For instance, a good place for your eyebrow to “start” from the inside is in a straight line with the inside of your nostril. Use a card or piece of paper to make straight line up from the part of your nostril closest to the middle of your nose. Some people recommend you start from the outside of your nostril instead. You can pick your preference. Some people say making your eyebrows too far apart can make your nose look bigger.
For the outside of your eyebrow, use a card to line up the outside of your nostril with the corner of your eye. Keep the line going up to your eyebrow, which designates the outer edge.
Use the card to help you mark the arch point by making a straight line from the outer edge of your nostril through your pupil into your eyebrow. Use a white pencil to put a mark the arch point.
Do the same going towards the outside on the bottom, but going down instead. Also add lines across the top. Make a line going from the inside point to the arch point, then one from the arch point to the outside point. You can thin your eyebrows out a bit if you find them too bushy by bringing in your natural lines. However, you don’t want to make them too thin, as they will look wispy.
If you want, you can make a more natural shape by creating a more pronounced curve. In that case, follow the line of your eyebrow instead of making straight lines across the top and bottom.
A spoolie brush is basically a mascara brush that you don’t use for mascara. You can find them at most drug stores and make up counters, or you can wash off an old mascara brush.
Brush the tips you cut off away so that they don’t get caught up in the wax. Also, when brushing, if you notice that any hairs hang over the side of the brush, you can trim them, too. However, you don’t want to trim too much. It’s important to leave your hair long enough for the wax to pick up, meaning at least 2 to 3 weeks of growth. Mostly, you only want to trim the hairs that you are not going to wax, the ones that are inside the shape you want. [8] X Research source In addition, most of the time, your beautician will also trim your eyebrows for you if you get them professionally waxed. You might as well let the expert do it.
Definitely skip any retinol product for several days before waxing. Also, skip your astringents and exfoliating products. These products often have ingredients that will make your skin more sensitive.
Cut the wax strip in half or so, so that it is only about 1/3 of an inch thick. You don’t need a very thick strip for your eyebrows. Warm the strip with your hand. Cut wax strips to the right length, and apply along the lines you’ve created, making sure to do so in the direction your hair grows. Rub your fingers over the strips several times, warming the strip up and making sure it’s adhered to your skin. Remove the strip quickly to pull off hairs. Apply a cold compress or an ice cube over your eyebrows to help numb the pain and soothe the skin. [11] X Expert Source Shipra TanejaMakeup Artist Expert Interview. 6 August 2021.
When plucking, get the tweezers close to the skin. Obviously, you don’t want to catch the skin, but getting near the skin gives you a better hold on the hair. As you pluck, pull in the direction the hair is growing, not against the grain. Also, try plucking after a shower. The warmth opens up the follicles, making it easier for you to pull hair out.
Stainless steel is a good option for tweezers. They are sturdy, plus for most people, they won’t irritate your skin like some other metals will. [14] X Research source
It’s also important to clean your tweezers each time you use them. The best way to clean them is to dip a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol, then use it to rub all over your tweezers.
It’s also good to use a magnified mirror. You’ll be able to see what’s going on with your eyebrows much better than if you use a regular mirror. You can get small handheld magnified mirrors at most drug and big box stores.
If you keep plucking on one eyebrow, it’s much too easy to go too far. Moving back and forth helps keep them even and helps you see what they look like together so you don’t pluck too much. This step holds true for shaping your eyebrows, as well. When you’re shaping your eyebrows, it’s best to draw a line on one side, then move over to the other side to make it even.
For instance, you may pluck a hair underneath your eyebrow that needs to actually grow in. It may be needed to fill in your eyebrow line, so you don’t constantly look surprised. The most often you should pluck is once a week, but every 2 to 3 weeks is better.