The best eyebrow shape to suit your face, according to experts
There's one facial feature that's a sign of the times: your eyebrow shape. From the razor-thin brows of the ‘90s to Cara Delevingne’s bushy arches and Florence Pugh's full, straight brows, your eyebrow shape has an unmatched ability to give proportion to your face and enhance your features.
“Your eyebrows create the frame and balance to your face. Having the right style and shape of brow can make a huge difference to your look,” says Nilam Holmes, brow expert and founder of Eyebrow Queen.
Anastasia Soare, founder and CEO of the iconic Anastasia Beverly Hills, agrees. She's a former architect who applied her knowledge of scale and structure to our brows. "If you look at a portrait, you can change how you perceive someone entirely based on their brow placement and shape," she reckons.
Low and heavy can make you look tired or sad; high and arched can make you look stern; straight and pointy can make you look angry; too fair and it can lack the definition needed to pull attention towards your eyes; too dark and they will look slug-chic… there are just so many aspects to consider.
It's no wonder brow treatments like tinting, threading, microblading and brow laminating are such big business.
From flat and fine, to full & fluffy.
But rather than committing to transient trends, we've seen a return towards much more natural brows lately. Paired with simple tweaks (like fluffing them up, filling them in or shading them slightly) to add subtle shape or definition where needed.
Celebs like Zendaya, Dua Lipa and Kylie Jenner, are all good examples, since they emphasise their natural arches. Rather than harsh Nike tick shapes that shoot up, and then down, the straighter shape and slightly lifted tail-end create an eye-opening effect – with soft tapering used to keep it natural and modern.
How to shape your eyebrows
We asked the experts to share their tips to perfect brows below:
“I always recommend sticking to a shape similar to your natural brow shape and placement," says Nilam. “They say to enhance what you were born with – and I agree. I never recommend following brow trends like the 90’s Pamela Anderson brow, that really didn’t do us many favours.”
The most important thing is to work with your natural brow shape, rather than against it, adds Sherrille Riley, founder of Nails & Brows, Mayfair. "Then go in with brow products and treatments to enhance, fill in gaps or add volume.”
Nilam says: "Make sure the size of your brow is relative to the size of your face. A full brow can overpower a small face, so you don't want your brows to walk into the room before you do! A really thin brow will make a fuller face look even bigger."
Also resist the urge to pluck your brows at first sight of hair growth. "Excessive plucking and over-shaping can permanently damage your brow hairs,” says Sherrille.
“The size of your brow should be in line with the size of your face," says Nilam. "If you have a long face, you don’t want an arched or high-set brow, as it will make the face look longer. A straight, flat brow on a square face will accentuate the square shape, so if you add in an arch to lift the brow, the face will look softer. Having a round brow on a round face will accentuate that shape, so a brow with an arch will give it more of an oval look.”
“The right-shaped brows can make your face look slimmer, shorter and more youthful," says Nilam. But it's not just about the shape – it's also about the colour.
“If you like a dark brow, try not to have a big brow as this will overtake your whole face. Really dark brows can look harsh, so it's best to have a lighter softer brow.”
Eyebrow pencils to try:
Fenty Beauty Brow MVP Ultra Fine Brow Pencil & Styler
Fenty Beauty Brow MVP Ultra Fine Brow Pencil & Styler
Shades: 14 | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Brush: Yes
Why we love it: Leave it to Rhi Rhi to give us one of the most inclusive brow ranges out there. With 14 shades covering everything from soft blonde to jet black (and those tricky auburns and greys in between), there’s genuinely a match for everyone.
The pencil itself is ultra-fine, which means you can flick on believable, hair-like strokes in seconds. On the flip side, the built-in paddle brush blends everything down to a natural, soft finish - so your brows look polished but never pencilled-in. Long-wearing and smudge-resistant, it’s the kind of everyday staple you’ll end up repurchasing on repeat.
Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil
Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil
Shades: 9 | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Brush: Yes | Tester: Shani Cohen
Why we love it: Hourglass rarely misses, and this brow pencil is proof. The formula is a clever blend of powder, pencil and wax, so it goes on soft yet lasts all day. With nine shades to suit a wide range of hair colours and skin tones, it’s a versatile pick that flatters almost everyone. The flat, angled tip is also a standout - perfect for mimicking natural strokes while still giving definition.
“I put this to the test myself and loved the shape it gave my brows. The slightly thicker pencil with its sculpted edge made application so much easier, and it felt sturdier than many pencils I’ve tried before - no fear of it snapping mid-use. Yes, it’s on the pricier side, but the luxe feel and polished results make it worth the splurge." - Shani Cohen, GLAMOUR's Beauty Commerce Writer.
Nilam advises that you find a professional brow artist to get you onto the right track. After that, you can follow the shape, drawing your brows in lightly and then tweezing and trimming what you don’t need.
"Best of all, if you're sticking to roughly your own natural shape, little maintenance is needed. Follow the natural shape of your own brows and remove strays where needed."
Sherrille says: “So many of us want thicker brows but forget that eyebrow hairs need taking care of. We suggest incorporating a nourishing serum into your beauty routine to promote hair growth. At Nails & Brows, Mayfair, we use the Revitabrow serum after each treatment to help encourage hair growth.”
Eyebrow serums to try:
RapidBrow Eyebrow Enhancing Serum
RapidBrow Eyebrow Enhancing Serum
- Key ingredients: Hexatein 2 Complex.
- Recommended use: Twice daily.
Why we love it: With consistent use of this serum over an eight-week period, you can expect to achieve far more thick and full brows - with hairs even sprouting from long-standing bald patches. Essentially, it's a must-have for restoring over-plucked brows to their former glory.
Designed with boosting brow density in mind, it's formulated with the impressive Hexatein® 2 Complex — which boasts a perfectly balanced mix of potent polypeptides and biotin, nourishing panthenol, and revolutionary Apple Fruit Cell and Pumpkin Seed extracts.
Glow For It Brow Growth Serum
- Key ingredients: Peptides, biotin, panthenol, and sodium hyaluronate.
- Recommended use: Once every evening.
Why we love it: This biotin and peptide-powered formulation deeply stimulates the hair follicle for natural growth, while botanicals like chamomile and camellia sinensis leaf extract help soothe and calm the area. Meanwhile, the antioxidant properties of green tea extract shield the hair from environmental damage.
Plus, the formula is completely cruelty-free and vegan — and the serum itself is made sustainably in the UK. Just apply it every night before bed, and look forward to healthier and fuller brows in as little as 14 days.
How to fill in your eyebrows in at home
As for filling them in at home, makeup artist Lisa Potter-Dixon shares her tips:
- “Look straight ahead into a mirror. Hold a makeup brush at the dimple of your nose straight up to your brow. Mark with a line. Starting here will give a slimming effect to your nose and balance your eyes.”
- “Hold the brush from the edge of your nose, angle it over the pupil of your eye to find the arch point. This will give you an instant eye lift.”
- “Hold the brush from the edge of your nose through the outer corner of the eye to the brow. Ending here will give you an eye-opening effect.”
She recommends having your brows waxed and tinted every four weeks by a brow expert to give you the best possible long-term eyebrows while styling them every day will give you that much sought-after definition. "Even if it’s just brushing a fibre gel through the hair to add volume - something as quick and simple as that can make a huge difference," says Lisa.
Clear eyebrow gels to try:
Fibre eyebrow gels to try:
Now you've sorted your brow mapping, check out the best eyebrow products to groom yours with and try this genius tweezer trick to keep them in check. Or, if you're feeling confident, try this DIY threading technique as told by the brow experts.
Need some brow-spo? Check out some of our favourite celebrity eyebrow shapes…
Jamie McCarthyBest eyebrow shape for oval faces
Check out how Jessica Alba shapes her eyebrows straight with a slight arch near the tail of the brow. The start and end of the brow is levelled to match her very symmetrical face shape.
Momodu MansarayBest eyebrow shape for round faces
Selena Gomez's face shape is beautifully complemented with a high arch, which opens up the face and helps to create even more structure.
Taylor HillBest eyebrow shape for long faces
If you have a long face shape like the gorgeous Kelly Rowland, then a lower-lying arch would harmonise your face beautifully. Keep it relatively straight until you reach close to the outer corner to elongate the look of the brow.
Kevin MazurBest eyebrow shape for diamond-shaped faces
Keep the arches of your brows rounded at the ends if you want to soften that diamond face structure. Fluff them upwards like Bad Gal Rih Rih for a more relaxed finish.
David M. BenettBest eyebrow shape for square faces
A square shape face like Keira Knightley's means that you have a lovely angular jawline to play with. If you want to keep it balanced, then you can add a soft arch as opposed to a sharp angled brow.
Karwai TangBest eyebrow shape for heart-shaped faces
Chloë Grace Moretz has a classic heart-shaped face, which she complements with thick, straight brows and a gentle, gradual arch.
