The 5 eyebrow mistakes you're probably making

5 Brow Mistakes You May Be Making

And how to avoid them

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Blame it on Cara Delevingne but brows are big news – and more specifically, bigger, fuller brows are the look of the moment.

But in the quest to create perfect brows, it’s easy to go a little crazy. Here are the biggest mistakes that even the smartest girls make…

Over-plucking

Yes, we know the ‘90s are back, but the tiny little single-haired arches of the era? Not so much. “Skinny brows can look harsh and aggressive – plus it’s very ageing,” says Steve Supple from Sydney’s renowned Brows by Steve.

Over-defining the front of the brow

There’s no doubt that fuller eyebrows are the look of the moment. (Take a bow Cara Delevingne.) But in a bid to achieve a fuller look, many women overdo it when filling in the front of their brows. “The front of the brow should just have this soft fuzziness of hair that graduates into more density, so don’t get caught up in trying to make that area perfect when it’s not meant to be,” brow artist Jazz Pampling told Beauty Crew.

“Sometimes the best way to fill in the front of your brow is just with a little bit of powder that’s a shade lighter than your hair, then you use your pencil through the rest of the brow.”

Jessica Alba

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Emma Watson

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Lea Michele

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Too-high arches

The end of the brow should be long and not too high. High arches will make your eyes look smaller. “Your brow should frame your eyes, from the inner corner of the eye to the outer corner and create a balance between the two,” Steve says. And that perpetual surprised look that many women sport? It’s best left to emo “Half-moon brows should only be seen on clowns,” Steve says, “and they’ll also make your face appear more round.”

The tadpole look

You know these brows: bulbous on one end, super thin on the other, kind of looks like a comma? This is not a look to aim for, says Steve. “The ‘block and tail’ look creates imbalance and will add a weight or heaviness to one particular section of the brow,” advises Steve.

Too dark

Finding the perfect brow colour can be tricky. By nature, brows tend to be slightly darker than your hair, and a darker shade tends to frame your face. But don’t be tempted to go too far on the dark side – it could make you look permanently angry. The general rule is to try one shade lighter than your natural colour. If you find your brows are still too dark, a brow highlighter such as Benefit 3D Browtones ($42) helps add dimension to your arches.