Your eyebrows are critical in defining your facial features. Whether you’re after a natural brow, or something a little on the fancier side, understanding your basic brow shape, and how to make the most of it, will keep you looking your freshest--with and without makeup.

With guidance from Namiko Fujiyama, a former developer for a Japanese cosmetic brand and makeup specialist, we’ll show you to shape your eyebrows like a professional makeup artist.

How to find your ideal eyebrow shape

Shaping your brows is not about creating something completely new, but maximizing what you’ve got. Your eyebrow shape should follow your natural facial lines. To get technical, it should follow a facial muscle called the “corrugator supercilii muscle”. In plain language, this is the muscle just underneath your brows, which your eyebrows naturally follows.

The steps below will help you bring out your natural beauty by carefully shaping your eyebrows. 

A step-by-step guide to shaping your brows

Getting started: The tools

Designing your eyebrow starts with careful planning.

• Time required: 10 min
• A Screw brush
• Eyebrow pencil
• Small scissors
• Eyebrow Shaver
• Mirror
• Proper lighting to see your face clearly

Step 1: Comb your brow, and tame it with screw brush

Whether you have natural, unshaved brows or trimmed eyebrow, start with combing your brow with screw brush. Move the comb brush upward around the center of your face and downward or outward toward the end your brow.
This is an important step, as it will give you a good idea of the brow shape you have right now.

Recommended brush: Chikuhodo GSN-14 Screw

Step 2: Design your brow shape following the golden rule

Now that your brow is ready for the next step, let’s design your eyebrow. Use the eyebrow pencil to draw 3 dots on the brows based on the picture below, and connect them to form the shape.

The dot #1

This is where your eyebrow starts. Draw an imaginary line that connects where your inner eyelid starts and the side of your nose top, and place dot where the imaginary line and your brow meets.

The dot #2

Where your brow ends. Draw an imaginary line again, this time from the side of the nose and the outer side of your eyelid. Place a dot on the point where the imaginary line and your natural brow crosses.

The last dot, #3

Now, this is the peak of your brow. As shown in picture #3, the peak should be placed between the end of the white of the eye and the black eye.

After placing the third dot, connect your dot together and form an eyebrow shape.
You should try experimenting with your eyebrow peak position, to see what works the best for you. Take a selfie and compare it to your ideal brow. Also, asking your friends for feedback is a good idea.

Once you’re happy with the eyebrow design, move on to the next step.

Step 3: Shave, wax or tweeze unnecessary hairs from your brow

Remove the brow hair outside of the brow shape you drew in the Step #2. There are about 4 areas that you can work on.

• #A The Inner eyebrow hair at the center of your face
• #B Corner and underside of the end of the brow
• #C Lower side of the brow to make it thinner
• #D Any baby hair around the brows

WORD OF WARNING: It’s best not to shave the top of your brow. This can play with the natural shape, and make the facial muscle of your brow visible, distorting your face. If you’ve done this, you could cover it with eyebrow powder until it grows back.

Step 4: Trim any long hairs

Use the comb brush to hold your brow hair upward for the inner brow and downward toward the end of the eyebrow, and trim the hair that it too long.

The brushes below are recommended for this step! Both brushes introduced below has a clear translucent end so you can see through the brush head while working on your eyebrow.

Recommended Eyebrow Maintenance Tools

Length: 135mm,
Material: Horse hair
The long, curvy outline of the handle is elegantly balanced design for the ease of application. Hair: Tanuki & Horse.

Length: 145mm
Material: Horse hair
This brush has the longest handle of them all, making it easier to work on your eyebrow.

Step #6: Step you living your best eyebrow life!