A Celebrity Brow Artist Reveals the Tweezing Technique You Can Master At Home

Regardless of where the brow trends are taking us these days, possessing a gorgeously groomed set of arches will always be in style. Achieving them on your own, however, can become a masterclass of self-discipline. After all, when you're 20 minutes deep into staring at your reflection in a magnifying mirror, it can be tough to remember when your tweezers end and your brows begin. Admit it, we've all gone a little nuts while trying to coax our brows into submission, or at least obtain a relatively similar shape between the two.

Of course, visiting a professional to have them sculpted and filled to perfection is the ideal scenario, but that's not always feasible with a hectic schedule. So, what's the secret to tweezing your brows at home like a pro, especially if you're already gone off the deep end and over-plucked them a little (or a lot)? We asked Dani Kimiko Vincent, celebrity makeup and brow artist and founder of KIMIKO, to provide her professional opinion on all things brow. Keep reading for her expert tweezing tips you can definitely master at home.

Don't panic if your brows are already in bad shape — there is still plenty you can do to redeem them. "If you are recovering from over-tweezing or you've gotten to a point where your brows have lost their natural shape, it is going to take patience and a little self-restraint to help return them to their full glory," explains Kimiko Vincent. "Generally speaking, the most flattering brow shape is the one we were given, so look at older photos taken before your brows were ever altered to determine your most flattering brow shape." That means if your natural brows are fairly straight, maybe don't attempt a super dramatic arch when you're shaping them on your own.

To find the best shape, Kimiko Vincent suggests using a pencil to line up the corner of your outer nostril, running through the center of your pupil and through the brow. "The intersection with the brow is where a flattering arch will fall for you." Repeat this process and run the line from that nostril to the outer corner of your eye to identify the approximate place where your brow should end. Remember to only tweeze outside of these lines to keep your brow growth on track.

According to Kimiko Vincent, brow growth cycles vary greatly from person to person, meaning you can sometimes hold off for several weeks before needing to tweeze. "I recommend tweezing with caution and only removing hairs that are very far off from the core brow," she says, adding that her clients often don't touch their brows for five to six weeks between appointments. When in doubt, hold off to allow your brows to fully grow in so you can see where you have hairs and what areas might be more sparse.

Although you're addressing the brow hairs, the skin underneath still needs a bit of TLC before tweezing. If you're not up for a full cleanse (hey, sometimes you see some errant hairs after you completed your face beat) Kimiko Vincent suggests using a few drops of micellar water on a cotton or bamboo pad to clean them. You can also prep the area to lessen the irritation, especially if you haven't tweezed in a while. As she explains, "For stubborn roots, a warm cloth compress repeated several times can help those hairs release more easily." If your skin gets easily irritated, use a cold gel pack, or a face roller that you store in the fridge, to cool down and soothe the area. "I also avoid applying heavy creams directly after tweezing, and stick to lightweight moisturizers to prevent any follicles from clogging," she says.

There's nothing worse than struggling with a dull or imprecise pair of tweezers, so be sure to assess your tool kit before shaping your brows. Kimiko Vincent prefers a precise angled tweezer like Tweezerman Ultra Precision Slant Tweezer or Revlon Comfort and Control Tweezer in order to shape your brows like a pro. She also suggests keeping a pair of small scissors on hand to trim long brow hairs, and to cut them one by one to avoid the "buzz cut brow", aka when the tops of the brow are all uniformly flat.

"Brow tweezing for stress relief is a big no-no," says Kimiko Vincent. "It's all too easy to get tweezer-happy and remove too much hair, altering both the shape and regrowth." This can ultimately weaken the hair follicles and prevent them from growing back — potentially forever. She also recommends tossing out that magnifying mirror in order to not lose sight of your overall brow shape, and removing hairs one at a time to avoid gaps.

There is no shortage of brow color products on the market, but Kimiko Vincent prefers a thin eyebrow pencil to begin enhancing the shape. "For the most flattering look, I recommend starting to fill at the highest point of your arch to establish definition and lift brows," she says. "Gently fill sparse areas with short pencil strokes and brush through to blend with the attached brush as you go." To add volume, lift, and set your brows, follow the pencil step with a gel formula. Use a clear option to keep your brows on the more minimalist side, or a matching shade to enhance them for a bolder look.

Ready to upgrade your at-home eyebrow routine? Shop five beauty essentials to tweeze and shape your brows like a pro.