Expert tips and tools to get that perfect Asian brow

The perfect face-framers can change your appearance dramatically. Just like how angling your brows upward can give you an immediate and subtle face lift, the wrong shade colour and shape can instantly change your facial expression for the worse. So if you're looking to level up your brow game, we speak to experts on getting the perfect Asian brow, as well as the products to get you there.

#1 Apply the golden ratio for brows

Eyebrows give your face definition, frame your features and can pull your look together – or apart.

However, they are not one-shape-fits-all. Most brow shapes generally work with an oval face, while arched brows can make a round face appear more oval, and flat, straight brows with a low arch can help balance out a long face, says Apple Loo, senior trainer at Browhaus.

“Your-brow-to-eye distance is very important. If the arch is too high, you may look perpetually astounded. If it’s too close to the eyelid, you’ll look chronically exhausted, especially if you have single eyelids. The ideal distance between your brow and upper eyelid should be about the width of your middle finger.”

#2 Size matters

Your brows should complement your face, not overwhelm it. Strong Cara-Delevingne-esque brows are too overpowering for those with small faces – thick brows make the face appear smaller, explains Bernice Wong, co-founder of DaintyBeaute – or eyes, so opt for something thinner and more refined. Note, though, that over-plucking your brows can damage hair follicles over time – they may never grow back to their previous lushness. If in doubt, get them trimmed by a professional. Try threading at Browhaus, whereby a thin thread is rolled over unwanted hair to remove follicles, or waxing at Benefit Brow Bar, where a soft wax is applied to remove stray strands and dead skin cells.

#3 Make sure to balance them out

The inner corners, arches and tips of your brows should be well balanced to create a sense of harmony, says Cecilia Chng, founder of Cecilia Chng Beauty. “Like the body, most people tend to use one side of the face more, so facial muscles and expressions are more pronounced on that side. This asymmetry becomes more obvious as we get older,” she says. “A good brow expert can correct this imbalance by shaping your brows accordingly and restoring harmony to your face.”

#4 Groom or doom

Cecilia recommends getting your brows professionally shaped every few months and taming strays at home.

Use a nude pencil to trace the outline of your brows, then pluck away strays outside it, says makeup artist Larry Yeo.

But mistake brow length for volume, and you’ll inevitably over-pluck. To avoid that, “comb your brows downwards and trim excess hair before plucking away unwanted strands,” advises Bernice.

#5 Let’s get shady

Your brow colour should not differ too much from that of your hair. “Pick a brow gel one or two shades lighter than your hair colour to soften the look,” says Larry. “If you tend to press harder when using a brow pencil, opt for one two or three shades lighter for a more natural-looking result.”

Stick to shades of brown and dark blonde. Grey is only useful for feathering – the use of small, “hair like” strokes to fill in brows, creating a 3-D effect – or for those with tan skin and pitch-black hair, he explains.

From pencils and crayons to fill in over-trimmed brows, to brow mascaras to tidy up unruly brows, scroll through for a list of brow products that will help to define your face and flatter your face.

FOR SHAPING: Aqua Brow Powder + Pencil Duo, $31.51, BrowFood

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FOR SHAPING: The Brow Multi-tasker, $50, Estee Lauder

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FOR SHAPING: Aqua Resist Brow Definer, $40, Make Up For Ever

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FOR SHAPING: Brow Beater Eyebrow Pencil, $27, Urban Decay

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FOR SHAPING: Fit Fiber In Double Eyebrow Pencil, $17.80, Heavy Rotation

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FOR SHAPING: Micro Brow Pencil, $20, Nyx Professional Makeup

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FOR SHAPING: Hi-Def Brow Liner, $9.90, Silkygirl

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FOR SHAPING: Brow InkTrio, $45, Shiseido

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FOR SHAPING: Fashion Brow Ultra Fluffy, $15.90, Maybelline

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FOR SHAPING: Mini Precisely, My Brow Eyebrow Pencil, $44, Benefit Cosmetics

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FOR TAMING: Brow Precise Fiber Volumizer Eyebrow Mascara, $29.90, Maybelline New York

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FOR TAMING: Brow Now Volumizing Brow Tint, $41, Estee Lauder

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FOR TAMING: Aqua Resist Brow Fixer, $36, Make Up For Ever

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FOR TAMING: Brow This Way Brow Styling Gel, $12.50, Rimmel

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FOR TAMING: Full Brow Perfecting Gel, $80.50, Chantecaille

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FOR TAMING: Color My Brows, $7.20, Etude House

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FOR TAMING: Gimme Brow+ Brow-Volumizing Gel, $44, Benefit Cosmetics

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FOR TAMING: Brow Fix, $50, Charlotte Tilbury

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FOR TAMING: Brow Natural Volumizing Brow Gel, $36, Ilia Essential

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FOR TAMING: Brow Gel, $31, Eyeko

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This story was originally published in the May 2017 issue of Her World.

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