How to Apply Eyebrow Powder

Using Eyebrow Wax

Brush your eyebrows outward and upward with a mascara brush. Before beginning, brush your hair to the same direction. Brushing your eyebrow hair slightly upward makes your eyes look bigger. When you're brushing your eyebrows, use a disposable mascara brush, or clean and dry an old brush if that's all you have. You could also use an eyebrow comb, if you have one.

Trim or shape your eyebrows to get rid of long hairs. After you brush your eyebrows straight up, look for any hair that falls outside of the shape of your eyebrows. Then, use a pair of cosmetic scissors to trim those hairs down. If you notice any stray eyebrow hairs, or hairs that are growing outside of the shape of your brows, pluck them with tweezers. When you're finished, brush the hairs downward, then trim any that fall outside of the natural shape of your brows. That way, you're not changing the shape of your brows—just removing stray hairs.

Use an angled wax brush to apply the wax. An eyebrow powder kit will usually come with clear wax. The wax helps hold the hair in place and gives the powder something to adhere to. A small, angled brush helps set the shape.

Brush the wax on in short, upward strokes. Follow the same pattern you just used when brushing out your eyebrows. Get a little wax on your brush, and gently brush your eyebrows upward, setting them in place.

Measuring Where to Begin and End

Find the outside edge using the center of your nostril. Touch a straight edge along the center of your nostril to the outer edge of your eye. Continue the line up to your brow, and that's where the outer edge of your brow should be. You can use an eyebrow brush to make the straight line in place of a straight edge. Mark the point with a matching eyebrow pencil if you'll have trouble remembering.

Pinpoint the inner edge of your eyebrow using the inside of your eye. Run a straight edge from the outer edge of your nose to the inner point of your eye. Continue it up to your brow line, and that marks where the inside point of your brow should be. Place a small dot with the eyebrow pencil.

Figure out where the highest point of your arch should go. Hold the straight edge up to your face again. Run it from the outside of your nostril and along the outside edge of your iris. On your eyebrow, this point marks where the highest part of your arch should be. The iris is the colored part of your eye. Mark this point with the eyebrow pencil, as well. Work with and emphasize your natural arch instead of creating a new one.

Adding the Powder

Pick a powder 1-2 shades lighter than your hair color. Match the powder to your hair color, but then move a shade lighter. Once you apply it, the natural oils on your forehead will darken the color slightly, so going lighter keeps it from looking too dark. Experiment with a few brands until you find one you like.

Draw a line across the bottom of your eyebrows with an angled brush. Dab the brush on the powder, then gently tap it to shake any excess off. Using the short side of the brush to lead, make a defined stroke across the bottom of your eyebrows, going from the inside dot you made to the outside dot you made. A brush made from natural hair works best. Keep the line light. Use soft strokes, as harsh lines can look unnatural. You basically want the powder to look like a shadow.

Add a softer line on the top. Get a bit more powder on your brush. Create a line across the top of your brow, leading with the small side of the brush. Don't press down quite as hard, creating a softer line. Make sure you're making these lines along the points you defined earlier. Go from the inside point you made to the top of the arch, and back down to the outside point. Try to create a smooth, curving line.

Use light strokes to fill in the middle and any holes. Blend the 2 lines together by going gently across the middle. Also, make sure to fill in holes with feather-like strokes. Don't get too heavy-handed.

Tip the outer edge of your eyebrow up for an upbeat look. If you bring the outer edge down, it can look like you're sad or depressed. Instead, bring it slightly up towards your temple as you come to the tip.

Run a spoolie across your brow again at the end. Comb the spoolie through your eyebrow hair, brushing slightly up again. Using a spoolie helps set the hair in place. If you want, you can even add a bit more wax at the end to help set it.