EASY BROW-zing!

The first time I ever had my eyebrows professionally shaped, my mom took one look at me and said it was the best money I had ever spent. A well-groomed eyebrow is a shortcut to a pulled together look: it can balance out your features and make you look more polished and awake.

Finding the right shape for you, however, can be a little tricky. Avoid getting your brows done at the nail shop...it's a basic waxing, no real attention is paid to the shape or style of brow that will best suit your face. Here are a few pointers that you need to know about the SHAPE you need.

* If you have a round face, a high-arched, angular brow will make your face look thinner.
* Conversely, if you have a long face, a more horizontal eyebrow with an arch that is further out towards your hair line will make your face appear fuller.
* A heart-shaped or square face is balanced out by round eyebrows.
* To minimize a large nose, aim for highly arched, dark or thick eyebrows.
* Eyes will look larger with thin, angled brows.
* Rounder brows will soften a sharp or pointy chin.
* Large eyes are more proportional with thicker, dark colored brows.
* If you wear glasses, pick a pair that matches the shape of your brow, instead of attempting to make your brow match the frames.


The worst thing one can do is overpluck. Well, not the worst. But be careful because once plucked, your eyebrows can take months to eventually grow back. Until that happens, fill in bare spots with a brow powder or pencil. Use light, feathery strokes to create a realistic look, rather then drawing a line. Set the color with brow gel. Find a pencil color that matches your brows as closely as possible. Don't have a pencil on hand? Try an eyeshadow that matches your brows, you can fill in color with shadow, although it may not look as realistic. Pick up gel brow at any drugstore. No need to spend a lot of cash on this product. Keep brows in place with a spritz of hairspray applied to finger or a toothbrush. Brush brows in place.

Next time, get brows professionally tweezed, waxed or threaded. Follow the "map" created by the professional with a pair of tweezers in between salon visits. This will help keep you from overplucking again.

HAPPY BROW-ZING!!