Build Better Brows: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Precise and Painless Tweezing

Shape natural eyebrow looks with this play-by-play for pluckers

By Megan Vigil Mar 20, 2015 10:37 PMTags
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You may never have legendary eyebrows like Cara Delevigne, Jennifer Connelly or Brooke Shields, but that doesn't mean you have to go out like Oscar the Grouch, either. For the best way to define these face framers, DIY style, follow our step-by-step guide for how to tweeze the perfect brow.

Get the right tools: Collect cotton, a calming toner, a spoolie brush and a sharp pair of slant-edge tweezers to do the job. It may be tempting to use whatever pair of tweezers that may be around, but a pair from a cheap manicure kit—and the lack of control they bring—is not your friend.

Soften the skin: Tweezing dry skin can exacerbate bleeding and increase the ouch-factor. Instead, swipe on rosewater with a cotton pad or apply a warm-towel compress to temper skin. If your skin is particularly sensitive to tweezing, apply baby teething gel to help numb the skin.

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Give a trim: If your brows grow curly or straight down, a little pre-tweeze trim can help create a cleaner shape (and prevent you from looking like Wario, of Mario Brothers fame). Before trimming, prime brows for the cleanest cut by use a spoolie brush to comb hair in the direction that it grows.

Start tweezing: A tried-and-true plucking strategy? Tend to one brow at a time. They're sisters, not twins. (And if they are twins, they're fraternal.) Prevent over tweezing by drawing on your desired brow shape on with a brow pencil. Then, when plucking, be sure to steer clear of the boundary you made to create the right shape.

Minimize pain: Cut the torture factor by plucking hairs one-by-one in the direction of its growth. This will also help prevent ingrown hairs from sprouting , lessen the chance of wirey, mid-shaft breakage, and ensure you achieve the best shape.       

Get a closer look: Not sure whether removing a hair will leave a hole in your brows? Before going in for the tweeze, simply fold the hair down first to see what's underneath. If its location proves essential to your shape, leave it alone.

Pause and reflect: If using a 10x magnifying mirror to zone in on your work area, take an occasional step back to view your work from a natural distance. Check to ensure brows are balanced and correctly shaped.

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Correct mistakes: It's easy to go overboard when plucking one brow, only to think you have to do the same to the other in order to create an even look. Think again. Instead of overdoing both brows, step away from the tweezers and use a brow pencil to fill in the newly-wonked brow until it grows back to match the other.

Practice post-op care: After tweezing, minimize redness by gently patting the area with rosewater, aloe or alcohol-free toner. Sweep translucent powder on your face and chest to free your skin of fallen hairs.

With a little practice, patience and perspective, you'll raise your brow game to red-carpet level in no time.

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