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If you’re still limiting visits to salons and spas you’re probably wondering what’s the best way to do eyebrows at home. And if you ask an expert, they’ll tell you that taking on this task is flat out not a good idea. Oftentimes, do it yourself eyebrows turn into an over-plucked, ‘90s pencil-thin situation that takes serious patience to overcome (AKA grow out). And haven’t we all been through enough over the last year?

Times are different now, though, and if you plan on eyebrow shaping at home, you want to consider all your options. The four main ways you can tackle them are: 

Shaping with makeup

This usually requires the use of products like brow gel, eyeshadow, brow powder, brow pomade, and brow pencil. The best news is that it washes off easily, so you don’t have to worry about mistakes.

Waxing

Waxing your own eyebrows can be a little tricky. But with patience and practice, you can master it with at-home kits.

Threading

Full disclosure: this option isn’t really the best for beginners. It requires two hands and bit more skill than the previous options. But if you’re feeling bold, give it a shot.

Tweezing

Tweezing is perhaps the most popular and well-known method on this list. It allows you to get really close to the hairs and pluck with precision.

Whether you decide to use one of these methods for at-home brow shaping or not, there’s nothing wrong with exploring your options. You might even find an option here that you’d like to explore with your brow specialist post-pandemic!

Shaping with makeup

Shaping your eyebrows with makeup is the best way to do eyebrows at home. Why? Because it has the most room for error. Makeup is temporary, we know, and you’re probably looking for a more long-term solution. 

The reality is that your best results will come from this method whether you get it right the first time or not. The other three methods — waxing, threading, and tweezing — are higher risk options (and less recommended by professionals).

Whether you choose this method or not, using makeup can help make the other options easier. They basically act as a “stencil” for your brow shape.

MUST READ: Saweetie Has A Makeup Collection In The Works And We Can’t Wait!

What can I use to shape my eyebrows with makeup?

There are many different makeup options available for brows, including:

Pick one or pick them all. Brow pencils and pomades work best for defining the shape of the underside of your eyebrow. Pencils and pomades are also good for creating precise hair-like strokes. 

Eyeshadow and brow powder are great for filling in those pesky gaps in your brow. Brushing through your brows with a spoolie after filling them with a shadow or powder disperses the color for a less concentrated and more natural look.

If you’re going for an ultra natural look, brush a brow gel through your eyebrows. If you use a clear gel, it will look the most natural while taming wild hairs. If you use a tinted brow gel, it helps tame wild hairs while also filling in gaps and overall brow definition.

You can also take your concealer or foundation (no more than one or two shades lighter than your skin) and outline your eyebrows. Blend out the product for quick, effortless, and perfect eyebrows at home.

Waxing

An at-home eyebrow wax is a bold move, but it is possible for beginners. There are plenty of at-home brow waxing options, from heating cream wax to peel-and-stick wax strips. The method you choose when waxing your eyebrows at home depends on how adventurous you’re feeling. 

Hard vs. Soft Wax

There are different types of wax, but the two main options are hard wax and soft wax. Soft wax was the industry standard for a while, but formula advancements have made hard wax a more popular option. The main difference between hard and soft wax is all in how they adhere. This main difference affects the entire waxing experience.

Soft wax adheres to your skin, and is removed with strips. Hard wax adheres to the hairs only, and doesn’t require strips. That’s why you may notice more irritation and redness with soft wax. 

Soft wax also takes much longer to set, so you can wax a larger area. Hard wax sets faster, but doesn’t irritate the skin quite as much as its counterpart.

Both of these waxes are safe for facial use at home, and there are specific at-home kit options available for both. 

Threading

If you’re looking for a beginner-friendly way to shape your brows at home, then this isn’t what you’re looking for. The threading method uses two hands, thread, and a tricky method that tweezes lots of hairs at once. 

Can you do threading yourself? 

If you’ve gone to get your brows threaded by a professional, you know there is one main obstacle for this method: You need both hands and you need to pull your skin taut. So really, you need three hands to make this happen successfully.

At the salon, threaders have you pull areas of your skin taut while they use both hands to actually do the threading motion. So, if you live alone and don’t have a willing assistant, at-home threading is not your best option.

Tweezing

Tweezing is one of the most widely known methods for shaping brows at home. With the precision tip of tweezers, you can touch up brows done at the salon or tame long grown-out ones. The tweezing method combined with using makeup is one of the most reliable and beginner friendly techniques for at-home brow shaping.

How to tweeze perfect eyebrows at home

Achieving perfect eyebrows is easy with this method and a little patience:

  1. Using a brow pencil, place a dot at the head of your brow, the arch of your brow, and the tail of your brow. 
  2. Connect those dots with the pencil, and notice which hairs fall below that line. 
  3. Gently tweeze those eyebrow hairs. If you wonder whether or not you should tweeze a hair, then leave it. 
  4. Repeat for the top of your brows. 

When you’re finished, brush your eyebrow hairs up at the front of the brow and with the arch toward the end of your brow. If you notice any hairs have grown much longer than the others, use tiny grooming scissors to carefully trim them.

6 tips for DIY eyebrows at home

If you can make it without shaping your eyebrows at home, that’s great. It’s the best option. If you can’t go another day without doing something to your eyebrows, then here are a few tips to help you get the perfect eyebrows at home.

Use clean tools

The worst thing you can do is shape your brows at home with a side of bacteria. Make sure your tools are either fresh out of the package or sanitized well between uses. Why? Because clean tools have a longer lifespan and are less likely to pass around bacteria. Sanitize your tools by rubbing them down with rubbing alcohol. Make sure your tools are completely dry before using them, and voila! 

Clean your skin first 

Before you do any sort of grooming (removing any facial hair, extractions, masks, etc), clean your skin thoroughly. Use a water-based foaming cleanser, wash for 60 seconds, then rinse with lukewarm water. This will help prevent transfer of bacteria and extend the life of your tools.

Plan, plan, plan

Have an idea of what you want your brows to look like when they’re done. Use an eye pencil to fill in the shape you want your brows to have before shaping your brows at home, so you have guidelines. It’s much easier to overdo it when you don’t know exactly what your end goal is.

Less is more

Ask your brow specialist about the most common mistake they see with eyebrow shaping at home. They’ll tell you that people almost always overdo it. Hold back when you’re doing your eyebrows at home. You can always go back and take more away, but you run out of options when you’ve waxed most of your brows off!

Take your time

The worst time to shape your eyebrows at home is when you’re in a rush. Give yourself a good amount of time to move slowly, so you don’t accidentally overdo it. Your brow specialist wouldn’t rush perfection, and neither should you.

Let them be

Think twice before you rush into grooming your brows. We’re in a pandemic, and beauty standards are out the window. If you absolutely need something to make your brows look more put together, try the makeup option. If you decide you want to take it to the next level, you can always go back and do more.

SEE ALSO: 

Beauty Advice: Tips For Growing Out Your Eyebrows And Lashes

Getting My Eyebrows Microbladed Gave My Confidence A Boost!

 

Step By Step Guide: How To Do Eyebrows At Home For Beginners  was originally published on hellobeautiful.com