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Culinary

What are Eyebrow Stencils?

Nicole Madison
By
Updated Feb 21, 2024
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When most people think of stencils, they think of patterns people use in creating artwork—the templates people can trace to create many types of artistic pieces. Eyebrow stencils work in much the same way. A person places one on her face and then follows the provided pattern to draw the shape with an eyebrow pencil or mascara, trimming her eyebrows to create the desired shape.

To use eyebrow stencils, a person usually cleans her eyebrows and trims any very long hairs before brushing her eyebrows in the direction they normally grow. Next, she places her chosen stencil on her face, lining it up with the natural growth of one of her eyebrows. Then, holding the stencil in place, she traces the outline of the stencil shape onto her face. Sometimes the stencil will mark a very thin shape. In such a case, the user may just use the eyebrow pencil or mascara to fill the shape in rather than tracing its outline.

Once the user has traced the stencil shape, she removes the stencil from her face, being very careful to avoid smudging her handiwork. She then uses a grooming technique to remove the hairs that are outside of the stenciled eyebrow. For example, a person may pluck out the extra hairs or use wax to remove them. If she finds that the eyebrow shape needs more refinement, she may retrace the stencil once more. Finally, many people follow up the use of eyebrow stencils by using tweezers to remove any stray hairs that remain.

Sometimes a person uses eyebrow stencils not to shape her eyebrows, but to create a new shape that is significantly different from the normal shape of her brows. In such a case, she may buy a larger stencil that can be positioned so she won't remove too much of her eyebrow hair when she starts plucking. These stencils can even be used to correct eyebrows that have been plucked too much. In this case, the stencil is placed over the eyebrow and the user uses an eyebrow pencil to fill in the brow area.

There are many types of eyebrow stencils a person may buy. They come in many different shapes, and a consumer can even buy stencils designed to help her recreate the eyebrows of their favorite celebrities. A consumer may also purchase pre-waxed eyebrow stencils that are designed to remove the hair necessary to shape and polish the brows.

WiseGEEK is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Nicole Madison
By Nicole Madison
Nicole Madison's love for learning inspires her work as a WiseGEEK writer, where she focuses on topics like homeschooling, parenting, health, science, and business. Her passion for knowledge is evident in the well-researched and informative articles she authors. As a mother of four, Nicole balances work with quality family time activities such as reading, camping, and beach trips.
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Discussion Comments

By Tomislav — On Dec 18, 2011

I have never understood the big deal about shaping one's eyebrows. I mean I know that most people have them, so if someone doesn't have them, they feel like an outcast.

I am glad I have eyebrow's, but I am also glad I do not feel the need to spend countless hours and dollars on trying to get them to the "perfect" shape. Maybe I am lucky though, because I feel like I don't have either very bushy eyebrows, or very thin ones either. Maybe I would feel differently if I had one of the extremes.

But I also think a lot of people probably classify my eyebrows as "thick" and almost "shapeless" because I mostly only pluck they hairs that would make my eyebrows a unibrow if I did not pluck them.

I guess I am just so thankful that I grew up knowing what is on the outside doesn't matter as much as what is on the inside, although society will tell you and show you differently.

But I would rather spend my money on going on trips with my friends and family than on things like the eyebrow stencil.

Please let me also point out that I do not judge people that invest in a lot of beauty products, I just want people to know that society is wrong, what is important and what we should strive for is inner beauty.

By Sinbad — On Dec 17, 2011

I have never heard or seen eyebrow stencils until right now. I am a pretty low-maintenance person when it comes to make-up, so I am rarely in the beauty aisles.

I think eyebrow stencils sound like a fairly reasonably priced alternative to getting eyebrows done professionally, as far as I have heard at least.

It is nice that you can use the stencil both to fill in your eyebrows, and to pluck them to fit what you like also.

I think that eyebrow stencils seem like they may be kind of tough to get exact with though, especially when someone is just starting out. It seems like it would be very easy to get one side more crooked than the other, so it does not seem like the most precise measure, if you are going for precision at least.

What do you all who have used eyebrow stencils think though? Is the eyebrow stencil method pretty precise?

By myharley — On Dec 16, 2011

I absolutely love eyebrow stencils, and they have been a lifesaver for me.

I have very thin eyebrows, and the older I get, the more sparse they become. I think I must have done too much plucking through the years.

One nice thing about that is they don't grow as fast anymore, but they also look very sparse.

I bought a pack of Anastasia eyebrow stencils and paid around $20 for a pack of 5. They last a long time and really help keep my eyebrows even.

Anytime I try to do this myself, I always ended up with one longer or bigger than the other. The stencils also help give me more of a natural looking arch.

They are very easy to use, and if you mess up, you can just remove it and start over. Once you get used to using them, it just becomes part of the regular routine.

By sunshined — On Dec 16, 2011

This is the first I have heard of eyebrow stencils. I am used to the old fashioned way of shaping my eyebrows.

I take a long pencil and hold it vertically along one side of my nose up to my eyebrow. This is where I know I need to begin shaping this part of my eyebrow.

The next step is to take the same pencil and hold it at an angle from the bottom of your nose to the outer edge of the eyebrow. This is how long your eyebrows are supposed to be.

Once you have the proper shape, then it is easy to fill them in with an eyebrow pencil, if needed.

I can see how a brow stencil would come in handy if you wanted to change the shape of your eyebrows. Many times having a pattern to follow is a lot simpler than trying to figure it out yourself.

By animegal — On Dec 15, 2011

If you don't want to pay for eyebrow shape stencils, or you can't find any for sale in your local beauty department, you can actually run a search online and get printable eyebrow stencils. They come in a huge number of shapes and since they are free to print you can experiment with what works for you.

The stencils you print aren't as nice as the ones made out of the bendable plastic you can buy, but they do work in a pinch. Plus, if you are just working with eyebrow makeup instead of actually plucking your brows into shape you can find some great ideas for costumes. I love giving my eyebrows a feathered edge with makeup when I have a costume party to go to. It looks great!

By Mae82 — On Dec 15, 2011

I used to use eyebrow stencils, as I felt that I couldn't get a clean enough line if I just plucked, and waxing aways hurt me. I know for a lot of people waxing isn't that bad, but for myself it was like torture. What I discovered is that eyebrow threading works better than any stencil, or method, if you can find a good practitioner in your city. It is surprisingly cheap and is amazingly accurate.

The lady I go to immigrated from India nearly a decade ago and has been doing really well over here with some of the more tried and true beauty tactics from her country. I love how clean a line she gives my brows and am hoping to be able to do my own eyebrow threading someday.

By truman12 — On Dec 14, 2011

Where can I find the biggest selection of eyebrow stencils? I have seen them in health and beauty shops before, but I am looking for some kind of one stop shop where I can consider lots and lots of different eyebrow stencils.

I figure there must be a place to buy eyebrow stencils online. Eyebrow stenciling has intrigued me for years but I have never actually done it. When I take the plunge for the first time I want to make sure that I have exactly the eyebrow stencil kit that I want. If it goes well this may become a regular thing for me.

By tigers88 — On Dec 14, 2011

A good friend of mine suffers from alopecia so she stencils on her eyebrows. She has no hair on her head, face or anywhere on her body. This is relatively common condition but one that is very hard to live with because the symptoms are so recognizable.

She has had mixed results with the eyebrow stencils. I cannot honestly claim that it ever looks natural, but there are honestly times when she looks good in spite of the unnatural eyebrows. Other times though it is very noticeable. If you do not get the stencil just right the mistakes really show up.

Nicole Madison

Nicole Madison

Nicole Madison's love for learning inspires her work as a WiseGEEK writer, where she focuses on topics like...
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