How to choose the perfect eyebrow shape: expert advice

Yulia Novoselova , international master, world champion in make-up, trainer, stylist, head of the training Beauty Center YouNova (Kharkiv), PM master, championship judge

It is necessary to select the shape of the eyebrows for the client, taking into account the proportions, type of appearance and style. But it is equally important to be able to choose the ideal form according to the psychological state of a person, his self-perceptions. How to do it right?

Today, in an ever-changing world, we have access to a huge amount of information and training methods that allow us to improve our technique and improve our skills. We try to keep up with the times, develop and replenish knowledge in the field of marketing, as well as customer service quality standards. This is right and important: a large number of people now need the services of permanent makeup masters. At the same time, each of us, in dealing with clients, regularly encounters the fact that emotionally and psychologically it does not become easier to work, because we are not dealing with a sheet of paper and a pencil, but with an accomplished personality. Today I want to talk to you about one of the most important aspects in the field of permanent makeup - the ability to choose the perfect shape (in this case, eyebrows) not only in terms of proportions, fashion or personal perception, but also taking into account the psychological state of a person.

visual character

Often we see the shape of the eyebrows, which the client has drawn very carefully on his own. She either terrifies the master, or at least simply surprises. In most cases, the choice of shape and color is not associated with illiteracy or lack of taste, but with a specific perception of oneself in some image with which a person associates himself. A huge number of factors influence the taste and prevailing preferences in appearance, and in particular, the drawing of eyebrows: social circle, education, age, first childhood impressions and ideas about beauty, personal circumstances, place of residence. Eyebrows are the visual character of the face, this is the first line that sets the tone for the whole look, even in a calm state. But 60% of facial expressions and manifestations of emotions fall on the lips - this is the most mobile area of the face. Eyes - the "mirror of the soul" - are only in third place in a series of visual perception of the internal state of a person. The characteristic of the eyebrow is something that you need to pay great attention to. Of course, each master has his own style, his favorite form, and clients subconsciously choose a specialist whose examples of work they like. But this does not mean that the masters should not reflect on the individuality of the person who entrusted his face to them. Most clients come to the master with great confidence and, accordingly, expect to get in him an assistant and savior in solving everyday work on their make-up.

We determine the psychological portrait

In order to find the right approach to each client, to be able to build the ideal shape of the eyebrows not only technically, but also taking into account the individuality of the client, the master must have psychological literacy, develop observation and sensitivity in himself. The office of a specialist is not a zone of disputes and conflict. This is a place where a confident master works competently, and the client gets what he came for - beauty. Knowledge of psychology in building the shape of the eyebrows will help you choose the ideal lines and directions. And we have no right to make eyebrows of the same shape and color for a business woman, a university teacher or a soft housewife. The ability to hear the client, to see and understand the desired shape of the sketch, to understand the proportions and reasons for these wishes minimizes misunderstandings in the process of creating permanent makeup. At the same time, in no case should you follow the blind and unreasonable wishes of the client if you fundamentally disagree with how he sees himself. This deal with your conscience can be very expensive: each of your clients is your advertising agent. Having done the wrong procedure once, agreeing to black eyebrows of an inadequate shape, you risk getting clients that are not your target audience and alienate those who, like you, love elegance and cleanliness.

Trying on the form

Let's start discussing some eyebrow shapes. Why are they so important? To a certain extent, everything that we express through appearance is a certain signal to others. On the face, the eyebrows are most responsible for this signal. So much has been said about eyebrows: “eyebrow with an arch”, “eyebrows with a house”, “crescent eyebrow”, etc. These metaphors help to accurately describe a person’s appearance and create an impression of character.

I suggest you a little experiment with the attached photos. At first glance, the model has a different facial expression in all the photos. But if you close the model's eyebrows, you will see that the depicted emotions disappear from her face. This suggests that the permanent facial expression of your client depends on the eyebrows. Now let's take a closer look at each photo as an example.

Face without eyebrows (photo 1). A person without eyebrows evokes conflicting feelings, because defenselessness, childishness, and anxiety are present to some extent. Such a face makes a person incomprehensible: you don’t know what to expect from such a person. The absence of eyebrows on a man's face deprives him of masculinity and confidence.

Widely spaced eyebrows, shortened at the bridge of the nose, give the look naivety, and sometimes even some stupidity (photo 2). On the contrary, excessively shifted eyebrows on the bridge of the nose give the impression of a frown (photo 3). Widespread eyebrows with a hard vertical start. For some, this is a tribute to fashion, but in most cases, such a preference indicates some rigidity and categoricalness. Massive, wide eyebrows give the appearance strength and confidence, sufficient masculinity and authority. In combination with plump lips and long eyelashes, as is now popular, such eyebrows give a feeling of enhanced sexuality and character.

An eyebrow with a sharp break makes the hostess treacherous, tough and bitchy (photo 4). And the thinner and darker the eyebrow, or the higher its break, the stronger the perception of these features seems. Such eyebrows should be avoided on an age-related face, although many masters follow the lead of clients, trying to raise the eyebrow higher to correct age-related atrophy. In fact, this raising of the eyebrow only further emphasizes the fact that the eyelid has drooped. In this case, on the contrary, it is more often necessary to round the eyebrows above the pupil, which visually softens the shape, and choose softer and more delicate pigment colors.

Thin and arched eyebrows-threads are reminiscent of retro and look ridiculous on a young face (photo 5). An adult face looks old-fashioned and exhausted, sometimes even painful with such eyebrows.

Smooth , without sharp breaks and angles, the eyebrow balances the face and makes it calm, soft and feminine (photo 6). The maximum approximation to this form is ideal for psychologists, women involved in charity work, teachers or just adult ladies. Wide low eyebrows make faces heavier, identifying the owner with rigidity and gloominess (photo 7). Despite the wishes of clients who want to get wide and powerful eyebrows, you should be very careful with this shape. If the girl is thin and has small facial features, such a shape will be very “pressing” and make her face look masculine. An eyebrow with raised inner corners makes the face “weepy” and sad (photo 8). In such a situation, one should lower the bottom of the eyebrow at the bridge of the nose a little lower, while not forgetting about a reasonable measure. The optimal and win-win option in any situation is a medium-sized eyebrow with a soft, smooth corner that gives the face confidence and a slight piquancy (photo 9).

Modeling by rules

In the first procedure, I would recommend trying more careful lines, in case you are not sure about the form and how the client accepts himself. Do not forget also that the eyebrow after the procedure is usually darker, and most clients may be upset by an overly bright color. You should not be too zealous with the width, unless, of course, you have come across a lover of wide eyebrows. Long eyebrows, going to the temple, will always give the image maturity and wisdom. But with such an eyebrow, you should be careful on an adult face. Conversely, a lifting effect can be achieved with a shortened tail of the eyebrow in the temple area.

Of course, the decision made on the shape of the eyebrows for the client can be influenced by a large number of different factors, and if possible, they should be taken into account.

We have considered only a small part of them, and my goal is to share with you the accumulated knowledge and best practices, so that thanks to the competent work of PM specialists, the quality of life of your client will change, and also encourage you to discover new facets of professionalism for a successful career.

Be indispensable for the client with a new approach and look at his personality. And eyebrows, as we have analyzed, really decide everything. At least in the visual character of the face.

Photo: Ulyana Rudich

Model: Yana Sokol (Cyprus)

Author, stylist: Yulia Novoselova

The material was first published in Permanent No. 1(9)/2018