6.3 Eyebrows
As you have already learned, the eyebrow has transformed throughout the decades, and in today’s times, some women prefer a thin brow, and others love to rock a natural bushy brow! When performing standard makeup applications, you will usually work with the shape of the brow your client already has and can elongate and emphasise certain parts, like the brow arch, depending on your clients desired look. When it comes to brows, the image below outlines all of the components to consider:
There are many eyebrow shapes; however, they usually fall into the following categories:
Many clients may want a hard angled brow, but this is not always the best shape for their face. For example, if you had a client with an oblong face wanting a hard angled brow, this would actually make their face appear even longer. Given we are trying to create symmetry and balance on the face, the best shape for a person with an oblong face is a straighter brow. See for yourself in the example below:
When you are working with eyebrows, you never want to do anything too drastic unless the client is aware. The reason for this, if you go too dark or overcorrect, your client might get a big shock, and you do not want them to just be staring at their brows and not looking at all of your other work! If you are doing a makeup look with brow blocking, then you will have a completely blank canvas to work from.
Key phrase | Brow blocking: a technique that professional makeup artists use to cover their client’s eyebrows. Brow blocking uses glue to stick down and smooth the brow hairs. Afterwards, a combination of makeup products is applied to hide their colour, resulting in a blank canvas to work from.
If you are brow blocking a client, it’s useful to be aware of the sorts of shapes that you should aim for and the shapes that you should avoid depending on the clients face shape. The table below provides a quick reference guide for the best brow shapes for each face shape:
| Shape | Brow shape you should aim for: | Brow shapes to avoid: |
| Round | Arched brow | Too round or flat (straight) |
| Square | Curved brow shape following the natural shape | Hard angled brow |
| Oval | Soft angled brow | Brow arches that are too high (hard angled) |
| Heart | Soft angled brow | Brow arches that are too high (hard angled) and super straight lines |
| Oblong | Flat shape, with straighter lines | Angled brow |
| Diamond | Curved or soft angled brow | Brow arches that are too high (hard angled) |
To help you remember the differences, the image below provides a good visual reference for which brow shapes suit each face:
Despite what suits our client’s face shape, they may request a particular style or shape that is in fashion. For example, in 2015, the “Instagram Brow” and the #OnFleek revolution became all the rage. This was where the inner corner of the brow has a fade, and the peak and tail of the brow is more defined. In real life, insta-brows do not look super flattering, but they do look excellent in photos! Around the same time, feathered looking brows were also on trend for those who wanted a more natural look. Let’s look at the difference:
Many professional MUAs, including Mario Dedivanovic (Kim Kardashian West MUA), had called for the Instagram brow to end due to the harsh lines and boxy appearance. Of course, makeup is all preference, and you might have clients who really want you to create an insta-brow for them. Of course, we always use our professional judgment, but knowing how to create different styles will help to ensure your client leaves satisfied and will keep them coming back.
As you have already learned, there are lots of brow products you can use from pencils, powders, pomades and gels. When selecting your brow product colour, you will want to choose a shade that is close to the client’s natural hair colour, unless, of course, you are doing a bold or creative makeup.
Watch the following videos to see our expert apply different brow styles:
In addition to natural and structured brows, feather brows and soap brows are also very popular. To learn more about these application techniques, access the resources linked:
If you would like to learn more about eyebrows, access the resources linked: