Shape Them

Want an instant face lift?  How about looking as if you’ve actually slept through the night?  Getting your brows shaped can change your entire face.  Don’t worry – because you’re somewhat limited by the brow shape nature gave you, you’ll still look like you, only better.  Here are your options.

Waxing

Waxing is by far the most popular and desireable method of cleaning up your eyebrows.  It produces clean, precise lines and the results typically last for at least two weeks.  Don’t be intimidated by the thought of hot strips of wax being applied to your skin and then ripped off – honestly, the pain is quick and not as bad as you’d think. 

For the best results, leave the waxing to the professionals.  Aside from the fact that it’s always good to have someone who shapes brows for a living help you get that perfect arch, it’s simply much, much easier to have someone else apply dripping, messy wax to your brow area than if you were to do it yourself.

Here are some top-rated spots where you can go to lay back, close your eyes, and proceed to be prettied.

Tweezing

Obsessively standing in front of the mirror with a pair of tweezers can render lopsided brows, overplucking, and, worse, the comma effect.  None of these are good, but tweezing is certainly the cheapest and easiest way to quickly shape your brows.  And, in many cases, the results last even longer than waxing.

The well-trained among us can attempt this themselves, but it requires a steady hand and some restraint.  And, dilligence.  It’s much easier to pluck a few stray hairs every few days rather than start from scratch every month.

Here’s a tip: get a professional waxing and then upkeep the shape with tweezing.  Or, find a professional who offers tweezing services and let them have all the fun.

Laser

Once reserved for those with lots of cash, this method of hair removal is gaining in popularity due to falling prices and greater mainstream accessibility. 

While it works wonders for larger areas of the body (like legs), not all laser hair removal places offer eyebrow shaping services.  Not to worry – permament hair removal for shaping your brows probably isn’t the best idea.  Brows trend thicker some years, thinner others; so you’ll want to have the option to grow them out whenever you’d like.  However – that patch of hair between your brows?  That will NEVER be in style.  So if that’s a problem for you, permanent removal is a good thing.

It’s not painless (think tiny rubber bands being snapped against your face) and requires several sessions to get hairless.  And it’s not for everyone – lasers work best on those with fair skin and dark hair, so consult with your laser hair removal specialist to see if you’re a good candidate.

Threading

Threading originated in India and the Middle East, and while it’s super popular in those parts, it hasn’t quite hit the mainstream here yet.  Though it sounds a bit weird, some people swear by it and wouldn’t use anything else for brow hair removal. 

A piece of twisted string is used to somehow, somehow remove hairs.  This method actually works well for anyone with sensitive skin, since it’s done with no trauma to the top layer of skin.

Brow Trends

As with anything style-related, brow shapes and thickness change.  Today’s look is a bit thicker than in the recent past, but is always well-groomed and with nice arch.

Groom Them

Once you’ve achieved the perfect shape, you’ll want to make grooming your arches a part of your daily routine.  The brow bandwagon is filled with tons of products to help you do just that.

To Tint or not to Tint

That’s a really good question.  If you watch even one episode of What Not to Wear, you’ll see resident makeup artist Carmindy lightening everyone and their brother’s brows.  This is a purely personal choice and depends on so many factors: skin tone, hair color, brow color, eye color…there’s really no “right” answer.  Lighter brows can brighten your face, but they can also wash it out.  Dark brows can be too severe, but they’re also dramatic.

One factoid that may sway your decision: it’s against the law for Massachusetts salons to offer brow tinting services.  So, trek up to New Hampshire if you’re interested, or try it at home.

Case study: Jennifer Lopez

And Guys?

Don’t do it.