guru in no time.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★Fave brow brush
It's tough to find a dual brush like this, with the angled tip and spoolie brush -- perfect combo! The angle brush end works so well for filling in my brows. It's precise and distributes the product smoothly. Bonus for being pretty with the pink handle and white bristles!
Andra, Verified Buyer of Cruelty Free Dual Ended Eyebrow Brush
★ ★ ★ ★ ★Love this brush!
It is easy to give precise applications with this brush, and I love how I can smooth out the brow with the other end of the brush after applying my eyebrow color.
Sarah W, Verified Buyer of Cruelty Free Dual Ended Eyebrow Brush
If you’re looking for an eyebrow makeup tool to boost your thin or sparse eyebrows, our Green Tea Fiber Brow Builder is an essential. Add natural-looking definition and pigmentation with the flick of a spoolie wand. This lightweight fiber gel formula contains green tea leaf fiber to effortlessly add volume and shape your brows to your heart’s desire, while pro vitamin B5 and vitamin E fortify your brows for more lush, natural brows. The green tea fibers help keep your brushing efforts in place.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★Great Product!
I love it! It’s light; yet highlights the brows and keeps them in place!
Anja S., Verified Buyer of Green Tea Fiber Brow Builder
★ ★ ★ ★ ★I really needed this, and now it's mine
My brows look like a half-chewed hayfield from overplucking way back in the stone age; something had to be done. I decided to give this a try and I am very glad I did. Much more precise (and much less smudgy) than using an eyelash mascara; this makes the brows I have left look full and beautiful. I have naturally long, sparse brow hairs; my skin is very light, and my natural hair is very dark. This texture, tone, and shade work really well on me. It's flattering, easy to use, and cuts down on my brow-sculpting time, which is gold, so thanks for helping me streamline my morning rush.
Marianne L., Verified Buyer of Green Tea Fiber Brow Builder
- Tags: make up, Makeup, March-2018
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The information in this article is for educational use, and not intended to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and should not be used as such.