Ciane Lawrey - thread.co.nz

Eyebrow Shaping

Shape up with some DIY extraction

Well-groomed, perfectly proportioned brows have the single biggest impact on the face. Correctly shaped brows can make your eyes appear larger, more open, and can help balance the appearance of the whole face.

Unfortunately they are the most neglected of all facial features. One reason for this is so many people are terrified of getting it wrong, or letting someone else get it wrong.

Ciane Lawrey has written the ‘Bible for Brows’; we are very happy bring you a selection of her commandments.

Brow proportions and measurements

See the diagram for brow-shaping measurements, and follow these simple steps to achieve a perfect, beauty salon effect.

1. Measure (in a straight line) from the outside of the nose through the inside corner of the eye. The brow should start here. If you want a finer brow, pluck the hairline up higher; for a fuller brow leave the depth natural.

2. Follow From the side of the nose follow a straight line diagonally through the center of the pupil. This is where the highest point of the arch should fall. The shape from the start of the brow to the arch should be smooth and linear, not curved from the start, unless you want to look perpetually surprised.

3. And follow From the side of the nose through the outside corner of the eye is where your brow should naturally taper off into oblivion.

Tools Brow brush, tweezers, white kohl, mirror, brow filler and shaper, application brush.

4. Pluck A rule is ALWAYS pluck from underneath; do not pluck from the top. If you remove the hair from the top for the brow you will flatten the natural arch of the brow and consequently make the eye appear more closed in.

5. Pencils Smart Use a white kohl pencil to colour in the hair you are going to pluck so you can check the shape and balance of the brows, before you take the hair out. This is a great trick for anyone who is unsure about achieving a flattering brow shape.

6. Balance Pluck your brows so they look the same. Do not pluck them exactly the same way. The hair that makes up the eyebrow can have a different growth pattern i.e. the direction the hair grows in can be different for each individual eyebrow. They can also be higher or lower in relationship to each other. So pluck the brows so they are visually similar do not pluck hair for hair.

7. StartingStart with the most difficult side first. It will be easier to achieve balance if all you have to do is match the easy brow to the difficult one.

8. Expressive Brows are an important part of your repertoire of facial expression. Therefore, it is important not to create an expression that is fixed i.e. Pointy over arched brows can make you appear as if you are continuously scowling, and dramatically curvy brows can leave you with a perpetually surprised expression.

9. Too much If you want your brows to look natural, do not remove all the hair in the brow line by shaving or plucking them all off. Even if the hair is fine or it’s a colour that doesn’t stand out on your skin shade, once you have filled the brow with colour these hairs take up the colour of the filler and soften the look.

10. Colour If your brows don’t match your hair colour you can colour them in the same way you tint eyelashes.

11. Sparsely-haired brows? If the hair is tinted you’ll feel like you have twice as much. This is wonderful for fair-haired people and those who are experiencing a loss of pigment (going grey).

12. Suffering from dark brows? Carefully apply some facial bleach (the kind you use for your upper lip) and follow the manufacturer’s instructions until the desired depth is achieved.

13. Men They are the biggest sooks when it comes to pain in the eye area, so if you desperately have to remove your loved ones mono-brow opt for waxing. Quick, simple and all the pain is delivered in one smooth rip.

14. Pain Loosen the hair follicle by placing a warm wet flannel on the area before plucking. Baby teething gel like Bongela applied prior to hair removal is meant to help alleviate pain also. The more you pluck the less painful it becomes. So persevere and make it a regular thing.

15. Taming Brow gel is just the thing for unruly hairs that won’t go where you want them.