Shape up your brows; it's the easiest way to transform your look - Beautyinaction

Shape, Jan, 2004 by Jenna McCarthy

If you've never given much thought to the two little tufts of facial fuzz that sit above your eyes, you could be missing the boat beauty-wise. Ungroomed brows not only can make you look unkempt, but because they frame the face, you simply won't look as pretty. On the flip side, groomed, well-proportioned brows polish your look and can even create the illusion of a good night's sleep. "Brows are the only part of your face you can change without a doctor's help," explains Eliza Petrescu, the chief brow designer (and so-called "Queen of the Arch") at Eliza's Eyes studio at the Avon Salon & Spa in New York City.

So even if you've been doing your arches yourself for years--and especially if you're a tweezing or waxing virgin--professional help is highly recommended. The general consensus among pros is that everyone should see an expert for an initial shaping, and then return every three to five weeks for maintenance. "When you get a fantastic haircut, you wouldn't even think about taking your scissors and trying to copy it at home a month later, so why do that with your brows?" asks Petrescu. "You can try to maintain them yourself, but you still need help on the professional shaping front."

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The perfect shape

Avant-garde fashion designers give their models bushy caterpillar brows one season and sleek arches the next. What does that mean for you? Not much. "A pencil-thin line may look great on the runway, but in real life nothing extreme looks good," explains Anastasia Soare, Beverly Hills brow guru to celebs like Jennifer Lopez and Lucy Liu.

While everyone's ideal brow shape is somewhat different, there are general guidelines to follow, below. (The goal is to enhance the shape you were born with, not create a different one altogether.)

* The inside edge of your brows should line up vertically with the outside of the top of your nose.

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* The arch should be above the outside edge of your iris when you're looking straight ahead.

* The outside edge of your brows should line up diagonally at a 45-degree angle with the outside bottom of your nose.

* The "tail," or skinny outer tip, should extend outward, not downward.

Once the shape has been established by a pro, a stencil can help you neatly fill in the arch with color. (Try Eyebrowz Brow Stencils, below; $15 for a set of four; eyebrowz.com.)

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THE BROW MASTER AT WORK

Here, Beverly Hills brow guru Anastasia Soare shows off her A-list technique.

Removal options

Each technique for getting rid of unwanted hair has advantages and disadvantages, depending on your brow type, budget and tolerance for pain.

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Tweezing What women love about this technique: It's inexpensive and can be done at home. To make tweezing easy, soften the hair first by taking a hot shower or applying a warm, wet wash-cloth to the brow area. (Never apply ice first; this makes it harder to get the hair out. But icing the area after tweezing can help reduce pain and inflammation.) If you're extremely sensitive, take an over-the-counter painkiller before you pluck, or apply skin-numbing Anbesol (the gel made to numb gums, which is available at drugstores). Also put the tweezers away just before your period, as skin is extremely sensitive that week. Favorite tools: Tweezerman Tweezerettes ($6 each; tweezerman.com) and Eliza's Eyes Point-Tip Tweezers ($40; avonsalonandspa.com).

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Threading This lesser-known technique, which dates to ancient times in the Middle East and India and involves pulling out hairs with a fine piece of twine, is increasing in popularity. Advocates say it's less painful than plucking and that it's fast and neat, with results lasting two to four weeks. "For those who don't want to tweeze or wax, threading is a good option, but go to someone who really knows what she is doing," says Bobbe Joy, a Beverly Hills makeup artist who has beautified the brows of Heather Locklear. Check with local salons and spas for threaders in your area.

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Waxing This popular technique is more painful than tweezing or threading, but it also lasts longer. You only have to wax every several weeks, whereas when you tweeze, you generally have to do it every few days. (Leave waxing to the professionals, because wax is messy and hard to control on such a narrow area as your brow.)

One possible downside to waxing: "It's not great to continually pull on that delicate skin," Joy explains. "It's very sensitive and thin and, with repeated waxing, could start sagging." Also, don't wax while using alpha-hydroxy acids, retinols or glycolics (discontinue these at least two weeks before waxing). And, since the antiacne prescription drug Accutane makes skin supersensitive, most dermatologists and waxing experts recommend waiting at least three months after discontinuing it before waxing.

Tricks of the trade

Once an expert has helped you to achieve the right shape, there are a few more steps to creating perfect brows.

Fill in with the right color. Sometimes even the shapeliest of arches need help from pencils or other fillers. What's important is finding the right shade: If you have dark hair, your brows should be one to two shades lighter; if hair is light, they should be one to two shades darker. Try Maybelline Expert Eyes Brow & Eye Liner ($5.50; at drugstores) or Estee Lauder Automatic Brow Pencil Duo ($23; esteelauder .com). Or opt for Clinique Brow Shaper, which comes in four natural shades of powder with a slanted brush for easy application ($14.50; clinique.com).