Only Browsing?

I'd like to take time and discuss a very real issue.  Eyebrows.  Eyebrows are hella serious peeps, they make or break your face, I promise!

Check this out:

• On the left: Aww Mila Kunis is so pretty I'm like mega jealous of her!
• On the right: Aww gross, that's nasty!

Right?  It's a very serious thing that is very, very easy to get wrong so please pay attention!

 First, determine the shape of your face.  The picture below includes all of the basic face shapes:

• If you have an Oval shaped face: Congrats!  You can pull off any brow shape you damn please!
• If you have a Round shaped face:  You should shape your brows into the "Soft Angled" (shown below)
• If you have a Long shaped face: You should shape you brows into the "Flat" (shown below)
• If you have a Square shaped face: You should shape you brows into the "Hard Angled" (shown below)
• If you have a Heart shaped face: You should shape you brows into the "Round" (shown below)
• If you have a Diamond shaped face: You should shape you brows into the "S Shape" (shown below)

Now that you know which shape your brows should take, it's time to determine the size.  This is very simple to do and yet seems to be the biggest offense in the "eye brow criminal justice system".

Take a pen or pencil from the point at the side of the nose you see in the above drawing:

• Point A: Is where your brows should start
• Point B: Is where highest point of your brow's angle should be, it will begin to taper at this point as well
• Point C: Is where your brows should end

So you see, it's literally as easy as ABC!

Moving on, there are a few different ways you can tame the beasts! You can wax, tweeze, thread or go to an esthetician and have them worry about it!

•  Wax: My FAV!  It's fast and it's easy, plus I have my own wax pot at home.  I use GiGi Creme Wax and the GiGi Wax Warmer (pictured below).  Initially this will set you back about $100+ (that's both products seen below, plus wax sticks and strips, cleaners and lotions that are necessary) but it ABSOLUTELY pays for itself!  It does however, have a tendency to be SUPER messy plus if you're not careful you can remove more brow than originally planned.

• Tweeze: This is the most painful way but it allows the most precision which is worth the tears!  I recommend using two pairs, one with a slanted edge and then one with sharp edge.  Tips to remember:

1.  Don't numb your brows with ice.  It just makes the pores smaller, which causes the hair to be harder to remove.  Meaning more pain for you!  Instead, "warm up" the brows by rubbing your finger back and forth on the brow bone.
2. I'm sure you've heard this a million times but always, always, ALWAYS shape from below the brow..BUT that doesn't mean you can't clean up the hairs above the brow, in fact you should, just be really careful that you don't cut into the shape of the brow.
3. After using an eyebrow brush (shown at the above right) to find the natural shape of your eyes, spritz a little hair spray on the hair to keep it in place while you chisel out your masterpiece!

• Threading: I'll be honest I've never had it done, I don't know anyone who gets it done so don't have any advice here.

•  Esthetician:  This is by far the easiest!  But it can be pricey, you'll be looking at $30-$45 every three weeks.  But you'll get a spa experience, the wax will be hot and ready once you get there, you don't have to clean it up, plus estheticians have LOADS of training in brow shaping and hair removal so if you're not sure how to shape or would just rather have someone else deal with it estheticians are great!

1.  If you're in the Omaha, NE area: I recommend Elisha with Simply Pure Salon.  She is so nice and she's great with facial waxings, ESPECIALLY brows!  PLUS you'll score like a 5 minute mini face massage which is awesome after having hair ripped out of your face!
2. If you're in the Grand Junction, CO area: I recommend Jessica at Cost Cutters in the Mesa Mall (yeah, they do facial waxing there!)  She's AWESOME, If I lived there I would be in there all the time seriously!

*Tweezers and eyebrow brushes can be purchased at ULTA Beauty Supply, and local drugstores, mass merchandisers or grocery stores.  Also, don't feel like you gotta drop serious cash on tweezers and an eyebrow brush.  I've read a good pair of tweezers should put you out $15-$20.  Uh no.  I dropped about "tree fitty" on my tweezers and they work JUST FINE.  Same goes with the eyebrow brush, you're just using it to push your eyebrow hairs in the direction they grow naturally, just get a cheap generic one they all work the same.

*Wax Warmer, Wax and all the accessories can be purchased at Sally Beauty Supply. 

*Face shape corresponding to brow shape is like pirate code.  It's really more of a guideline.  What I listed are brow shapes that are most flattering on that face shape.