How to Shape Eyebrows With Waxing
How do you decide the right shape for your eyebrows? Is there a way to accentuate high cheekbones or detract from a large forehead? Can you make your eyes look closer together or farther apart? How do you shape your eyebrows when you are waxing at home? These questions and more are answered in the following article.
Eyebrows are shaped in order to frame your eyes and face in an aesthetically pleasing way. The shape of your eyebrows can either detract from flaws or accentuate features of your face. There are several steps you can take to find the right eyebrow shape for you.
- Determine the shape of your face. You will be able to see the shape of your face more clearly without any distracting frames, so remove your hat, pull back your hair and pin up your bangs. If you have a round, oval or heart shaped face you will want your eyebrows to be more angular. If your face is square or diamond shaped with angled features, you will want to compliment them with softly curving eyebrows.
- Examine your forehead. You will not want to draw attention to a high forehead or an extremely short, bulging one. You can either have a high brow with a sharp curve or angle, or you can keep your angles obtuse and curves slight. The first will give height to your forehead, while the latter will make it seem wider and less tall.
- Decide which features are your best and showcase them. A straighter brow with a curve toward the outside will accentuate high cheekbones. Do not bring the tail of your eyebrows too low, but if you have wide eyes you will want to curve your brow just above the pupil. Deep set eyes benefit from a slight curve with a sharply angled tail.
- Find the correct length for your eyebrows. The inner end of your eyebrows should line up with the side of your nose and the inner corner of your eye. The outer end should line up with the side of your nostril and the outside corner of your eye. Use a straight edge to find the right points and mark them with an eye pencil.
- Prepare for waxing. Choose the type of wax you want to use; there are many different do-it-yourself wax kits available, from sugar to bees-wax and honey. Find the one that will irritate your skin type the least. Clean the brow area and lightly powder around your eyebrows.
- Applying wax. You can use many techniques; the most popular are “popsicle sticks and strips” and “toothpick” waxing. Your at-home kit will most likely give the proper tools and instructions for applying wax. Just be sure to apply sparingly at first and establish a sort of stencil; after you have the right shape in the lower curve you can put on another layer. Remember to apply the wax in the direction of the hair growth.
- Removing wax. You will probably get removal cloth or paper strips in your kit. Cut these to small pieces, about half an inch by one and a half inches. Place the strip flat over the waxed area and smooth it in the same direction you applied the wax. Hold your skin taught and pull the strip from one end to the other in a swift, crisp motion. Remove the strip in the opposite direction of your hair growth.
- Clean the area and soothe the skin. You can use baby oil or the oil provided in you kit to remove excess or stubborn wax from your brow area. Lightly powder again to avoid bumps. You can expect slight redness, but it will only last a couple of hours at most. Anything more than that should be reported to a doctor, and be sure to call your doctor if you swell up or bleed more than a couple of drops.
- Use tweezers to get any stray or short hairs your waxing might have missed. If you have overly long hairs you should brush your brows straight upward and trim them to an even length.
- Repeat steps six through nine on the top of your eyebrow, and then again for your other side.
Sometimes it is helpful to see a beautician before attempting to wax eyebrows; if you have certain features or skin problems and you have any questions they can give you the benefit of experience. Also it is common to have eyebrows waxed professionally the first time and then copy the shape, if you like it, when you touch-up at home.