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The perfect shape

Every woman wants well-shaped eyebrows and well-maintained nails, but it can get expensive if you use a professional beautician.

Why not maintain your own eyebrows and nails? You can save up to $50 a month by attending to your own eyebrows and nails.

That’s not to say that the services of a good eyebrow specialist aren’t valuable if you are trying to initially shape your eyebrows. However, once you have achieved this, there is really little need for regular visits to the beautician. You can save money by maintaining your eyebrows yourself, plucking away the re-growth.

However, the eyebrows frame the face, particularly the eyes—the windows of the soul—so it is vitally important to get them right. We asked Sharon-Lee Clarke, grooming guru to Hollywood celebrities such as Kylie Minogue, Kelly Osbourne, Princess Mary, and Julia Roberts, to give you the benefit of her expertise.

Sharon-Lee cautions, “Think carefully before trimming brows. Trimmed hairs look like they’ve been trimmed so do so in moderation. Trimming blunts the end of the hair and makes it appear even thicker and coarser than it really is. Often those hairs can actually be removed altogether to create a softer yet defined brow.”

Sharon-Lee explains that first you must have the brow shape done by experts. “Then they must be regularly tended. Spend or a few minutes every four or five days,” she says. “This will help maintain the shape and ensure the brows do not become so overgrow that it’s difficult to recognize the original shape and line. If a brow becomes overgrown you could risk taking away far more than is necessary, sometimes with disastrous results.

“The right tools are a must,” Sharon-Lee warns. “Stainless steel tweezers and a good brow brush should be part of every woman’s dressing table. Make sure the tweezers are either angled for easy use or pointed, which enables the removal of very new re-growth.”

Finally, if you are looking for a little pain relief, Sharon-Lee recommends applying a tiny bit of teething gel prior to plucking or waxing to help numb the area.

www.sharon-lee.com.au

The perfect shape

To identify where your eyebrow should start, place an eyeliner pencil vertically against your nose. The eyebrow should start where the pencil runs from the side of the nose, mid-mouth, and by the tear duct of the eye. Any visible hair on the other side of the pencil should be removed.

Find an arch by placing the pencil diagonally across the face so it hits the middle of the mouth, passes one side of the nose, and ends at the middle of the eye. This is where your arch is. Gradually tweeze a line from the arch to the start of the eyebrow.

You can find the end of the eyebrow by placing the pencil diagonally across to the opposite corners of the mouth, nostril, and outside corner of the eye. Any hair that goes past should be tweezed.

Place your pencil from the start of the eyebrow to the end of the eyebrow. The pencil should create a perfectly horizontal line.

Only extract hairs one at a time, and brush them first so you can see exactly where each hair begins and ends.

Tools of trade

• La-Tweez Illuminating Tweezers, www.latweez.com.au   Always tweeze in good light.
• A brow brush ensures brow hair sweeps in the right direction. However, don’t spend $30 – $60 on a brow brush—a baby toothbrush works just as well.
• Eyebrow gel can cost up to $70 dollars. That’s a lot to keep a few untidy hairs in line. A quick touch of hair spray on your fingertips, stroked over the eyebrow or untamed area, will keep unruly hairs in line.
• If you are confident to wax, try Andrea Eyebrow Shaping Strips. At $12.95 they make DIY brows a breeze.

 

Tips:

The best time to pluck is when your pores are open. This is usually immediately following a shower or a hot flannel on the face. This will also ensure any excess oil is removed from your skin.

Make sure you start with clean tweezers.

 

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