How to Apply an Eyebrow Pencil For Beginners

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Expert tips & tricks for drawing natural, filled in brows
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Full, groomed eyebrows frame your face and can bring harmony to your features. Whether you have brows that are too light to see, are sparse, over-plucked, or just need a little definition, learning to use an eyebrow pencil can give you that shapely brow you're looking for. Keep reading to find out how to shape, define, and fill out your brows, plus techniques for drawing on a natural-looking eyebrow if you've lost your hair.

Things You Should Know

Sharpen your pencil and fill out your brows with short, light, upward strokes that look like many natural hairs. Blend with a spoolie or brow brush, then apply brow wax or gel to keep your brows in place. Try a shade of taupe as a starting point for your color.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Finding Your Ideal Eyebrow Shape

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  1. Hold a pencil point up and vertical against your nose to see where your eyebrow should begin. The edge of the pencil that is closer to your nose marks the line where your brow should start. If it goes beyond that point, you should use tweezers to remove the excess hair. If it falls short, you will probably want to extend it to that point. [1]
    • Use a white makeup pencil or a very light stroke from your brow pencil to mark this spot if you don't want to lose its precise location when you move the pencil. [2]
  2. Ideally, your eyebrow should end at a 45-degree angle from the outer corner of your eye. Still holding the pencil against the side of your nostril, pivot the point of the pencil away from your nose and to the outer corner of your eye. That is where the tail of your eyebrow should be. [3]
    • You can mark this spot with a light dot from your brow pencil, using that as a guide for tweezing or penciling in your brow later. [4]
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  3. Look straight forward and line up the outer edge of the pencil with the outer edge of your iris to find where your arch should begin. [5] Mark this spot with your white pencil so that you can find it easily for tweezing or penciling.
  4. Hold the pencil horizontally across the tops of your brows to check that they are about the same height. [6] If they are not, don't immediately try to pluck them to the same size. You'll use the pencil later to build them up to a similar height.
  5. Use the shape of your face to help you determine the best eyebrow shape for your features.
    • If you have a round face, a sharp, high angle will open your eyes and elongate and balance the face.
    • You can get away with most shapes if you have an oval face. If your face is very long, try extending the length of your brows and don't fill them too much or too dark.
    • A heart-shaped face can be a challenge--too shaped or angled can be harsh and accentuate your forehead. Try a lower, straighter arch that follows your brow bone.
    • If you have a square face, full, even dark, brows will balance out your angular jaw.
  6. Watermark wikiHow to Use Eyebrow Pencil
    You can enhance your eyes by grooming your brows in a way that best accentuates the spacing of your eyes.
    • If you have wide-set eyes, keep brows fairly natural. Focus more on grooming than on shaping and plucking.
    • If your eyes are close together, leave the hair closest to your nose alone. Instead of making your eyes look wider, it will highlight their closeness. Extend your brows with a long, wide arch and don't go too thin or sharp.
  7. If the tail of your eyebrow is longer than the point you marked, remove those hairs. Clean up the hairs that are outside your natural arch. Just don't get crazy and over-pluck. The lines of your brow don't have to be totally precise--this can look dated and severe. A feathered appearance is more natural. [7]
  8. If you are having trouble shaping your brows, a professional can help. Visit a brow bar or a salon and, once they have revealed your groomed eyebrows, you can easily do upkeep with tweezers.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Filling in Your Eyebrows

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  1. For most people, a shade of taupe will work, and is the best starting point for color. Taupe gives dark brows some depth and it doesn't overwhelm lighter hair. Test different shades on the side of your hand so you can see if the shade has warm or cool undertones. If you have red or strawberry-blonde hair, warm (red or orange-ish) tones will look good. Other hair colors should stick with cooler undertones (blues, greys, and rosy pinks).
    • Blondes should try light taupe or a pencil one or two shades darker than their natural hair color.
    • Brunettes should choose a pencil that one to two shades lighter than your hair color. Don't try black or a shade darker than your hair unless you want some angry, evil-looking brows.
    • Those with raven black hair should still keep away from the black pencil. Instead, try dark brown or taupe.
    • Redheads should try taupe and medium brown.
    • Grey-haired gals should go for light brown or taupe instead of another shade of grey.
  2. You are not coloring your brow in a solid line--rather, you are trying to make it look like many individual hairs. You can use a sharpener for eyeliner and brow pencils, but a sharpener for regular pencils will work, too.
    • If your pencil is too soft or crumbles, keep it in the refrigerator between uses and it should hold together.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Use Eyebrow Pencil
    Focus on sparse areas, feathering the pencil strokes so they resemble natural hair. [8] The pigment should be concentrated on the arch and the tail of your eyebrow--the thicker area that is closer to your nose should be lighter and a little less dense. [9]
    • If you found your brows were different heights, use the pencil to add hair to the top of the lower brow, instead of trying to even them out by tweezing the higher one. [10]
    • Remember the saying that your eyebrows are sisters, not twins. They won't look exactly alike, and that's okay.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Use Eyebrow Pencil
    Again, using light strokes, brush the spoolie through your brow, from front to tail. This will soften and shade the color, making the brow look more natural. [11]
    • Remember to focus the color on your arch and tail of your eyebrow.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Use Eyebrow Pencil
    Keep your freshly groomed eyebrows in place using a brow wax or gel. [12]
    • If you have made a mistake or want to highlight your brows and brighten your eyes, use a small brush to carefully line under your brow with concealer. Make sure you blend this down toward your lids so it looks natural and not severe. [13]
    • For small mistakes, erase with the tip of a cotton swab dipped in concealer.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Drawing on Eyebrows

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  1. Watermark wikiHow to Use Eyebrow Pencil
    Cleanse your skin thoroughly, wiping off any excess moisturizer. Dab your brows with translucent powder. The powder will give your makeup something to grip on to, allowing it to keep its definition and stay on longer.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Use Eyebrow Pencil
    Use a small, angled brush dipped in brow powder or eyeshadow to very lightly sketch the shape of an eyebrow. You can use the pencil trick from method one to determine precisely where your brow should begin, arch, and end, or you can eyeball it.
    • Drawing very lightly will allow you to easily erase the shape of the brow if you've made a mistake.
    • You don't need it to be perfect--too precise an eyebrow won't look as natural.
  3. This is essential for drawing natural-looking hair. Keep a sharp point throughout the process, and make sure you sharpen when switching to your other brow.
    • Don't try this with an eyeliner pencil instead of a brow pencil--it will smear and rub off.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Use Eyebrow Pencil
    Use light, upward strokes to draw little fake hairs on top of the shaded brow you already drew. This layering will help create a 3-D effect and make your brows look more
    • Use a cotton swab to soften the edges a little, giving your brows a more natural look.
  5. Watermark wikiHow to Use Eyebrow Pencil
    Dab a little more powder over your drawn-on eyebrows and finish with a makeup or brow sealing solution. The powder and sealer will ensure your brows don't smudge or get rubbed or sweated off during the day.
    • If the sealer is too shiny, use a brush to lightly dust translucent powder over the area, dulling the shine.
  6. As an alternative to using a pencil everyday, you can get your brows temporarily tattooed on in a process called microblading. Hairlike strokes will be tattooed on to look like additional eyebrow hair. Consult a professional to ask about trying this process.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    What if I can't afford brow gel?
    Community Answer
    Use petroleum jelly instead. It is more affordable but will keep your eyebrows in place.
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    Not Helpful 15 Helpful 37
  • Question
    Can I use eyebrow pencil on my eyes?
    Community Answer
    Yes, and it will definitely be more subtle than regular black pencils. I would warn you that the consistency will not be exactly the same as normal eyeliner.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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  • Question
    How can I fix my eyebrows when one looks sharp and the other a little low?
    Community Answer
    Put foundation on one eyebrow, and shape it into what the other brow looks like.
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      Things You'll Need

      Shaping Your Brows

      • Tweezers
      • Pencil

      Filling in Your Brows

      • Eyebrow pencil
      • Pencil sharpener
      • Brow brush or spoolie
      • Brow wax
      • Concealer

      Drawing on Your Brows

      • Brow powder
      • A small, angled brush
      • Translucent powder
      • Pencil sharpener
      • Eyebrow pencil
      • Makeup sealer

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      References

      1. ↑ http://www.elle.com/beauty/hair/how-to/a27223/how-to-get-the-best-eyebrows-for-your-face/
      2. ↑ https://www.allure.com/story/eyebrow-extensions
      3. ↑ http://www.elle.com/beauty/hair/how-to/a27223/how-to-get-the-best-eyebrows-for-your-face/
      4. ↑ https://www.allure.com/story/eyebrow-extensions
      5. ↑ https://www.allure.com/story/eyebrow-extensions
      6. ↑ http://www.buzzfeed.com/augustafalletta/how-to-fill-in-shape-tweeze-trim-and-transform-your-eyebrows#.ksO33Pyyy
      7. ↑ http://www.elle.com/beauty/hair/how-to/a27223/how-to-get-the-best-eyebrows-for-your-face/
      8. ↑ http://www.elle.com/beauty/makeup-skin-care/tips/g8496/how-to-define-eyebrows/?slide=11
      9. ↑ https://www.makeupgeek.com/makeup-basics/how-to-fill-in-your-brows/
      1. ↑ http://www.buzzfeed.com/augustafalletta/how-to-fill-in-shape-tweeze-trim-and-transform-your-eyebrows#.ksO33Pyyy
      2. ↑ https://www.allure.com/story/eyebrow-extensions
      3. ↑ https://www.allure.com/story/eyebrow-extensions
      4. ↑ http://www.refinery29.com/natural-brow-products#slide-11
      5. Videos provided by SignatureSeries

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To use an eyebrow pencil, choose a taupe shade that is close to your natural brow color. Sharpen the pencil to a fine point, then start filling in your brows with light, upward strokes of the pencil. Feather the pencil strokes so they resemble natural hair, and try to fill in any sparse spots. Once you’ve filled in your brows, blend the pencil in with a spoolie or an eyebrow brush, then apply a brow wax or gel to keep your eyebrows in place. Keep reading to learn how to draw on brows if you don’t have any!

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      • Mya Gibson

        Aug 28, 2016

        "I'm glad I saw this article, because my eyebrows were not cute at all. I just had to find my shape and fill ..." more
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