“Caring about beauty, it is necessary to start with the heart and soul, otherwise no makeup will not help.” – Coco Chanel
Are you interested in learning the art and science of professional beauty grooming? If so, are you determined to learn how to shape your eyebrows like a pro?
According to resorces “grooming will give you the confidence to dress up, look presentable and confident every day while hitting your workplace… On grooming yourself properly, you will become presentable and reliable to customers.”
While personal grooming is necessary, it is equally important to be cognizant of the fact that this quotation by Coco Chanel quite correctly states that outward beauty is not the only beauty we must aspire to. True beauty comes from within. Outward grooming just enhances your internal beauty.
As an aside, Coco Chanel (1883 – 1971) was a French fashion designer who took the world by storm after World War I when she liberated “women from the constraints of the “corseted silhouette” and popularizing a sporty, casual chic as the feminine standard of style.” Her contribution to the world of couture clothing, jewelry, fragrance, and handbags is best summed up by the fact that she is the only fashion designer listed on Time magazine’s list of 100 most influential people of the 20th century.
Consequently, it stands to reason that her statements have merit and are worth considering. Be that as it may, the focus of this article is not about inner beauty, rather it is about personal grooming and enhancing your inner beauty using professional grooming techniques.
Possible eyebrow shapes
Before we focus on different brow shaping techniques or solutions, let’s first consider the different eyebrow shapes.
It is important to note that the fundamental purpose of shaping your brows is to enhance the shape of your natural arches. This point should not be forgotten when shaping your brows; otherwise, you could end up with a shape that detracts from your natural facial features. This will result in most people feeling as though they cannot go out and face the world before their eyebrows have grown back again. Therefore, it is best to seek professional assistance when shaping your brows, especially if you are attempting to create a new shape.
Natural eyebrows
This shape leaves your eyebrows in their natural form. The only maintenance required is to pluck stray hairs and to trim your brows when they become too bushy.
Tapered eyebrows
Tapered eyebrows are thick and concentrated in the first two-thirds of each brow, and then tapering off as they reach the corner of the eye. When well-crafted, they can look like a combination of other shapes, enhancing your natural features.
Straight eyebrows
These brows are shaped straight across your natural arch with a subtle natural arch if required. This style is useful if you have a long, narrow, angular face and would like to give the impression of square facial features.
Hard angled brows
This eyebrow shape has the opposite effect on your face when compared to straight eyebrows. Ergo, if you have a square or round face, and you’d like to add dimension to your face, using this shape will achieve the desired effect.
Arched eyebrows
This style shapes your eyebrows in a naturally arched or slightly rounded form. And they work best when paired with angular facial features.
Techniques used to shape your brows
Now that we have an understanding of the different brow eyebrow shapes, let’s look at several techniques that can be used to shape your eyebrows like a pro:
Microblading
Microblading is a technique that uses a pen with ten to twelve micro-needles filled with pigment that is used to shape your eyebrows by drawing fine, natural hair-like lines on your eyebrows, resulting in thicker, fuller eyebrows consisting of a combination of natural hair and simulated hair. These lines last about 18 months before they need to be redone. And, it is ideal for people with very little hair or no hair on their eyebrows.
Shiraz from Microblading NYC says “When selecting an artist to work on your brows it’s important to check they are certified, have experience and look at their past work.”
Threading
This technique is similar to plucking except that it plucks multiple hairs at the same time. And it is useful for thinning out and shaping thick bushy eyebrows.
Plucking
This method is the easiest to do yourself at home. It consists of the use of tweezers to pluck individual stray hairs from on top of or under the brow when shaping your eyebrows. It is time-consuming, so it serves as a maintenance regime in between your professional brow shaping appointment. Should you have the time, you can shape your brows entirely by tweezing and plucking out the hairs that are outside your desired shape.
Eyebrow waxing
This treatment is similar to waxing your legs. A strip of hot wax is applied to the hairs along the brow line and quickly ripped off, removing unwanted hairs by the root. The strip is ripped off against the hairs’ grain or natural direction, resulting in a smooth surface. This treatment lasts for between three to six weeks, depending on how fast your hair regrows.
Sugaring
The principle of sugaring is exactly the same as waxing; however, the method and raw ingredients are different. It is usually recommended for softer finer hair and sensitive skin. In other words, applying hot wax will cause too much damage so sugaring is used instead. Succinctly stated, a mixture or gel paste of sugar, lemon juice, glycerin, and water is applied to the unwanted hairs. It is then removed in the direction of the eyebrow hair, causing less pain and skin irritation than waxing.
Final thoughts
Natural beauty, both inwards and outwards, is a sign of a person who has a positive self-image and is aware of the need to continually work on their strengths and weaknesses. In other words, they are comfortable in their own skin, and it shows in the way they groom themselves.
