Brows currently looking like caterpillars? Or maybe you’re just keen to shake up your arch shape? Luckily, you don’t need to be an expert to keep your eyebrows in check!
Not just a functional part of your face, eyebrows also frame your eyes and can be a striking feature totally unique to you. While many may choose to have their brows plucked professionally, it’s possible to achieve excellent brow game yourself with the right know-how.
Eyebrow plucking tips
Before you go to town on your eyebrows, you might want to swot up on techniques to ensure you end up with well-shaped, sleek brows.
Before you begin
Making sure you have the right tools for the job is the first thing you’ll want to do if you’re going to try plucking your eyebrows at home. Most importantly, you’ll need a good pair of fine-tipped tweezers.1
You may also want a spool brush and even a pair of eyebrow scissors if you have long and unruly hairs which need trimming. To help work out the shape you want your brows to be, an eyebrow pencil is also a brilliant tool to have on hand.
Prepping your brows
It’s no secret that plucking your eyebrows can sometimes be painful, especially if there are a few hairs which don’t want to budge!
To soften up the hairs and ensure you don’t end up with angry red skin, you’ll want to either pluck after you’ve showered or washed your face with warm water. The heat will open up the pores and make it easier for those hairs to slide out.2
How to pluck your eyebrows
There are a few ways to pluck eyebrows. Here we take you through an easy, fool-proof method in six easy steps:
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Mark out the edges of your brows
Using your tweezers, lay them horizontally against the side of your nose, so they line up with the inner corner of your eye. Make a mark with your eyebrow pencil where the tweezers intersect with your eyebrows. This will be the endpoint of your brows once they’re plucked.
Next, line one end of your tweezers up with the tip of your nose and the other with the outer corner of your eye. Make a mark where they intersect with your eyebrow just above the eye. This will be the outer edge of your newly shaped eyebrows.3
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Find your arch
In order to achieve the ideal eyebrow shape, you’ll want to find your arch. This is usually right above the outer rim of your iris and directly on the brow bone. Once you’ve got it, make a mark.4
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Decide how thick you want your brows to be
There’s no right or wrong thickness for brows; it’s entirely down to personal preference! In general, if you have quite a high brow line, you may want slightly thicker eyebrows which nicely frame your eyes. In contrast, a low brow line quite close to the eye may mean thinner, more sculpted eyebrows look better .5
Read more: How to grow your eyebrows or Which vitamins are good for you hair?
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Straighten out the hairs
Before you begin plucking, you’ll want to get a clear idea of your natural eyebrow shape. To do this, gently brush the hairs out with a spool brush.
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Pluck outside the markings
Grab your tweezers again and start plucking any hair that falls outside the markings you made at either end of your eyebrow. Pluck as far down the hair follicle as you can for the best results.6
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Shape your brows
Now you’ve tidied up the hair at either end of your brows, you’ll want to start shaping them. Begin by plucking any stray hairs just below or on your brow line. The more you remove, the thinner your eyebrows will look.
When it comes to your arch, you’ll want to remove a row of hairs from your marked point to the inside edge of your brow to create a more angular shape.7 You can also pluck out any long hairs from the top or trim them using small scissors (you’ll be able to identify them from where you’ve brushed them with your spool brush).8
Eyebrow plucking tips
- Prep beforehand by washing your face with warm water to open up the pores.
- Use sharp, clean, narrow tipped tweezers for the best results.
- Always follow your brow line for the most natural-looking arch.
- Pluck hairs as close to their roots as possible.
- Take it slow! It’s always best to under pluck than overpluck
Once you’ve achieved a gorgeous new shape for your brows, why not browse our natural skincare range for products that’ll help soften and hydrate your entire face?
Expertly reviewed by:
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Reviewer: Manisha Taggar
Manisha started her career at a Cosmetics distributor as a Regulatory Technologist followed by a Regulatory Affairs Officer, ensuring the regulatory compliance of cosmetic products from colour cosmetics to skincare. After 3 and half years in this role, Manisha joined Holland & Barrett as a Senior Regulatory Affairs Associate in 2019. Manisha specialises in Cosmetic products, both own-label and branded lines, ensuring that these products and all relating marketing material comply to the EU Cosmetics Regulation. |
Last Updated: 2nd December 2020
Sources:
1 https://www.elle.com/beauty/makeup-skin-care/tips/g11/eyebrow-shaping-tips/
2 https://www.wikihow.life/Pluck-Your-Eyebrows
3 https://www.womenshealthmag.com/beauty/g19950241/pluck-eyebrows/
4 https://www.womenshealthmag.com/beauty/g19950241/pluck-eyebrows/
5 https://www.wikihow.life/Pluck-Your-Eyebrows
6 https://www.womenshealthmag.com/beauty/g19950241/pluck-eyebrows/
7 https://www.womenshealthmag.com/beauty/g19950241/pluck-eyebrows/
8 https://www.elle.com/beauty/makeup-skin-care/tips/g11/eyebrow-shaping-tips/
