Highbrow? Lowbrow? Or Just Browsing?

The alluring sweep of a soft full brow frames the eye, lending expression, depth and drama. But too often women fail to make the most of their brows, neglecting a bona fide beauty opportunity.

“The brows are one of the most misunderstood features on the face and the most underrated, because we’ve always talked about cheeks and lips and eyes,” says Iris Modell, senior vice president of education for Clinique. “Women either totally underplay them or, if they do pay attention to them, it’s often so terribly artificial.”

Softer and Fuller

The most flattering brow is generally softer and fuller than in the past, following a woman’s natural brow line. Only those hairs on the bridge of the nose or well below the brow line should be removed. Don’t do battle with Mother Nature’s sense of proportion and alter the natural brow peak.

Tweezing should be reserved for neatening the brow line. Even then, it should not be done so precisely that the brow has a hard edge to it. Leave a few stray hairs along the brow line to soften it, says hair and makeup artist Rick Gillette.

“Generally women tweeze too far in from the bridge of the nose, which gives them a strange, wide-eyed quizzical sort of look. They also end up taking too much out at the end, and it takes away from the balance around the eyes.”

Before and after any tweezing, dab the area with alcohol or witch hazel. It’s best not to tweeze the brows in the morning just before applying eye makeup because of the chance of infecting the opened pore.

Hairs should be tweezed in the direction of growth, according to Marguerite Russell, director of beauty service training at the Elizabeth Arden Salon in New York.

“It’s difficult to do your own eyes,” Russell says. “One brow is never quite the same as the other, and to make them match up often requires a professional.”

Ideally, the brows should line up with the inner corner of the eyes and extend the full length of the eyes, gradually tapering off beyond the outer corners. Sometimes, extending them just a bit can enhance the profile.

The best way to groom fuller brows and give a lift to the face is to brush them upward using an eyebrow brush or a baby toothbrush. A dab of hair gel or petroleum jelly will add a bit of gloss and keep the brows looking neat all day.

If coloring is needed, the brows can be lightened or darkened with brow powder or pencil. Modell suggests using two complementary colors of brow makeup, since hair color is naturally a blend of different shades. Start with a tone that is paler than your own hair and eyebrows to first shape the brow, and then fill in with a darker shade.

Whatever type of color is used, the effect should be soft. With a sharp pencil, light hair-like strokes can be drawn on the skin in the direction of hair growth.

Blend With Brush

Then this line should be blended with a brow brush. Or a soft wedge-shaped brush can be used to pick up color from a pencil or from dampened powder and then applied in light feathery strokes.

If the brows are too heavy or dark for the face, they can be lightened by brushing them with powder in a shade just a bit paler than the brows. Or, they can be professionally colored or bleached. Home treatments are not recommended. Just a minute of over-bleaching can turn brown eyebrows orange. A disaster, of course--unless it’s Halloween.