The Mona Lisa is one of the most recognizable works of art. But did you ever notice that the beauty in the painting has no eyebrows? It’s funny that one only notices a person’s eyebrows if they are too full, or badly groomed.

The Struggle with Eyebrows

It can be hard to get your eyebrows the way you want them, and there may be several issues affecting your ability to get the perfect shape. In some cases you need to be realistic about what you can achieve with the eyebrows you were born with. Also, the eyebrows you desire may not be the ones that are the most appropriate for your face. If you have full eyebrows, you are in luck, your full eyebrows will make it possible to have just about any eyebrow shape your face calls to look its best.

How to Start Grooming Your Eyebrows

To start, you should use a makeup brush, or a pencil and rest it on the corner of your nostril and lean it on the side of the nose. The portion of the eyebrow on the other side of the pencil is all excess, and this is where you want your eyebrow to begin. If you have a white liner pencil, or a brightly colored liner pencil, mark a straight line up and down where the eyebrow begins by the nose.

Now use the pencil to mark the other end, this time lean the pencil on the corner of your nose, across the face at an angle to the corner of the eye. Mark the excess by drawing a line again, if you have never plucked the inside study your brows well before beginning. If you have a spiral in your brows that makes them grow in a different direction, you need to take extra care as to where each hair begins and ends, a hair that begins on one side of the line may end on the other, and plucking it will not follow the line you created.

Once you have determined the beginning and end of the brow, you need to decide on the eyebrow shape. An arch, while it is the most attractive and desirable shape for many, may not be right for you. You may decide you want to only pluck stray hairs, once you have cleaned up the length of the brow this may give you the polished look you desire.

The Best Brow for Your Face Shape

If you have a long face your best brow shape will be a straight one, as this will visually shorten the length of the face. Some famous people who wear their brows straight are, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Denise Richards.

Round faces benefit from eyebrows with a sharp arch, right over the iris of the eye. Notable celebrities who wear sharp arches are Vanessa Williams and Jennifer Aniston.

Oval faces can choose between sharply and gently arched brows. Juliette Binoche is an example of a celebrity who wears her eyebrows in a gently arched shape which helps to soften sharp features.

Heart-shaped faces should have gently rounded shaped eyebrows, to mimic the arches of the heart shape that your chin will complete. Famous heart-shaped face celebrities who wear a rounded shape, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Lisa Kudrow.

Regarding Plucking

Plucking your eyebrows can change your appearance dramatically. Well-groomed brows can help lift the eye and make you appear younger. Take your time, don’t pluck too many hairs at one time, and assess your progress often. An example of a shape that is not flattering to any face types is the apostrophe shape, which occurs when the eyebrow is over-plucked. Also, very thinly drawn in eyebrows age any face and make it look older, it’s also important to note that shaving and over-plucking can change the growth pattern of the brow. They may grow back in patches, but once you have damaged the follicles, there is no going back.

Help for Over-Plucked Eyebrows

Brow powders will always look more natural than a waxy pencil. When filling in your brows be sure to use short strokes in an effort to create a feathered, hairs look with the pencil. Brow gels are also a non-powdery way to keep your brow hairs in check.

Some may benefit from going to a professional to get the shape down and maintain it at home, simply pluck the stray hairs as they come in, by plucking a bit daily before you apply your makeup.

There are also eyebrow stencils that can help others, especially those who need to darken and shape the brows with a pencil. Stencils are very easy to use, I believe more in their use as a guide for filling in eyebrows more than as a tool for shaping them.