Guest post by Thalia Gamage, Canadian Living's Fashion & Beauty intern

My biggest grooming mishap—to date—featured my eyebrows. At nine, my big and bushy brows frustrated me, so I decided to take matters into my own hands and shave them clean off. It was a massacre, nothing was left standing!

Unsure whether she should laugh or cry, my mother spilled the contents of her makeup bag and started performing triage on my beauty disaster. Knowing not much could be done, she tried her best to fill them in with an eyebrow pencil. However my mother’s “artistry” left me looking more like a cartoon character than supermodel Cara Delevingne.

[caption id="attachment_16199" align="aligncenter" width="598"] Grand opening of the first Benefit Boutique in Canada. Photo courtesy of @BenefitCanada[/caption]

From that point, my face framers have gone through many waves of bad in order to get to the good. If there is one thing I’ve learned along the way, it’s that eyebrow grooming should be left to the experts. And with the opening of the Benefit Cosmetics boutique located at 2614 Yonge St. in Toronto, my search for skilled aestheticians in the city was over.

The first freestanding boutique in Canada is filled with feminine flourishes; pink floral wallpaper and crystal chandeliers accurately represent the pretty yet cheeky cosmetics brand. The boutique offers the full Benefit Cosmetics product line and it's equipped with services ranging from spray tans (using our favourite, Vita Liberata) to Brazilian bikini waxes, and, of course, eyebrow waxing.

[caption id="attachment_16200" align="aligncenter" width="597"] Benefit Global brow expert, Jared Bailey. Photo courtesy of @BenefitCanada[/caption]

After a brow demonstration by Benefit’s Global Brow Authority, Jared Bailey, I was schooled on the process of brow mapping.

Here are a few of Bailey's tips worth taking note:

• Bailey suggests using a makeup brush to define where your brow should start, arch and end. By using the dimple of your nose as a starting point, direct the brush towards the inner corner of your eye and make a mark with makeup for where your brow should begin. Then, using the corner of the nose as a starting point, direct the makeup brush over the centre of your iris to map out the arch and make a mark. Finally, from the same starting point, position the makeup brush to the outer corner of the eye and make another mark. By defining the three points of the brow, you can then fill them in accordingly and simply remove the excess markings with a makeup wipe.
• Never lye down when getting your brows waxed. Bailey says shape brows as they are on your face naturally, making sitting, or standing, essential. Lying down changes your features.

I watched as the aesthetician mapped out my brows and I was surprised to see I had missed the mark when it came to the length. She extended them (using Benefit’s Brow Zings), followed by combing them with a spoolie brush. Results? My brow game was strong, bold and beautiful.

The moral of the story? Beauty blunders will happen, but a good sense of humour and a pack of makeup wipes can solve even the worst cases.