Ever since I saw Rae Morris at Hair Expo I have become obsessed with finding my perfect eyebrow shape.
Rae Morris is arguably Australia’s most influential makeup artist. She had so much energy on stage I couldn’t believe how much I learnt in her seminar. If there was just one thing to take away from her, it’s that your eyebrows have the power to change your face.
I watched Rae change the shape of her models’ eyebrows to make their eyes look less puffy and their noses look smaller. Don’t believe me? Keep reading.
The standard rules for shaping eyebrows are:
A – start directly up from the edge of your nose
B – your brow should end in line with the corner of your nose and the outer corner of your eye
C – Your brow arch should be in line with the outer edge of your iris
HOWEVER –
Rae says to ignore point A and start your brow at your desired nose bridge width (see dotted line). This will give the illusion of a thinner nose.
Don’t go overboard with your arch point C – Rae says a straighter brow is more youthful and more sophisticated. An overarched brow creates a puffy eyelid so keep it straight to give the illusion of a thinner face.
The most important thing to remember is to follow your natural shape as this is usually the perfect brow for your face shape.
Overplucked your brows? Can’t remember your natural shape? Check back on your old school photos (usually just before your started high school and started messing with your eyebrows) to find your natural brow shape.
What’s the perfect colour for my eyebrows?
Blondes should go one or two shades darker to define their brows. Dark blondes can go to a light brown. Everyone else should match their natural colour.
Use a brow mascara to add definition or use an angled makeup brush to apply an eyeshadow that matches your hair colour to fill in and shape your brows.
This is the first in a new series I’m calling Makeup Mondays here on Hair Romance. Love to know what you think and what you’d like to see in future posts. Are you obsessed with eyebrows too? Who do you think has perfect brows?
Photo credit: Luca Cannonieri / GoRunway.com
Not everyone should start their arch above the outer edge of the iris. It depends on your face shape and forehead width. My own arch is 2/3 out from the start of my brow approximately above the outer corner of my eye which helps balance out the upper third of my face.
you “learnt”. Excellent choice of wording there. Idiot.
Thanks Julie, both “learnt” and “learned” are perfectly correct in British and Australian English. If you’re commenting from America, the grammar and spelling rules are slightly different there. Hope this clears things up. Thanks for commenting. Kindest, Christina
Thank god I found this article, The e-book by Lien-davis is AMAZING. What a difference it makes to line the brows correctly! I dont look “funny” anymore -previously I use have either angry brows or emotionless blank stare eyebrows!- I’ve looked “off” for so many years… but no more 😀 XOXO
Thanks Liz, Lien has totally changed my brows too x
i reasently got my brows waxed for the first time and it follows the arc of my nose, is this OK or should i get a different shape next time (after they grow back out of course)
thank you,
PS sorrry about my horrible spelling
Hi there, it’s hard to say without seeing a picture, but if you’re happy that’s what matters. If you want to see what they may look like with a different shape you can use a pencil or powder to create a different shape. I also recommend my brow expert – Lien Davies – who has an amazing ebook – you can find it at Ultimate Brow Shape
@ Elaine – sorry this response is a little late, but if you happen to read this and you’re still searching for a great brow pencil I *highly* recommend Diorshow brow styler pencil. While I don’t have any grays (yet), I have very light blonde hair and ashy brows. it’s always been a real challenge finding a brow pencil that has good staying power, looks natural, and isn’t too light, too dark, red/brown, etc.. I faithfully used maybelline’s brow pencil in taupe for years, but after a few hours in the heat I’d have to wipe it off and reapply cause it would start looking cakey :|. Long story short, a lady in Neiman Marcus turned me on to Dior’s brow styler and I am eternally thankful for her! At first I was totally skeptical because it only comes in 1 color: universal brown. However, once I tried it out i immediately understood why its called ‘UNIVERSAL brown.’ this amazing brow pencil works for blondes, brunettes, red heads, etc., because it somehow magically adjusts to match your natural brow color upon application. I dont know how it does it, but it works and it works great. I’m on my 3rd one now and don’t ever plan on trying anything else 🙂
Great tips Nikki. I nee to try the Dior brow styler!
I prefer to be “the Silver Fox” rather than saying I have grey hair, LOL. However my hair is a mix of silver and pewter, and I cannot seem to find grey eye pencil or mascara. My eyebrows have so many white and translucent hairs that they appear almost non-existant. Plus, I wear rimless glasses. What is the right color and type of eyebrow makeup for me??
Hi Elaine, the best colours for you are cool light browns. Try a light brown/blonde eyebrow pencil and just draw on light strokes to fill in your brows. You can also use a brush and a matte eye shadow in a taupe or grey to fill in your brows. You can use the same shadow on your eyes, or try a brown pencil and mascara if you feel that black is too dark. Thanks Silver Fox x
@Me, My best and I – I LOVE Benefit. And I have never noticed your nose, so you must be imagining that it is big. I can say that bringing your brows in a bit will make your nose look thinner, but if your brows touch you've gone too far 😉
I've recently discovered Benefit brow bars and my brows have never look better,they measure you up like this image. I've let them grow thicker, my arch is higher but they look fuller. I wonder if I grow my brows right in to my nose would it make it look smaller. I need all the help I can get when it comes to my schnoz!
@The Procrastinator – I definitely have to try threading now. The flat brow looks amazing on everyone, it's universally flattering I think. Thanks! I'm excited about Makeup Mondays too!
@Anonymous – Thank you! Hilary Rhoda is stunning. Seriously amazing brows on that girl.
Love this!
My Eye-Brow Hero is definitely model Hilary Rhoda. That gal has a pair of brows!
I definitely shape the tops of my brows, I like to keep mine flat as Rae suggested. And threading is amazing, it lasts a lot longer than tweezing for some reason!
PS I'm excited for your make up mondays!
@Lianne – usually you're not meant to touch the top but Rae thinks it's fine to shape them. Personally I would go to a brow expert before starting to alter them as they will be able to help define the best shape for your face. I've not tried threading but her great things about it.
@Anu – Thank you xx
@Adeline – How great was she? Thanks lovely xx
Definitely loving the idea of Makeup Mondays! And I totally agree with the amazingness of Rae Morris!!! 🙂
This was a great post! Love the idea of Makeup Mondays. Thank you!!
Did she have any tips on hair at the top of the brow and above? They always say dont touch it but mine are unruly and need to be tamed above. I'm not a werewolf but my hair is dark and there is a clear fuzz going on, plus my brows are full so I need the extra maintenance but unsure what to do to get the best results. I'm thinking of threading as other ladies with similar brows to me benefit from that and the straight lines the thread gives. I don't mind them being full and natural, I just want them neat.
@inthespicerack – thank you!
@Jen W – you may be the inspiration for this new series! I'm going to be swatching up my arm before I know it!
@Molly Gray – great tip x
Thanks for sharing! I have also heard that for a more natural arch you can do a line diagonally up from the edge of your mouth. Basically the same way you do B but from your lips.
Love the idea of Makeup Mondays! Great eye brow tips
Love Hair Romance, and also like the new Makeup Mondays idea. Eyebrows are really interesting, and I like hearing these new ideas. I'm eager to go investigate my own right now!