Shaping one's eyebrows on their own is daunting, and why not? Eyebrows frame your face and can either enhance your expressions or change your look completely, depending on how well or poorly you execute the task. However, fret not, for with the right tools and techniques, it is possible to achieve expert results.  

What you need: A pair of tweezers, a spoolie brush (like a mascara wand), small scissors, and an eyebrow pencil.

Step 1. Eyebrow mapping

The secret to well-shaped brows is a good understanding of your natural brow shape and a thorough mapping job done beforehand. You can start by holding your eyebrow pencil vertically along the last quarter of your nose. The point where the pencil meets your brow is where your eyebrow should begin.

Next, angle the pencil from the tip of your nose across the outer corner of your eye — this is where your brow should end. Finally, find your natural arch by placing the pencil diagonally from the tip of your nose through the centre of your eye. Mark these points lightly with a pencil.

Step 2: Tweeze and trim

When tweezing, one should always follow the natural direction of hair growth to avoid irritation. You can start by removing stray hair outside your mapped brow shape but remember to be sparing about it. Even one hair, unnecessarily tweezed, can lead to sparse brows. Remember, it is always easier to go back and tweeze more, than it is, to wait for hair on uneven eyebrows to grow back.

While beginners can attempt tweezing with some confidence, trimming is a far riskier idea, and things can go south very fast. However, those who are confident of doing a stellar trim should brush their eyebrows upward using a spoolie brush and then use small scissors to trim any hair that extends beyond the natural brow line. This will ensure that brows look neat and not too bushy.

Step 3: Fill in the gaps

Once you are done with the most difficult part, you can get down to the aesthetics of it. Even with perfectly shaped brows, some areas might need a bit of filling in. Use an eyebrow pencil or powder that matches your natural brow colour to lightly fill in areas that look bare. Avoid sharp strokes towards the end of your brows as this can make them look unnaturally blocky. Instead, use small, hair-like strokes to mimic the natural growth pattern.

Step 4: Set your brows

Finally, you can use a clear or tinted brow gel to set your brows in place. Brushing your brows upwards with the gel can help keep them tidy and also give them a lifted look.

On a side note, do remember, that under no circumstances, should you conceal your natural eyebrows and draw odd curvy lines on your face with a kohl pencil. That never was, and never will be in fashion.