We all know that the key to achieving envy-inducing eyebrows at home is learning how to master plucking those brow hairs into shape. But there's another part of the eyebrow shaping process that tends to get overlooked: eyebrow trimming.
Trimming your own eyebrows can seem ripe for a beauty disaster (and with no technique, it very well could turn into one), but with a little bit of guidance, this process can easily be the extra touch that finally helps you become an at-home brow expert.
For one, it’s deceptively easy to over-manicure your eyebrows. To avoid overdoing it, you’ll want to trim eyebrows slowly, often taking a step back from the mirror to assess how they’re looking.
You’ll also want to avoid using a magnifying mirror if you can when trimming or tweezing your eyebrows. The magnification makes it easy to accidentally remove too much.
Here’s the lowdown on what you need to get started and a step-by-step guide on how to master the perfect trimmed eyebrows. Don’t worry, it’s a complete beginner-friendly tutorial!
Meet the Expert
Giselle Soto is an LA-based celebrity brow artist & brow expert.
What You’ll Need
Before you start snipping, there are a few other tools you'll need besides scissors. Here's what to grab.
A spoolie
If you've never heard of a spoolie brush before, it's a beauty tool that looks like a mascara brush without any product on it. It's used as a sort of tiny comb for your eyebrow hairs to make sure none of them go against the grain (aka go in the wrong direction). You can purchase a spoolie on its own, or you can pick up a multitasking eyebrow pencil like the SKONE COSMETICS Brow Wand.
Brow scissors
Do not (we repeat, do not!) use just any scissors to trim your eyebrows. “I personally use and recommend using cuticle scissors because they have a curve to them, which will allow you to achieve a soft and not-so blunt hairline,” says Soto. But you can also find eyebrow scissors, which are small with two perfectly straight blades.
Tweezers (optional)
It's never a bad idea to have a pair of tweezers handy when doing any kind of eyebrow grooming. You can use tweezers to clean up any stray hairs before you start trimming. We love this F.A.R.A.H Z-Tweeze Dual Ended Tweezer—it’s got broad, slanted tips on one end and pointed ones on the other to reach every brow hair, short or long.
How to Trim Your Eyebrows, Step-by-Step
Now that you've got your tools in hand, let's get to the good stuff. Here are the three easy steps to follow to trim your way to a perfect brow.
Step 1: Brush Up
Using your spoolie, “Lightly brush your brows up and out at the tails. You want to make sure you brush them in the direction of your hair growth to avoid accidentally creating gaps and holes,” says Soto.
The eyebrow hairs closest to the inner corner of your eye will likely grow straight up. The rest will likely grow closer to a 45-degree angle. Be sure to comb gently so that you really only brush the top layer of hair. Combing too much could result in unexpected gaps when trimming.
Step 2: Start Trimming
“Start trimming the long hairs that stick out over the natural brow line only,” says Soto. They should be quite noticeable. Using your eyebrow trimming scissors, gently trim those hairs so that they end at the top of the brow line. Snip and trim slowly, and only a little bit at a time. When it comes to brows, less is always more.
“Do not hold your hairs up with the spoolie brush while trimming to avoid over-trimming. Remember, less is more, so try to trim one to three hairs at a time,” adds Soto.
Step 3: Fill in Sparse Spots
Once you've finished brow trimming, dust any trimmed hairs off your face, and voilà!
Finish your eyebrow makeover with a little bit of brow gel or pomade like the BILLION DOLLAR BROWS Brow Butter Pomade Kit in Taupe—it comes with a dual-ended brush/spoolie to easily fill in any sparse spots and keep those perfectly groomed hairs locked in place.
You can even define your natural shape a bit better by adding a few strokes from an eyebrow pencil and, of course, make sure you’re moisturizing your brows with castor oil daily.
“Some brows grow more quickly than others; however, once a month is ideal to keep our brows from drying out or turning into split ends. Trimming your brows at least once a month will have them healthy and growing,” says Soto.
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