Having an eyebrow horror story must be a rite of passage, right? Everyone has at least one incident that they can recall. Mine was over-plucking one of my eyebrows in one of those terrifying magnifying mirrors. It was only when I came up for air that I noticed I’d preened my left eyebrow into a tadpole. They say that eyebrows should be sisters and not twins, but mine were not even related at that point.
It’s safe to say that I wish I had stayed with my eyebrow technician to avoid this mishap, but thankfully, it’s easier than ever to choose a brow shape that will suit you. Whether you prefer a natural, fluffy eyebrow or a perfectly defined arch, getting your eyebrow shape right can make or break your look. If the eyes are the windows to the soul, then the eyebrows are the curtains that frame them. So getting them right can totally enhance your look by opening up your eyes and even saving you time in the mornings with less brow filling needed.
Ahead, brow expert and CEO of Rubis Tweezers Fides Baldesberger shares the best eyebrow shapes for each decade, as well as the best tips and products for beautiful brows—zero tadpoles here.
Zendaya’s brows are full and minimally groomed and frame her eyes beautifully. In your 20s, you’ll want to do a minimal amount of plucking and shaping. Just follow your natural brow shape, and tweeze out any rogue hairs outside of the shape. “The goal in your 20s, when hair growth is at its peak, is to grow out the brows for a fuller look,” says Baldesberger. “This means tweezing sparingly, only in areas far outside your brow shape range.”
“Over-plucking makes the brows too far apart and can throw off the whole shape, so aim to keep a finger’s width between each brow,” she says. “With plucking any hairs, you want to ensure precision, so use slanted tweezers to pluck one hair at a time that strays out of your brow shape.”
Older tweezers can go blunt and be less effective at grabbing hairs, so now might be the time to replace your current tweezers if you have had them for a while. Makeup artists and brow technicians love these slanted ones.
This is the best eyebrow gel that I have come across that gently tames brows into place with long-lasting hold and without flaking or feeling crispy.
Emily Ratajkowski’s brows are perfectly groomed and follow her natural brow shape. “Your 30s are the perfect time to embrace your natural brow and not try to force them into a different shape,” says Baldesberger. “Make sure you pick a brow shape that fits the flow of your true hair growth. If you have inherently soft, rounded brows, then try to avoid tweezing them into a very sharp angular line,” she says. In a nutshell, don’t try to change your brows dramatically. Instead, you’ll want to perfect your natural brow shape by tidying up the area outside of the brow.
Jourdan Dunn’s eyebrows have a soft arch and only stray hairs have been removed. “Make sure to not over-tweeze the insides of your brows; keep the outline as neat as possible. This will make sure the body of your brow remains healthy while dealing with strays,” she adds. “After all, the more you pluck the same area, the thinner those hairs will grow back. This is due to damage to the hair follicle, so use this knowledge to ward away strays only.”
For precision plucking along the outlines of your eyebrows, choose a pointer tweezer which will ensure you pluck the targeted brow hairs only.
This two-in-one eyebrow and eyelash serum helps to encourage growth and healthier, glossier lashes and brows. It’s ideal if you have over-plucked or to restore lashes and brows back to their glory if you regularly have brow or lash treatments.
Beyoncé’s arched brows open up her eyes while remaining full and youthful. If you want to open up your eyes and create a lifting effect, then Baldesberger has some tips. “Start raising your eyebrow,” she says. “You want to create a bigger space between the eyebrow and the orbital space, the area around your eye. This will help create a more youthful appearance and open up the face more,” she adds.
Jennifer Lopez’s eyebrows have a slightly straighter shape that elongates her eyes. Alternatively, if your brows are naturally straighter, then embrace them. “Take a leaf out of the books of J.Lo, Elizabeth Hurley or Laverne Cox, and try out some straight and longer styles,” she says. “This will make your eyes look wider and more awake. Over-plucking will be your downfall, so be sure to keep a neat shape and focus on making your arch as straight as possible.” If you want to fill in your brows, then be careful when choosing an eyebrow pencil. “When filling in your brows, choose colours that are one shade lighter if your hairs are naturally dark, or one shade darker if your hairs are naturally light and you want to make them darker,” says Baldesberger.
This is one of my favourite eyebrow pencils, as it has a teeny-tiny nib that makes drawing on individual brows so easy. On the other side is an eyebrow spool brush, which diffuses your lines so they blend perfectly with your natural brows.
A subtle swipe of highlighter underneath the arches of your brows will give the illusion of lift. This dual-ended highlighting pencil comes in different shapes to suit different skin tones and has a matte highlighter on one end and a shimmer highlighter on the other to highlight the brow bone.
Andie MacDowell’s full brows are youthful and very lightly groomed. In your 50s, 60s and beyond, you’ll want to tweak your brows to open your eyes. “You want to create a larger space between your brows, which in turn widens your eyes,” says Baldesberger. “Thinning out the underside of your eyebrow slightly will allow your brow bone to shine. Choosing a steep arch will also accentuate the face-lifting element and give you a classic silver-screen look that’s to die for,” she says.
If you have grey eyebrows like Helen Mirren’s, choose a grey eyebrow pencil to match for the most natural-looking definition. “Our hair also gets lighter as we get older, so you may find that your brows are whiter and less dense than they once were. To combat this, many people over-tweeze, over-fill, and make them way too dark,” says Baldesberger. “You need to work with your natural brows to get the most organic results possible. With this in mind, make sure that your shape isn’t too thin or too tattoo-like. Soft yet angular brows create that lifting effect without the fakeness that harsh, dark lines can cause on older skin,” she says. “As with any age group, making sure your brows match the roots of your scalp will also keep things natural and elegant,” she says. Whether you choose to dye them to match your hair colour or you want to embrace grey brows, there are products to help enhance them. “On top of all of this, your eyebrows are yours. If you want to experiment with colours and shapes, do it for you and with confidence,” says Baldesberger.
If you want to tint your brows, then this at-home kit makes the process a breeze and comes in several shades to suit your hair colour.
Benefit’s brow range includes a cool-toned grey eyebrow pencil, which adds subtle definition to grey eyebrows.
