The perfect arches can upgrade your entire look. Six Cosmo girls and one brow guru show you how to get them.
Great brows are like the day after a night of amazing sex: Nobody knows what you did, but they notice you look incredible. Finding — and maintaining — your best shape can be a challenge. We overtweeze, undertweeze, or just plain tweeze the wrong way — sometimes ending up with weird comma or even sperm shapes. We handpicked women who needed a little help and let star plucker Ramy show them the way. The results? Seriously sexy.
OvergrownTHE PROBLEM: Bushy brows dominate the face.
THE SOLUTION: Full fringe is beautiful, within reason. “No matter how great your brows are, you want people to notice your face first,” Ramy says. On Tara, he trimmed above and below the brow bone to get rid of excess bulk, then tweezed below the arch to define her shape. (Pro secret: Put tweezers in the freezer for 15 minutes; they’ll numb the skin on contact.) Clear mascara keeps unruly hairs in place.
The ResultTara’s feminine arches make her cheekbones stand out.
HookedTHE PROBLEM: An arch that hooks too close to the inner corner of the eyes
THE SOLUTION: Ramy corrected the spermlike shape by tweezing a straight line from the base of Amanda’s brows up to her arches — the key to opening up her entire face. “The effect is more natural and doesn’t scream that you plucked your brows,” says Ramy. He feathered on a kohl pencil to smooth out the overall shape of her brows.
The ResultAmanda’s subtle arches give her a more sophisticated look.
Patchy
THE PROBLEM: Uneven brows that need a more consistent shape
THE PROBLEM: Uneven brows that need a more consistent shape
THE SOLUTION: Ramy plucked to thin out the base of Carina’s brows and reveal a sexy, curved arch. Then he cleaned up the edges, removing any hairs that strayed a half-inch beyond the outer corners of her eyes. (Quick trick: Use the length of your pinky nail to approximate half an inch.) A dusting of brown eye shadow or powder covers up any gaps.
The ResultShapely brows bring personality and definition to Carina’s face.
Virgin
THE PROBLEM: Untouched brows that slope downwar d
THE SOLUTION: Ramy combed Sarah’s brows downward and trimmed any hairs that fell below the arch. This removed a lot of weight and helped bring out her arches. To enhance the effect, he tweezed underneath the highest points of the arches, which added a subtle lift. He then swept a highlighter under the brow bones to perk up the eye area even more. Try Clinique Up-Lifting Liquid Illuminator, $22.50.
THE SOLUTION: Ramy combed Sarah’s brows downward and trimmed any hairs that fell below the arch. This removed a lot of weight and helped bring out her arches. To enhance the effect, he tweezed underneath the highest points of the arches, which added a subtle lift. He then swept a highlighter under the brow bones to perk up the eye area even more. Try Clinique Up-Lifting Liquid Illuminator, $22.50.
The ResultNeater arches make Sarah’s eyes stand out.
Sparse
The Result
SparseTHE PROBLEM: Slight, straight-across brows
THE SOLUTION: Ramy tweezed to create arches in Breana’s brows. “Find your perfect arch by lining up a pencil with the outer edge of your iris and marking that spot,” he says. Do this for each brow separately, because brows are sisters, not twins — everyone has one dominant brow that grows faster and has a more natural arch. He finished by brushing on a brow pomade.
THE SOLUTION: Ramy tweezed to create arches in Breana’s brows. “Find your perfect arch by lining up a pencil with the outer edge of your iris and marking that spot,” he says. Do this for each brow separately, because brows are sisters, not twins — everyone has one dominant brow that grows faster and has a more natural arch. He finished by brushing on a brow pomade.
Breana’s sculpted brows add life and expression to her look.
Overplucked 
The Result
OverpluckedTHE PROBLEM: Skinny, unbalanced brows
THE SOLUTION: Since Lauren’s left brow had a different shape than her right one, Ramy filled in the area under the left arch with a pencil to create the illusion of symmetry. Then he stroked brow powder on both sides to minimize any bald spots. “Waiting for new hairs to grow in can take weeks,” says Ramy. Try a growth-enhancing gel, which can stimulate new hairs, and take it easy with the tweezers.
THE SOLUTION: Since Lauren’s left brow had a different shape than her right one, Ramy filled in the area under the left arch with a pencil to create the illusion of symmetry. Then he stroked brow powder on both sides to minimize any bald spots. “Waiting for new hairs to grow in can take weeks,” says Ramy. Try a growth-enhancing gel, which can stimulate new hairs, and take it easy with the tweezers.
The Result
