How to shape eyebrows

Hold a straight edge, such as an eyebrow pencil or a ruler, vertically in front of your face. Line it up so that it touches the outermost of your nose and the inside of your eye. This line will determine where your eyebrow should start. Mark that spot with an eyebrow pencil. Repeat for the other eye.


Angle the straight edge so that it lines up with the outermost edge of your nose and the outermost edge of your iris. It's very important that you look straight ahead--both your face and your eyes should be looking directly forward at the mirror. Wherever the line intersects your eyebrow is where the peak of your arch should begin at the top border of the eyebrow. Mark that spot with your eyebrow pencil. Repeat for the other eye.


Angle the straight edge further so that it touches the outermost edge of your nose and also passes along the outermost edge of your eye (not your eyelashes, if you have long ones that extend beyond the edge of your eye, you lucky thing). This tells you where the eyebrow should end. Mark this point with your eyebrow pencil. Repeat with the other eye.

• Whatever shape you choose, make sure both eyebrows are symmetrical.
• A 2007 study out of Germany found that people under 30 years old find low, subtly arched eyebrows more flattering, while people over 50 years old prefer the opposite (high eyebrows with a strong arch).