Types of Eyebrow Shapes: Overview
There are 12 different eyebrow shapes and styles. From short and full, to tapered at the ends, to bleached and laminated, the best eyebrow shape for you depends on your face shape. The most common face shapes are round, oval, heart, square, oblong, or diamond. Brow-shaping tools to achieve your desired look include tweezers, brushes, and combs.
12 Types of Eyebrow Shapes
Short and full Not everybody is born with long and arched eyebrows, and that’s okay! If you have naturally short and full eyebrows, it can still work to your benefit by adding boldness to your face and making you appear younger. Shorter brows tend to work best on longer face shapes, since there is no need to add length. Tracee Ellis Ross is one celebrity who rocks a shorter, thicker brow. Most flattering face shapes: Oval, oblong How to style: Short, dense brows typically just require trimming. So, trim them using tweezers. Makeup artist, Erica Coates, suggests using a spoolie brush to fan the eyebrows up and out. Then, she recommends using a tweezer to trim the brows. Once you’ve manicured your thick brows to your liking, adding a brow gel to set them in place can be the finishing touch.
S-shaped An s-shaped brow is unique because it appears to begin in the middle and then briefly dips down before ending with an arch. S-shaped brows are considered sexy and mysterious, adorning the faces of celebrities like Penelope Cruz. Filling them in a bit is fine, but don’t try to cover up their one-of-a-kind shape! Most people with these brows were born with them as they’re hard to replicate. Most flattering face shapes: Oval, round How to Style: Map out the precise s-shape you want, considering the shape you already have. Then, tweeze and fill in accordingly– voila!
Rounded Rounded brows offer a softer look with half-moons shapes instead of arches. Feminine and demure, rounded brows look best on more angular or longer faces and will only cause round faces to appear rounder. Adding a bit of height at the arch could elongate the face. Julia Roberts is one iconic celebrity with beautiful rounded eyebrows. Most flattering face shapes: Diamond, square, oblong How to Style: Rounded brows can bring harmony to the face. Pluck and fill in to achieve higher curved brows if you have a shorter face, and create a lower arch if you have a longer face.
Straight Straight brows are exactly as advertised: the bottom of the brow is a straight line with no arch at the top, angled down at the ends. These kinds of brows look best on longer faces as they add width. Use eyeshadow powder to fill in and straighten your brows to achieve a soft, innocent look. Zoë Kravitz, for example, has gorgeous, straight eyebrows. Most flattering face shapes: Oval, oblong How to Style: Makeup artist, Melissa Jannes, says, “I use a straight across or tapered eyeliner brush, and I draw a line underneath the eyebrow that's maybe a little bit lower than I would go, just to give it a little bit of definition, a little bit of bulk. And then I blend that powder up into the eyebrow.”
Arched tail This kind of brow has an arch toward the tail leading to an elongated look. While this brow shape works on virtually all faces, a brow that’s arched at the tail tends to elongate the face, so keep that in mind. It’s a popular choice as it can give the appearance of a face lift. Angelina Jolie wears her arched-tail brows proudly. Most flattering face shapes: All How to Style: When you trim and fill in your brows, keep them angular so they don’t conflict with your natural face shape. Makeup artist, Cassandra McClure, speaks on speaks on the powers of microblading to encourage hair growth toward the arched end of your brow. McClure says, “[Microblading makes] little tiny cuts into your skin and actually helps to regenerate hair growth.”
Arched middle If your brows naturally arch toward the middle, you’re in good company, as celebrities like Mariska Hargitay also have a high middle arch. To avoid having a surprised look, you can grow out your brows and then lightly trim around the middle arch to achieve a subtle but glamorous look. Most flattering face shapes: Round, heart How to Style: Jannes believes that less is more when it comes to accentuating a center arch. She suggests going in with a matte powder to create the arch, as it creates a softer glam than a pencil. You can even add some highlighter to your brow bone to add a touch of whimsy.
High arches Ultra high arches above the brow bone can really wake the face up while adding length. This creates a defined and dramatic look that many celebrities, like Leah Michelle, opt for. These brows add length and dimension and work to balance softer features. Most flattering face shapes: Round, heart How to Style:To go for a bold arched look, brush your brow hairs upward from beginning to arch, following your natural hair growth pattern. You can tweeze in the lowest, center area of your brows for a more defined arch. Then, use a brow gel to set your masterpiece.
Minimal arches Flattering on nearly every face shape, minimal arches can enhance the beauty of softer features or balance the hard angles of other features. These natural, subtlety arched brows aren’t very high maintenance and simply require some regular tweezing. Celebrities like Adele have these kinds of low-maintenance brows. Most flattering face shapes: Round, oval, oblong, heart How to Style:Tweeze as needed and use a brow pencil to fill in areas where hair is sparse, allowing your minimally-arched brow to shine.
Tapered This eyebrow shape is all about fullness at the beginning that thins out to a line at the tail. The tapering effect creates an arch toward the middle, resulting in a well-defined yet timeless look. A tapered brow lifts, awakens, and adds length to the face. Kim Kardashian is probably one of the most famous personalities with this brow shape. Most flattering face shapes: Round, square, heart, diamond How to Style: These brows are slightly more high maintenance than others, since the proof is in the pluck, although there are some loopholes. In order to achieve a tapered brow, you can also use concealer to thin out the tails. McClure swears by a flake proof cold brow eyelash growth gel to fill in sparse areas in the front half of the brow.
Long tail These eyebrows go the distance… literally! Opting for a longer brow that extends beyond the corners of the eyes adds width and dimension to the face, as preferred by celebrities like Catherine Zeta Jones. Brows with extra long tails add a certain elegance and x-factor to the face, complimenting wider face shapes. Most flattering face shapes: Round, heart How to Style: Use a brow pencil or eyeshadow powder to fill in the end of your brow line, extending beyond the eye. McClure recommends using a lighter pencil to fill inside the beginning of the hairline and staying inside of the hairline. “If you start to shade outside of your brow, it'll look fake, but if it's inside the hairline, then it'll look a lot more natural,” McClure adds.
Bleached This is a very bold, high fashion look directly inspired by runway models– but that doesn’t mean that you can’t give them a go! To achieve this haute couture aesthetic, you’ll need bleach and a little patience. Bleached eyebrows have a similar effect as the no-eyebrow look, adding brightness and openness to the face. Kendall Jenner famously sported bleached brows during a runway show. Most flattering face shapes: All How to Style: Apply vaseline to your eyebrows so the bleach doesn’t dye your skin, follow instructions on bleach product package, and repeat as many times as needed to achieve desired end product.
Laminated This trend can be described as a perm for your eyebrows, giving an uber defined, feathery look. This is another beauty moment inspired by the world of high fashion and offers a great alternative to microblading without the permanence or the pricks. The full, glossy look of the brows is where the name for the treatment comes from, and gives an instant lift to the face. Selena Gomez tried the laminated brow trend herself for a brief time. Most flattering face shapes: All How to Style: Either consult with your salon specialist or consider getting an at-home lamination kit.
How to Map your Eyebrow Shape
Mark where your brow starts. Figure out where your brow should start by holding the top of an eyebrow pencil at the beginning of your brow bone, right next to the inner corner of the eye, with its tip on the farthest point of your nostril. You can use the pencil to mark this point, and each of the 3 main points of your brow, so you don’t lose track of them.
Note where the arch forms. After you’ve confirmed where the start of your brow should be with your pencil, move your pencil into a diagonal position across the center of the eye. This is the most defined area of the eyebrow and where you may be more likely to pluck and primp to achieve a lifted arch look. Arches can range from minimal to rounded to high. Rounder faces should opt for higher arches, while longer faces can benefit from more rounded arches.
Mark the tail. Once you’ve identified the peak of the brow, tilt the pencil another 30 degrees to the right toward the end of the brow bone, near your ear. This is the tail end of your eyebrow and can be thin, tapered, or extended for a more dramatic effect. Coates sanctions the use of a razor to trim this part of the brow, instructing that you first use a brush to coax all the hairs up. Then, she recommends applying vaseline so that the eyebrows are prepped to be shaped. “Once you do that, take a little eyebrow razor and follow the natural shape of your eyebrows,” she says.
Use the three points to outline your brow. Connecting these three markers will help you understand the basic shape of your brow. You can tweeze and fill in order to achieve the appropriate symmetry while honoring the organic shape of your brows. That isn’t to say that you can’t play around with different adventurous looks, as many celebrities like Julia Fox and Cara Delevingne are always thinking outside the brow-box.
Eyebrow Shaping Options
Plucking Plucking, or tweezing, is one of the most precise methods of shaping your brows. Plucking is probably the best option for people seeking a very specific look, where a single hair can make or break a perfect arch. This method works well on sensitive skin as well since there’s no use of use of harsh chemicals. Another perk: you can easily do it yourself! Helpful Tools: A tweezer is the main tool used in plucking eyebrows, composed of two narrow metal strips attached at one end. Tweezers can be pointy, round, or slanted, and function a bit like tiny chopsticks.
Threading Threading is a process of using tight threads and their tension to remove unwanted hair, dating back to Ancient India and the Middle East. Both fast and precise, this is considered to be a slightly more painful, yet efficient way to achieve a perfect eyebrow look. Some threading enthusiasts even claim that the pain is forgotten immediately forgotten upon seeing the final product. Helpful Tools: You’ll need either high cotton sewing thread or the help of a trained professional.
Waxing Waxing, or the process of removing hair by applying hot wax to the eyebrow area and tearing off the hair with a strip, can be a good option for those without sensitive skin who prefer to prioritize longer term results than plucking. It’s quick and convenient, doing away with the painstaking process of plucking one hair out at a time. However, there is the risk that you may remove more hair than intended. Helpful Tools: For a DIY experience at home, you’ll need microwaveable wax and strips. Apply the wax to the desired area, careful to avoid the eyes. Then, apply the strip, and let it rip!
Makeup Everyone loves a full, luxurious brow, and there are are tons of makeup products to facilitate this. You can use concealer to cover up hair around the end of your eyebrow, to create the illusion of a thin and tapered tail. Other products like brow pencils can also make a brow appear fuller and denser. Helpful Tools: Aside from pencils, you can also try filling in your brows with eyeshadow powders and gel pomades to create a softer, more subtly romantic look, as long as the pigments match your natural hair color. A brow comb will give you additional control by moving coarse hairs out of the way when you pluck or fill. A brow spool is a tiny brush that can be used to brush your brow hairs further into submission. Tiny brow scissors can be used to trim unwanted hair ahead of applying makeup.
Sugaring Similar to waxing, sugaring involves applying a paste of sugar, lemon, and water to areas of unwanted hair. A less painful— and more sweet— method of hair removal, sugaring doesn’t irritate the skin and only fulfills its intended purpose: to pull out hair. It’s a great option for those who suffer from ingrown hairs, as sugaring essentially cleanses the clogged pores that lead to ingrown hairs. Make an appointment with a sugaring specialist to see if this method is right for you. Helpful Tools: Make your own sugaring paste at home by combining sugar, lemon, juice, and water.
Microblading Although this method might sound scary to some as it is basically a face tattoo, it offers a semi-permanent, zero-maintenance solution to having perfect, full brows— 100% of the time! One of the main differences between regular tattoos and microblading is the tool being used: microblading uses a blade-shaped tool made up of tiny sharp needles. Microblading only deposits the pigment superficially, whereas regular tattoos embed the ink deep into the skin in order to make the effect permanent. You’ll need to seek a consultation with a trained professional in order to see if you’re a good candidate for microblading. Helpful Tools: A dark brow tint is a less permanent alternative to microblading, offering a more saturated and full appearance, like hair dye.
Determining Your Face Shape
Measure the widest part of your face. To determine your face shape, stand in front of a mirror with measuring tape and figure out which part of your face is the widest, as width is one of the best indicators of face type. A wider forehead points to an oval-shaped face, while wide cheekbones likely means you likely have a round or heart-shaped face. If your face is pretty proportional, your face shape is either oblong or square.
Note the shape of your jaw. If your jaw and chin are softer and rounder, then your face shape is round. If you have a strong, sharp jawline, your face shape is probably square or diamond. If your jaw narrows at the chin, you have a heart-shaped face.
Cross-reference the width and length of your face. If your face appears to be longer than it is wide, then you probably have an oval or oblong face shape. If your face is wider than it is long, then it could be round or heart-shaped. Again, a seemingly proportional face points to a square or diamond-shaped face.
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