Brow Shape and Design

Shaping eyebrows emphasises the eyes and helps give character to the face. The most popular methods of shaping are by plucking with tweezers, waxing or threading.

The eyebrow hairs grow in the skin that lies over the base of the frontal bone at the upper part of the eye socket. The thicker hairs, which make up the general shape of the brows, protect the bony prominence. Finer hairs grow further down towards the eye socket. These fine hairs are more obvious in darker people. They tend to give a heavy appearance to the brows, which can dominate the upper eye area. In fair people, these hairs are less obvious, but they spoil the effect of make-up.

By removing excess hair, the skin becomes smoother and more suitable to make up. Eyeshadows can be blended more evenly, producing a more professional finish.

The eyebrow shape is completely dependent on what the client wants, however we shouldn’t try and change the organic shape too much.

Depending on the structure of the client’s face you may wish to consider different shaped brows to achieve the perfect look.

Common Brow Shapes

Before we look at the best eyebrow shapes for various face shapes, it is wise you know what the common shapes are in the first place. This will foster a quick understanding of the shape being referred for different face shapes.

Face Shapes

There are certain brow shapes which are more suited to a particular type of face shape and these should be considered before shaping.

Round Faces	People who have round faces have a face whose length and width are almost the same (and often widest around the cheeks).  The best brows for round faces are shorter brows which go as high as possible and as low as possible towards the edges – use a high arch. Angled eyebrows are ideal.
Oval Faces	An oval shaped face is where the forehead is much wider than the chin and the cheekbones are prominent.  Oval shaped faces are the ideal faces to work with and can accept many different styles of brows, however a Soft Angle shape is one of the best.
Long Faces	People with long faces have cheekbones, forehead and jaw lines that are about the same width and the chin will be slightly prominent. They could be shaped like an oblong or a rectangle.  The best eyebrow shapes for longer faces are those that make the face look shorter. A Straight brow shape will help achieve this (adding extra width to the brow will also help).
Square Faces	In Square faces the cheekbones, forehead and jaw line are all the same width, with the square jawline the most obvious. Ensure the line from the inner eyebrow is straight but the one on the outer section from the arch is curved. The objective is to bring some softness to the much-squared face.The ideal brow shape is an Angular brow with soft curves and a wide, high arch to create an oval impression.
Heart Shaped Faces	It is hard to get a clear distinction between people who have heart shaped faces and an oval face. The main difference is that the chin tapers to a point in oval faces.  Go for smooth round brows as this will give you both the feminine touch and give you a heart shaped look.

FACE SHAPES …/ctd

Other face shape types to consider are:

High Forehead 

The arch of the eyebrow should be slightly elevated to create the illusion of a lower forehead. 

Use an Angular brow.

Low Forehead 

The arch should be as low as possible to give more height to the forehead. 

Use a Straight or Natural brow.

Wide set eyes 

The eyes will appear closer by leaving the brows unthreaded on the inner corners. You could recommend extending the inner corner with the Henna Brow colour. 

Use a Straight or Natural brow.

Creating Effects

The natural shape, thickness, hair growth and spacing of the eyebrows determine what can be achieved by shaping. The basic guidelines may need adapting for dealing with particular problems. Sometimes a little eyebrow make up is needed afterwards to achieve the desired effect.

Close set Eyes:  Eyes that are less than one eye width apart need the illusion of extra space created between them. This can be helped by plucking between the eyebrows, slightly increasing the distance between them and by extending the length of the brows beyond the normal guideline.

Eyes too wide apart:  Eyes that are more than one eye’s width apart need to look closer together. This can be achieved by reducing the distance between the eyebrows and finishing the shape slightly inside the normal guideline.

Eyebrows that meet: Eyebrows that meet in the middle produce a frowning effect. The hairs should be cleared from above the bridge so that they do not extend beyond the outer corners of the eyes.

Droopy Eyebrows: Eyebrows that grow too far down at the sides makes the eyes look tired. Shorten the brows so that they do not extend beyond the outer corners of the eyes.

Thick, untidy eyebrows: The brows look heavy, and the eyes lack definition. Clear excess hair from above the eye socket and creates an arch.

Excessive eyebrow hairs on mature skin: Excess hairs emphasise the effects of loose skin and slack muscle tone in the eye area. Clear the excess hairs and create an arch at the outer edges of the brows to give a more youthful lift to the eye area. Do not make the brows too thin.

Brow Formation

The brow is made up of 2 main parts:
	The BODY (contains the bulb and body) – 2/3 of the brow with a soft incline.The TAIL – 1/3 of the brow with a soft decline.The brow formation can change slightly from client to client.
Brow Proportions:
	The brow should become gradually smaller in shape from bulb to tail. A = BULB – BIGB = ARCH – MEDIUMC= TAIL – SMALL

Finding the Brow Points

	Point A Marks the START of the brow. This Point starts just past the bridge of the nose. The width and size will differ from client to client, depending on if they want a slim or full brow.
	The BRIDGE of the nose is the centre bone of the nose.
	Point C Marks the End of the brow. It should be measured from the corner of the nose, through the corner of the eyelashes with the eyes open.It should ideally be higher than point A or at least in line with, but NEVER lower.
	B LINE – Pivotal point The B-line is where the arch of the brow should sit. It should sit within the safety zone (the edge of the iris and the corner of the eye)

	Lower B – Pivotal point The highest point UNDER the arch This is the opportunity to decide how soft or angular you want the under arch to be.
	Upper B – Pivotal pointThis is the highest point at the top of the arch. Here you can decide if the arch needs to be lifted or lowered.
	Joining the PointsOnce the points are decided you can use a brow pencil to mark them before you start to shape. The natural contours of the brow bone will turn straight lines into curves Start by connecting A – B – C Lower arch, then repeat at the higher arch.

The shape can be “tweaked “at the end to tailor to perfection! 

Brow Symmetry

Remember we are not symmetrical by design however we should always try to “balance” the brows to the best of our ability.  

You can use china markers / thread or thread with china markers to ensure the following points are balanced. 

	Points A on both brows should be in line with each other at higher and lower points. This gives both brows the same thickness and starting points.
	Points B on both brows should be in line with each other at higher and lower points.  This ensures that both arches’ inclines, and declines are balanced.
	Points C on both brows should be balanced and in line with each other at higher and lower points. This ensures that both brows end at the same balance points.

You can also use the grid lines on a smart phone or a picture app on your phone. 

Designing the Brow

When a client visits for the first time, it is a rare few that have the correct shape – there is usually room for improvement.  If you have intentions for a regrowth plan to help their Brow Shape, explain which hairs can and cannot be removed (if any at all) at home.

When selecting a brow shape for your client, it is important to consider the following:

• Brow formation
• Brow proportions
• Brow positioning
• Desired long-term shaping
• Facial shapes and features
• Client preferences
• Current hair growth (depending on treatment)

Please be aware that every single brow hair is important. If in doubt do not remove it until the tailoring stage of the brow.  

Take time to study and practice brow shapes anywhere you can (Magazines / internet/ you may want to start a photo journal of your own BROW Journey!).

The Perfect Shape

When it comes to brows, styles, shapes and preferences are just so personal! But still, there are a few golden rules to follow when it comes to creating a beautiful eyebrow in 2021. We’ll show you!

When styling eyebrows – be it with wax, tweezers, thread or makeup – you basically start with just five straight lines: the top and bottom, the beginning, and the top and bottom of the tail. Always keep in mind the following Arch Ratio:

The highest point of the eyebrow, the arch, is placed as far to the side as possible. In other words, the first part of the eyebrow should take up about 70%, and the tail 30%.

The top part of the brow base points slightly outwards, or in the very least, the highest point of the base should never point inwards.

Make sure the beginning of the brow goes from light to dark when you tint the brows (or apply make-up) to prevent a too heavy, block-like front. 

Always make straight lines, especially on the underside of the brow, when you are shaping and especially with epilation, waxing and tinting. A useful tool for this is Brow Mapping Thread.

How does brow mapping work? 

Simply put, brow mapping is the perfect measuring technique for even eyebrows and pre-pigmented wire is used for this. Wondering how to best use mapping thread? You simply put five lines on the eyebrow: at the base, from the top of the base to the arch and from the arch to the tail. And then at the bottom of the base to the arch and from the arch to the tail. You can use these lines for waxing or threading, as well as a tool for painting in the lines!

Creating perfect eyebrows is not only about measuring well, but much more about insight and feeling

We believe in brow mapping, to a certain extent. You can put two identical eyebrows on someone’s face, but hardly anyone is completely symmetrical! When drawing, you must take into account that one eye can be higher or deeper, or that the other eye is simply a fraction larger. Two precisely symmetrical eyebrows can give a strange look! In such cases, you need to shorten or raise one eyebrow slightly to get the best result. Creating perfect eyebrows doesn’t only have to do with good measuring, but much more with insight and feeling. A good brow specialist has a carpenter’s eye for these kinds of details. The secret? Practice! You only develop a good eye for this by practicing, practicing, practicing, and seeing a lot of brows.

Choosing the right colour

Light Skin + Light Brows 

Dyōtics henna comes in six different colours: five cool shades and one slightly warmer shade: Hazelnut. Because the colours can be mixed with each other, you can create the perfect colour for every client. For clients with light skin and light brows, we recommend using one of the lightest colours: Honey. But you can also mix Honey with Taupe for example, for a slightly more intense effect. Another beautiful combo: Honey and Natural Brown. These brows that @bohemebrowbar created are a perfect example of this, using Honey and Natural Brown in a 50/50 ratio.

Does the client want slightly darker brows, but has light skin? Then the colour combination of Taupe and Natural Brown could be a good match. 

Power Brows

Do you find Natural Brown too light but Ash Brown too dark? Mix it up! 

The Right Processing Time

You can also play around with the leave-in time of the henna to make it look slightly lighter or darker. Generally, we recommend allowing the henna to soak in on the brows for 15 to 20 minutes so that the colour can properly apply to the skin. The henna also needs this amount of time to develop properly, so that a beautiful brown tint emerges. However, for some brows, a leave-in time of 10 minutes is enough, especially if someone has very light, almost white hair, as these hairs absorb the henna like a sponge, with a rather dark result. So be careful when working with these types of brows! Don’t pick a shade too dark in the beginning, it’s better to start a little lighter and let the henna stay on a little longer, so it turns out a little darker. 

Ombre Effect

The best leave-in time varies from 10 to 20 minutes. The front of the brow (about 1 cm) should always be removed earlier to prevent the eyebrows from becoming very blocky in shape. For this so-called Ombre effect, remove the henna at the base after 5-7 minutes with a moist cotton swab. Sometimes you can see that the colour has not applied sufficiently to the skin, and in this case, apply some henna again and let it soak in for another 5-10!

One Colour That Fits Perfectly 

Sometimes you have a client where a base colour already fits perfectly and mixing the henna would just be unnecessary.  Only the colour Taupe was used on the beauty below. And what a stunning brow it made! 

In another perfect example only the colour Ash Brown was used on the client below. This colour perfectly matches the skin tone and the natural colour of the brows, creating a beautiful and natural look!

Dark Skin + Dark Brows 

For clients with light-toned or dark skin, dark brows can always work well, and the colours Ash Brown and Raven are ideal for this. Below you can see a beautiful result with Ash Brown and a little bit of Raven. Raven is almost black, so be careful with this shade! The colour is only suitable for clients with dark skin or to make other colours more intense.