When it comes to modern makeup, groomed, well-shaped brows are IT!

If makeup artists could go around wielding their eyebrow tools on every thick, unruly or namby-pamby eyebrow they saw, they would. Brows are their occupational obsession. "Groomed, well-shaped brows frame and balance the face and open the eyes," says Toronto's Diana Carreiro, who is known to do emergency brow-shaping house calls. Failing that, there are grooming habits you can take charge of yourself. Just see what a difference they make in your appearance!

Buy good-quality tweezers. "If you want a groomed brow, you have to tweeze regularly," says Carreiro. But never overtweeze. Primarily, tweeze to clean up scraggly hairs. You may also need to remove hairs from underneath to create an arch. Carreiro says waxing isn't precise enough for making an arch and doesn't create an elegant shape.

Where should your arch land? Right over the outer edge of the iris is one guideline. "Another natural spot is the highest point where eye brows naturally grow," says Carreiro.

The old method of using a pencil to determine where brows should begin and end is still the best for do-it-yourself brow shaping. Place a pencil or a skinny brush at the nostril's outer edge. Hold it straight up to your brow to determine the inner point. Slant it out to the corner of your eye to determine the outer point.

Powders and pencils are a matter of personal preference. Makeup artists often layer powder over pencil using a fairly stiff angled brush and short strokes. You don't have to buy specific brow products but make sure that what you use is devoid of shimmer, frost and shine.

To transform tadpole brows (typically round and thick on the inner corner, they trail off and stop short), you need two colours (for example, taupe and brown), says Carreiro. Apply the lighter colour where there is hair and the darker colour where there is none, making sure to blend well with a brow brush.

For first-time fixing of thick, bushy brows, it's best to go for a professional shaping at a salon. Then see if you can take it from there.


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