By Andrea Berman

Eyebrows are transformative. In addition to the very important and functional purpose of protecting the eyes, they significantly affect our overall appearance. Eyebrows frame the face and create harmony through shape and color. They also convey our individuality and are unique to each of us. With all of that, it’s not hard to understand why so much attention has been given to beautifying them.

To that end, I am going to discuss a technique called eyebrow mapping. This is a process commonly performed in the beauty industry to create symmetrical defined eyebrows based on the dimensions of one’s natural face and brow shape. While it sounds complex and it certainly can get as complicated as one wants, the concept is simple and ingenious. Described here is a rudimentary beginner’s version of the procedure.

This “how-to” works well if you want to follow the natural thickness and shape of your brows, fill in a few sparse areas, and make minor modifications to the eyebrow shape. A video link for a more advanced method is linked at the end of this post.

EYEBROW MAPPING STEP-BY-STEP

STEP 1-Tools

To begin, gather the necessary tools for the eyebrow mapping process. This includes:

• Eyebrow pencil to mark and trace

• Spoolie or eyebrow brush the brows

• Tweezers to pluck hairs

• Eyebrow Scissors to trim hairs

• Optional but suggested: pre-inked string for easily marking the brows like this here. (A do-it-yourself version is using string/floss that has transferable color on it like eye pencil.)

Step 2-Mapping.

Mapping one’s own optimal eyebrow shape starts with charting the relationship of the nose to the brow and the nose to the eye. Three key areas are then identified as illustrated in the diagram below.

The letters correspond to the start of the brow (A), the brow’s ideal highest arch point (B), and the end, or tail, of the brow (C). Using the nose as a reference point:

• Point A. Place an eye pencil or string against the side of the nose straight up and down as it crosses the inner corner of the eye. Mark where it crosses the brow. This is the start of the brow.

• Point B. Place the same pencil or string against the side of your nose at an angle across the pupil (no further than the outer part of the iris) extending across the brow. This is the highest point orthe arch of the brow.

• Point C. Place the string or pencil against the side of the nose angling it so that it crosses the outer end of the eye. This is the end or tail of the brow.

• Repeat the above steps with both eyes.

STEP 3-Eyebrow Shaping

Beginning with the first half of the eyebrow and using either a pencil or colored string, connect Point A to Point B on both the upper and lower part of the brow. Move on to connect Point B to Point C. Step back to see the general outline.

At this point, check for asymmetry in the height of the arches by laying the pencil or string spanning the highest arch point of both eyes. Some asymmetry is natural. To get a non-obstructed view of the outline, I recommend removing all marks made on the skin except the outline itself. Fill in the outline lightly with an eye pencil.

STEP 4 (Optional)-Eyebrow Stencil

An eyebrow stencil is helpful if you have very little eyebrow hair, larger areas to cover, or just want other shape options to view with no commitment. Having mapped your eyebrows in the steps above will still be an important step to successful stenciling.

Stencil kits contain multiple plastic eyebrow shapes that are placed over the eyebrow. Each stencil has an opening that can be filled in with an eyebrow pencil or powder.

An instructional video is here:

STEP 5-Eyebrow Finishing

Only when you are satisfied with the shape you have created, pluck, wax, and/or trim your hair. My primary recommendation here is to go slow. One hair plucked or trimmed too short can create a world of change.

Enjoy your new look!

Andrea is a beauty expert with a blog, The Beauty Maestra. dedicated to those of us in our fifties and beyond who are interested in transformative insights about our specific skin and beauty needs.

If you are interested in more advanced eyebrow mapping, a video is linked here.