Keep your eyebrows in shape

By Al Varela

Dear Al: I saw a woman on TV recently talking about getting the perfect eyebrow shape. She had a template that you put over your eyebrows and then follow the shape with your eyebrow pencil and draw it in. It looked so stupid. I don't think I could trust a plastic sheet to help me shape my eyebrows. What is your advice on shaping eyebrows?

Nothing is perfect--even Michaelangelo's Sistine Chapel and De Vinci's Mona Lisa probably have some technical imperfections. You can't expect to make art exact, because it isn't. And, if you think of eyebrows as being perfect, you'll soon realize that a cookie cutter approach doesn't work.

Beauty doesn't necessarily mean thin, sculptured looking eyebrows. You only have to look at the likes of Brooke Shields, Kathy Ireland and Naomi Campbell to realize that natural eyebrow shapes can be beautiful.

The key to your great looking eyebrows is to remember that the shape of your eye determines the shape of your brow.

A makeup artist can help you enhance and make a thin brow appear fuller, by teaching you different methods of makeup application. One way is to use short, feathered strokes with an eyebrow pencil starting from the center of the face outward. Then take an eyebrow brush to brush over the brow to remove any excess wax left by the pencil.

To avoid an exaggerated look always choose a color of pencil that is a few shades lighter than your natural hair color. There are also eyeliner powders available that are applied with a specially designed brush to define the brow without the appearance of pencil strokes.

For taming a bushy brow you can visit a professional to remove the excess hair and shape the brow. If you want to brave the task, then take a white wax or flesh colored pencil and draw over the areas you think you need to take out. This will let you clearly see what you intend to take out and keep you from getting carried away.

Once you have determine the desired look of the brow, then shape from the bottom of the brow upward to avoid flattening the brow. This will result in a more natural arch. Always look for the natural point of the arch and take from underneath.

Everybody is an individual. Can you imagine a world where everyone is walking around with the same eyebrows? Look at what grows naturally and don't deter from your natural shape.

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