Tutorial: Eyebrow Shading

I decided to do this one early in the game because I will probably say this over and over again in the months to come: your eyebrows are the most important feature on your face. If you only have five minutes in the morning and you can only do one feature, I say do your eyebrows (unless you already have naturally perfect eyebrows, then I pat you on the back and congratulate you for your fortune).

Much like how I lack a nose bridge, I grew up without eyebrows. I remember my first facial appointment where the aesthetician asked if I wanted my eyebrows tweezed. I didn't know what "tweeze" meant, but my mother was in the vicinity and she told her no, because I already had so little. With their penchants to over-tweeze, what if my brows disappeared entirely?

I do not exaggerate when I say it took me over two years to be satisfied with how I drew my eyebrows. When I first started, I didn't own an eyebrow pencil, so I used a brown eyeliner thinking it should work the same. I followed the natural shape of my eyebrows (keep in mind, they weren't tweezed as they are now) and smudged it a little. It looked like two dark, bent lines - no arch, no definition. I still cringe at the memory. Needless to say, no photos of that era survived.

Throughout the years I've met people who mercifully set my eyebrows straight. A friend in an a capella group, a sales assistant at a Shu Uemura counter, a Benefit brow consultant, countless hours scrutinizing images of models and staring at people on the street sporting perfect brows. I remember one non-fiction writing class where the bulk of my semester was spent wondering if the girl sitting across from me filled in her brows, because they looked so full and defined to perfection. 

Now that I am comfortable with my brows, it's time to give back. I hope this tutorial proves to be of help to any lost eyebrow soul (like I once was) out there.

I've never posted a picture of me without eyebrows. Here's how I look sans shading:

Products Used:

• MAC 266 brush, Guerlain Terre Indigo, MAC 264 spoolie

You can choose a variety of products to shade in your brows. In my experience, I draw my brows the quickest when using a brow pencil, but it imparts a darker line that could end up looking unnatural. Using eye shadow might take up more time, but the finish far better mimics a natural brow. For this tutorial, I will be using the latter. 

Tip: when choosing a brow shade, make sure it is at least one shade lighter than your hair.

I use the dark brown shade in the Guerlain Terre Indigo palette

This next tip is courtesy of Joey at the Armani counter of Bloomingdale's 59th/Lexington. Lay the brush flat when picking up the color like so, and do it on both sides of the brush. That way you'll be able to maintain the shape of your brush and keep it from splaying. 

Once you get the color, shade your brows in using the method below! You can always refer to it along the way to make sure you're on track.

To find out where your eyebrows are supposed to begin, position a stick (I used my spoolie in these pictures) by your nose and align it to the inner corner of your eye. 

Where it should begin

For the arch, position it like below, and align it to the center of your eye. 

Arch

To find out where it ends, place the stick once again by your nose and align it to the outer corner of your eye.

Where it should end

After you're done shading, use the spoolie to gently comb through the hairs. Remember to follow the natural direction your hairs grow in (generally, upward at the front, downward along the tail).

Et voila!

A well-groomed, well-filled brow frames the face. Here's a pictorial comparison:

I definitely look brighter and much less disheveled on the right. 

There are a few rules I personally go by (which does not apply when going for a special look): 

1. Never overshade
2. Do not square off the front
3. Do not over-extend the ends
4. Always use a spoolie after.
5. No sharp angles

And of course, here's a couple of pictures to show you how that would look:

My Shu Uemura salesperson used to berate me for over-extending my eyebrows. She said if your brows ended at a lower point from where it began, it will make you look down/morose. Compare the above to this:

This wouldn't be a tutorial if I didn't end with a made up face, so:

I used the rose shade from NARS Grand Palais Duo on my cheeks

Cle de Peau Kyanite on my eyes

Le Metier de Beaute Monaco topped with Creme de la Creme on the lips

With that, I conclude this week's tutorial.  Enjoy your weekends, everyone! xo