Which Brow Shape Is Most Flattering?

Do you back away from the tweezers when it comes to brows? Eyebrows are arguably one of the most important features on your face—they frame your eyes and express your personality. That’s why we turned to Beverly Hills-based brow goddess Anastasia Soare—who has tweezed every celebrity A-lister from Kim Kardashian to Oprah—to learn about the best brow-shaping techniques for you.

While clients sometimes request famous brows (such as Marilyn Monroe’s iconic pointed arch or Katharine Hepburn’s straight and flat shape), Anastasia believes it’s important to sculpt your brows according to your unique facial proportions. “You have to take your bone structure and features into account when arching your brows,” says Anastasia. “You can modify narrow or wide-set eyes by adjusting how much of your middle gap you wax, but I use mathematical proportions when I create the overall brow shape.”

Anastasia’s Golden Ratio technique is an easy way to highlight the general areas where you should tweeze. The three lines indicate the beginning of your brow, the highest point of your arch, and the end of your brow. Use the guidelines below to further customize your brows based on the proportions of your face.

Long

To balance the length of your face, avoid arches and stick to thick, straight-arched brows.

Short

You have the opposite problem of a long face, so lengthen with thin brows that have higher arches.

Round

To slim the middle region of your face, keep your brows medium-thick with an arched brow. “The trick here is to keep the brow ends long,” says Anastasia. “The longer brow creates a triangular symmetry between your brows and chin that gives the illusion of a heart shape.”

Oval

To widen an oval face, keep your brows shorter to create the appearance of larger cheeks.

Heart-shaped

This face shape can hold most brow styles except for straight brows.

Square

Soften an angular face with naturally-shaped brows. Avoid dramatic arches or overly flat brows that can enhance a strong jawline.

BEAUTYLISH TIP

Many end up with angry-looking brows (worn by Snow White’s wicked queen on the right) because they tweeze too much or overdose on the Botox. Remedy this by letting a few rows of hair grow back underneath the brow. The flattened brow shape reduces the distance between the lashes and the arch, creating a friendlier expression.

Widely referred to as “The Definitive Eyebrow Expert,” Anastasia Soare and her Beverly Hills salon have built a steady flow of celebrity clientele that includes Oprah, Kim Kardashian, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Naomi Campbell, Penelope Cruz, and Sharon Stone. Anastasia has been featured in the pages of top publications such as Vogue, W, Town & Country, Elle, InStyle, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, Newsweek, People, Flaunt, and Los Angeles Magazine.