How to Pluck Your Own Eyebrows
Perhaps you simply need a little shaping, or maybe you're tired of being mistaken for Frida Kahlo. Either way, here's how to trim -- or tame -- your brows.
Up next in How to Shape Your Eyebrows (6 videos)
A well-shaped eyebrow is almost as good as an eye lift! Learn eyebrow shaping tips and techniques in these Howcast eyebrow tutorials.
You Will Need
- A mirror
- A round brow brush
- Small scissors
- A brow pencil that is at least 6" long
- A good pair of tweezers with excellent tension
- And makeup remover
- An ice cube
Steps
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Step 1
Remove cosmetics
Using makeup remover, remove any cosmetics from your eyes and eyebrows.
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Step 2
Look into mirror
Look at yourself in a mirror that’s well lit and preferably magnified.
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Step 3
Brush eyebrows
Brush your eyebrow hair down using the round brow brush and cut the hairs that extend below the natural brow shape.
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Step 4
Mark beginning
Place a brow pencil vertically against one side of your nose. Mark where the point hits the inner side of your eyebrow, which is where your eyebrow should begin.
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Step 5
Mark end
From the side of your nose, swing the top end of the brow pencil diagonally until it’s aligned with the outer corner of your eye. Mark where the inside of the pencil hits your brow, which is where your eyebrow should end.
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Step 6
Mark arch
Look straight forward and swing the top end of the pencil in slightly until it’s aligned with the outside of your iris, the colored part of your eye. Mark where the inside of the pencil hits your brow, which should be the top of your brow arch.
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If your brow arch is too close to your nose, you’ll look surprised; if it’s too far, you’ll look angry.
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Step 7
Mark other brow
Move the pencil to the other side of your nose and repeat, marking where your brow should begin, end, and arch.
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Step 8
Draw ideal shape
Draw in the shape of your ideal eyebrows with a brow pencil, using the guiding points you just marked.
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Step 9
Pluck corners
Carefully pluck out the eyebrow hairs from the inner and outer corners of one eye that do not fall within your ideal eyebrow shape. Grasp them close to the root and pull in the direction that the hair grows.
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Holding your skin taut as you tweeze will help minimize the pain, and so can rubbing an ice cube on the area afterward.
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Step 10
Pluck underside
Pluck hairs from the underside of your brow to thin and arch it. Don’t bother plucking from the top of the brow unless you have a very short forehead.
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Always consider the natural features of your face when shaping your eyebrows. A delicate, thin shape may be suitable for soft features. For more prominent features, a thicker pair of eyebrows may be more complementary.
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Step 11
Repeat on other brow
Repeat on your other brow, taking care to match it to your shaped eyebrow.
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Step 12
Don't overpluck
Stop! Beware of overplucking—should you pull out too much, fill in with your brow pencil and don’t touch those tweezers until your eyebrows have grown back in.
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Mexican artist Frida Kahlo liked to exaggerate her unibrow in her paintings—sometimes she even painted it to look like the wings of a flying bird.
