Dear Mary,

- Ellen

Shaping your eyebrows could be exactly what you need to give you the lift and freshness you are looking for. Overgrown or bushy eyebrows will make your eye appear tired and smaller. Plucking or tweezing is a big no-no.

Waxing is effective, but can get costly, often at over $20 per treatment. For a cost effective method that really works, the ePen or ePen Pro can get the job done right. Reshaping your eyebrow can do more for you than you may realize. It can actually make you appear younger. But remember that as we age, our eyebrows get thinner, so make sure not to overdo it. Sometimes I'll see women on the street and won't believe how thin they've shaped their eyebrows. Mary's number one rule: Pencil thin is TOO thin. Remember that our face is (generally!) where people first look when they first meet us, and create impressions about the type of person we are. Keeping our eyebrows in check is an easy way to revitalize our look and lift our mood - especially during the holidays. Here are some basic strategies for making your eyebrows look their best:

Working out the length of the eyebrow
Line up a pencil at the end of the nose, towards the corner of the eye. That's where the line of your eyebrow should end. This is also where your eyeshadow should end. If your eyes are close together, make the gap between the brows slightly wider. If your eyes are far apart, the gap should be narrower. Mark the correct point with a dot.

Working out the curve of the eyebrow
You can work out where the highest point of the curve/ arch should be by holding a ruler from the edge of the nostril past the outer edge of the iris (the colored part of the eye) and up to the eyebrow. Mark the spot with a dot.

Final planning
Now link up the dots in a gentle arch to draw on the ideal shape of the eyebrow that you want to achieve. This will give you a guideline to go by when using the ePen. You should aim for a smooth arched brow that tapers slightly at the outer ends. The ideal shape is the natural line that your eyebrow already is. If your eyebrows are extremely thick, don't go too thin. If your eyebrows are thin, trying to thicken them will be too much work. Softer facial features enhance a thinner, more elegant eyebrow, while a strong bone structure is the perfect face for a thicker, stronger eyebrow. Avoid using the ePen too much at the top of the eyebrow, as this can elminate your natural arch, and create a straightness in the eyebrow. To give the gorgeous new eyebrow shape emphasis, use an eyebrow pencil or tinted brow shadow to subtly fill in any gaps and even out the color tone. Don't worry if you make mistakes. Practice makes perfect.