Okay, so maybe not perfect, but that was just to lure you here. One of the things that makes me laugh for long periods every day of the week is the way ladies draw all sorts of logos on their faces and walk around feeling pleased. I must confess, I’m no make-up maestro, but I appreciate the importance of perfect decent eyebrows on my face. I am one of those many women born with a dusting of hair on her eyebrows, not enough to flaunt in the nude, but still alright that I can fashion a shape out of.
I know it can be real work to pull off a good look for the day, but just like any other thing, drawing on your eyebrows in the morning is a process; every step has to be followed religiously, else it ends in disaster. You have to figure out the shape that suits your face, the length and width of your eyebrows, and the right shade of liner to use. Most of the people I laugh at always get these basic steps wrong. If you’re one of the “Nike ambassadors” you can end that contract today. Pay attention and take notes if you like.
- Find a shape that suits your face. If your face is oval-shaped, then you’re one of the luckiest ladies out there. You can make a cat-scratch on your face and still look good. (Not to talk about how every hairstyle was made for you, and all hat types, and hair-cuts and what not). There are other shapes such as the heart-shape, the round-shape, the square-shape, the inverted-triangle and so on. Now, just in-case you can’t identify your face shape, I’ll help you with a chart below.
2. Finding the right length and thickness for your brow. Now you’ve identified the shape of your face, we move on to the actual thickness of the brow. Eyebrows give your face character, they form the backbone of every facial expression you have; therefore it is key that you draw them on properly. Severely arched eyebrows can give you a permanently surprised look, too thin eyebrows make you look old and angry and so on. Also, our eyebrows complement our facial features, so getting them properly done will highlight the good features, and hide any severe flaws.
3. The right shade of liner. I see women walking around with charcoal lining their eyebrows. Others carry the red hair trend all the way down to their eyes. Your eyebrow liner should not be more than a shade lighter or darker than the natural colour of your hair. You should also consider the colour of the hair on your head. Usually hazel is just about right for everybody, but do a patch test first.
Now to actually drawing the brows,
Place a pencil along the right or left side of the bridge of your nose. Along the length of the pencil the brow bone and pencil will meet. The point at which this occurs should be the beginning of your brow.
Take the pencil again and place it at the edge of the nostril; left or right and align it with the outer corner of the eye. Where the brow bone/eye socket and the pencil meet after the eye is where the brow should end. The end of the tail is also referred to as the tail of the brow.
The arch is very important because it could take your look from pleasurable to surprised. To determine where this arch would be, place the pencil along the outer corner of the nostril; left or right and align it with the middle of your eye. Above the eye, the pencil will meet the brow bone/ eye socket; that should be the highest point of your eyebrow’s arch.
Tweezing out the right amount of hair is also key. I recommend seeing a specialist (not your room-mate, believe me) about this. However, if you don’t trust anyone, like me, then here are a few things you should note;
1. Brush the hair outwards with a spooley or brush. This is a good way to start. Bet the hairs all in place so you can see which are stray, which need to be trimmed, and which ones need to go.
2. I recommend drawing on the shape that you want. This is not always necessary, but if you’re a newbie then you’ll need a guide.
3. Start removing hair from underneath your brows. This helps the arch come into clear view. Tweeze the hairs carefully until you start to see a shape. Don’t remove hairs from the top, they might not grow back. Just trim any extra long ones. You can use a gel to brush them into place.
Now for the drawing. It’s not so much of drawing as shading; nobody wants to see your brows before they see you. Use light hair-like strokes in the direction of hair growth. A pencil liner, or a powder liner can be used. You can clean off any mistakes with a concealer. Remember, it’s not the make-up Olympics so take your time and don’t be so tense. Have a wonderful day and stay beautiful!