A Celebrity Brow Artist Says This One Mistake Instantly Ages Your Face

There I was, having my brows expertly groomed by celebrity brow artist Kristie Streicher, founder of KS&CO and creator of "The Nurtured Brow" philosophy. My poor set of arches are pretty wimpy and sparse (I rarely even touch them without the help of a seasoned pro), so you better believe I kept my ears open for tips as the eyebrow whisperer laminated, tinted, and plucked my face framers to perfection. 

And, boy, am I glad I took mental notes: “I’m tweezing the extra hairs at the front of your brows,” she tells me during the session. “The downward shape accentuates dark circles.” Hold on a second. 

As someone who deals with genetic dark shadows (thanks, Dad!), I didn’t think there was much I could do to diminish the discoloration. I certainly never thought my brows would have much say in the matter.

But after I left my appointment with Streicher, my face did look brighter—especially my eyes, which appeared bluer, wider, and more lifted, sans concealer. What was this sorcery?

Before I go on, let me just say that brow grooming is not a one-size-fits-all venture. Everyone has a different brow shape based on their bone structure, hair density, and texture, and you should always groom those framers with respect to their natural form.

Streicher wholeheartedly agrees: “I truly believe that everyone looks best with what they’re born with,” she notes. “Discovering your individual and natural shape as well as where your eyebrows should start, arch, and end is a valuable tool.” 

Any hairs that extend past this line, she says, should be removed. For example, let’s say you have some stray hairs towards the front of the brow that causes it to slant downwards towards the bridge of the nose (this is the scenario I was dealing with). “This can close out the eye and result in a scowling appearance,” says Streicher. It also creates a shadow at the inner corners that can accentuate dark circles. 

On the other hand, you may have downward hairs near the tails of the brows. “When the tail of the eyebrow is groomed in a downward direction, it can draw the eyes down and give the face a droopy and aging appearance,” says Streicher. 

I personally have very gappy tails (what Streicher calls truncated “short” brows), so I’ll fill in these missing hairs with her KS&CO Microfeathering Brow Pen, making sure not to extend past the parallel lid line. Even a few hairs that fall outside of this line can make a significant difference.