Eyebrows are an essential part of our face. Tidy, defined eyebrows work wonders for your appearance. They keep you looking awake, adding instant polish to your complexion, even on those days when you’re feeling harried or less than fresh.

And sometimes it seems like eyebrows—their fullness, length, and shape—fluctuate according to fickle beauty trends. Just ask anyone who has plucked too many hairs to dramatically alter their brow shape, and then has to wait the long game until the fine hairs return (or don’t). 

That’s not to say you should maintain a completely hands-off approach, but embracing what you have is the best course. Learning how to trim your eyebrows will help preserve your natural shape and fullness, and it’s an easy skill to learn. With the right tools and techniques, you can achieve well-groomed eyebrows that complement your features. Let’s get into some expert tips on successfully trimming your eyebrows.

What You’ll Need

Before you get started, make sure you have a few items:

• -Gentle cleanser (we recommend our Cleansing Stick)
• -Small, sharp scissors
• -Spoolie, like the the one in our The Eyebrow Brush 
• -Tweezers—we recommend the ones in our Brow Kit

Sharp scissors, with two perfectly straight blades, are important. If you use dull scissors, you may grip too hard and apply too much pressure, which could lead to slipping. 

1. Clean Your Brows

Before making any changes to your eyebrows, make sure you have plenty of light. And while you may think having a magnifying mirror on hand would be helpful, resist the urge. It can be very easy to over-manicure your eyebrows when they are magnified, and the only solution is to fill in your eyebrows until they grow back in. 

With that said, start with a clean face, working a gentle but effective cleanser into your brows. 

Our Cleansing Stick dissolves makeup, dirt, and oil with ease so you can better understand their natural length and shape. A thorough cleansing will also help dislodge any loose hairs that may still be holding on. 

2. Brush Your Brows

Once your eyebrows are clean, use a spoolie to brush them in the direction of hair growth— upward and outward, ensuring the hairs are all flat. This allows you to see the natural shape of your eyebrows and easily spot too-long hairs that could be trimmed. Look for any eyebrow hairs that are noticeably longer than the rest or growing in an awkward angle. 

Brushing won’t take long, but before you start trimming, make sure you’re not on a tight schedule. The actual shaping portion is not something to be rushed; you want to make sure you have plenty of time so you can stop and carefully check your progress.

3. Trim

To trim your eyebrows, hold your scissors at an angle, and trim the hairs in small sections, snipping the ends of only the hairs that need to be trimmed.

Follow the natural arch of your brows and gently trim hairs so that their length stops at the top of the brow line. Be careful not to cut too much off at once; you can always trim more if needed. You want your eyebrows to follow your natural shape, and over-trimming can lead to a sparse look. Always take less than you need and pause to assess.

4. Brush Again and Tweeze

Once you’ve trimmed your eyebrows, brush them again to ensure all the hairs lie flat and you haven’t missed anything. 

You can use a pair of tweezers to pluck any stray hairs outside of your eyebrows' natural shape. Make sure you are in a well-lit room, as those strays can be hard to see in dim light.

You’re going for symmetry, but it doesn’t have to be perfect. Remember that your eyebrows are sisters, not twins; it is okay if there is slight variance as you compare the two eyebrows. Trying to achieve 100% balance is not the goal here. In fact, that may lead to an unnatural look that may require more filling in and maintenance than you had to do prior.

5. Fill in and Maintain

If you want to continue shaping your brows or need to fill in any sparse areas, use The Brow Pencil, applying in gentle, upward strokes. You can also apply The Best Eyeshadow in a color that matches your brows—take care that it’s not darker—with The Eyebrow Brush. 

You can also quickly sweep on The Brow Gel, starting at the inside of your brow and working your way toward the tail.

Enhancing your color and definition is an easy addition to your daily routine. Brush your brows, and remove any new stray hairs as they appear. (Pluck after a warm shower when your pores are more open.) 

The Bottom Line

Trimming your eyebrows is an important part of grooming that can enhance your appearance and give you instant polish. It doesn’t take many tools and easy-to-master techniques to define your eyebrows effectively and keep them maintained.