Mini Makeover: Shape Your Brows, Change Your Look
It’s no secret that the right (or wrong) eyebrows can totally change your face. But how do you know if you arches are living up to their potential? We asked celebrity eyebrow stylist Joey Healy (Kyra Sedgwick is a client) to transform three real women by giving their brows an overhaul. See the before and after below, along with Joey’s expert tips on how to get your best brows ever.
From Skinny To Shapely
Regular waxing had left Christine with ultra-thin brows, which Joey wanted to bulk up. “I want her brows to feel more wild and free, and less painstakingly done,” he explained. To get them there, he started by tweezing strays, then reshaped her arches with a brow pencil. He finished by combing the brows downward. “When you brush the hair over, it covers the work you did [with a pencil] so the eye can’t distinguish what’s real and what’s fake.”
Celebrity eyebrow stylist Joey Healy used his own Brow Architect Stylo ($25, joeyhealy.com) to reshape Christine’s brows.
Photo: Patrick Biesemans
Tips
Adjust your arch: The highest point of the brow should be about two-thirds of the way out, not in the middle of the brow.
Use a brow pencil to correct the shape. Fill in brows with quick, sketchy strokes — never a harsh, solid line. Brush through the brows as you work to diffuse the color.
Comb brow hairs downward to blend with the pencil and create a more natural look.
The Reformed Over-Plucker
As a teenager, Rachel got her eyebrows waxed every two weeks. Some of that hair had stopped growing back, which left her brows patchy and uneven — and made her hesitant to keep up with regular shaping. To help get her brows back on track, Joey started by tweezing stray hairs from both the top and the bottom to shift the arch slightly and lift the tail end of the brow. Then he filled in the patchy areas with powder to for a fuller look.
Joey filled in Rachel’s sparse brows with Luxe Brow Powder in Tobacco ($28, joeyhealy.com).
Photo: Patrick Biesemans
Tips
Overplucked? Use a brow regrowth serum with active ingredients, not just moisturizers. Joey’s own Brow Renovation Serum ($125, joeyhealy.com) features pentapeptides, which help extend the hairs’ growth stage.
Have your brows shaped regularly by a professional, even if you’re growing them in. Ask your brow groomer to advise which areas need to be grown in, and which ones need to be reshaped.
Use powder to fill in patchy areas. The powder sits on the skin behind the hair, giving the illusion of denser brows. Choose a powder designed especially for brows, not a powder eyeshadow.
The tail of your eyebrow should extend at least to the corner of your eye, and can be even longer as long as it doesn’t end vertically lower than the point where your brow begins — you want a lifted shape, not a droopy one.
The Statement Brow
Jackie wanted to learn how to pull off a bold brow look that would pop beneath her bangs and work for nighttime. After Joey cleaned up a few stray hairs, he emphasized her shape with pencil. To make a stronger statement, he squared off the brow at the bridge of the nose. He finished with powder to intensify the shade, and added clear brow gel to hold the hairs in place.
Joey played up Jackie’s brows with Luxe Brow Powder in Cordury ($28, joeyhealy.com).
Photo: Patrick Biesemans
Tips
Your brows should start at the bridge of the nose; use a brush to pinpoint the spot directly above the nostril (not the outside of your nose).
Use brush with stiff bristles, such as boar or badger, to create fine, dramatic lines.
Start by perfecting your “better” brow, then make the other one match.
Just like with the rest of your eye makeup, you can go bolder for a nighttime look. As long as your follow Joey’s golden rules — begin the brow at the bridge of the nose, place the arch at the two-thirds point, and let the tail end dip no lower than the front end — have fun with the look!
