An In-Depth Guide to Perfectly Shape Your Asian Eyebrows

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Plus, discover the differences between Asian and Western eyebrows

Co-authored by Shara Strand and Bailey Cho

Last Updated: September 25, 2023 Fact Checked

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Best Asian Eyebrow Shapes

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How to Shape the Perfect Asian Brows

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Western vs Asian Eyebrows

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Expert Interview

Trying to find the perfect eyebrow shape that suits your Asian facial features? We’ve got you covered! In this article, we’ll walk you through the most popular eyebrow styles that flatter every face shape, plus teach you how to achieve your dream brows at home. We’ll also go over the differences between Asian and Western eyebrows so you can finally figure out why certain brow shapes look different on you.

Things You Should Know

The most popular Asian eyebrow shape is the straight eyebrow, or Korean eyebrow, which is relatively flat with a subtle arch. It looks best on long or oval-shaped faces.
Use the edge of your nostril to mark where your eyebrows should begin, the outer edge of your iris to mark the arch, and the outer corner of your eye to mark the tail end.
Connect these points with an eyebrow pencil to make an outline, and fill it in using quick, short strokes with your favorite brow product.

Section 1 of 3:

Best Asian Eyebrow Shapes

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Straight Also known as the Korean brow, this eyebrow shape is as straightforward as it sounds—the bottom of the eyebrow is straight and flat, while the top has a soft and subtle arch.^{[1]
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Trustworthy Source

PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health

Go to source} The arch starts closer to the tail of the brow, and the brow is slightly lighter than your natural hair color. Many Korean actresses and idols sport this eyebrow shape because it creates an innocent and youthful look.
- Looks best on: long or oval-shaped faces, because straight brows add width to the face
- Celebs with straight eyebrows: Song Hye Kyo, Jamie Chung, Jennie Kim (from Blackpink), and Kendall Jenner
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Rounded If your eyebrows have a natural lift but you love the softer look, go for a rounded eyebrow. This brow shape has a distinct curve through the front of the brow, with a subtle, curved arch. It never comes to a point, even at the highest peak, and it follows the natural curve of the eye, giving the face a more elegant and mature look.
- Looks best on: diamond face shapes, because rounded brows make the face look less wide and offsets angular features^{[2]
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- Celebs with rounded eyebrows: Gigi Hadid, Julia Roberts, Stephanie Hsu, and Zoe Saldana
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Soft angled This eyebrow shape is perfect if you’re looking for a more angled, mature style, and it works for both thin and thick eyebrows. The arch, or highest point of your eyebrow, is barely lifted at the peak, and the brows are usually filled in from above instead of being tweezed or trimmed from below.
- Looks best on: oblong, oval, or heart-shaped faces, because soft angled eyebrows maintain the natural balance of the face^{[3]
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- Celebs with soft angled eyebrows: Dua Lipa, Gemma Chan, Hoyeon Jung, and Deepika Padukone
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Hard angled Also called the high arch eyebrow, this brow shape looks like a rounded eyebrow with a higher, more defined angle. The arch comes to a sharp point at the highest peak, and it suits both thin and thick eyebrows. A high, curved arch creates a mature look for thin brows, while giving a more youthful appearance for thick brows.
- Looks best on: square or round faces, because hard angled eyebrows add structure and definition to the face
- Celebs with hard angled eyebrows: Rihanna, Eva Mendes, Taylor Swift, and Priyanka Chopra
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S-shape As the name implies, this eyebrow style follows an “S” shape, with a subtle dip toward the front of the brow that rises into an arch. This shape usually occurs naturally, but many people try to recreate it with some strategic tweezing. When shaped correctly, S-shape eyebrows provide a sophisticated, mysterious, and sexy look.
- Looks best on: round face shapes, because S-shape eyebrows make the cheekbones appear more prominent and open up the eyes
- Celebs with S-shape eyebrows: Angelina Jolie, Diane Kruger, Jaime King, and Penelope Cruz

Section 2 of 3:

How to Shape the Perfect Asian Brows

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Brush your eyebrows upward with a spoolie. To shape your eyebrows, use a spoolie to comb from the base to the top of your brows. This will help you understand the natural shape and thickness of your eyebrows, plus help you determine which hairs to tweeze to achieve your ideal brow shape.
- To get thick eyebrows, take the spoolie and brush against the natural direction of your brow hairs, before combing your brows upward.
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Mark where your brows begin using your nose as a guide. Take a small makeup brush (or any other straight edge), and hold it parallel to the outermost edge of your nostril so it passes through the inner corner of your eye. The area where the brush hits your brow bone is where the beginning of your brows will be. Mark that spot with an eyebrow pencil so you remember where it is, then repeat on the opposite side.^{[4]
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- If you have wide-set eyes or a narrow nose bridge, space your eyebrows closer together to balance out your features. Use any point between the tip of your nose and the outer edge as the reference point to mark the beginning of your brows.
- If you have close-set eyes or a wide nose bridge, space your eyebrows slightly apart, or stick to the side of your nose as the reference point.
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Refer to the edges of your nose and eye to mark the peak of your arch. Look straight ahead in a mirror, and angle the small makeup brush so it aligns with the outer edge of your nostril and the outer edge of your iris. The point where the line intersects your eyebrow is where the arch will reach its highest point. Mark that spot with an eyebrow pencil, and repeat on the other side.^{[5]
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- Depending on your face shape, sharpen and soften the arch to balance out your features. For instance, if you have a longer face or nose, a subtle arch will add more width to your face.
- As a general rule, aim for a higher arch if you have a round face or softer features. If you have defined or more angular features, stick with a lower arch.
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Follow the shape of your eye to mark the ending point of your brows. Line the small makeup brush from the edge of your nostril and the outer corner of your eye. The place where the brush crosses the outer part of your eyebrow is where the end, or tail, will be and it should look like an extension of your eye. Mark that spot with a dot using an eyebrow pencil, and repeat on the other side.^{[6]
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- If you have a long face, extend your eyebrows slightly further to add more width. If you have a wide face, feel free to bring the ends in to create the effect of a narrow face.
Using an eyebrow pencil, lightly connect the dots you drew to mark the starting point, ending point, and arch of your eyebrows. Create a soft slope from the starting point to the ending point for a rounded shape, or draw a single, continuous line from the starting point to the arch for a sharper look.^{[7]
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Fill in your eyebrows with your favorite brow product. Use an eyebrow pencil, powder, or pomade to gently shade in your brows, and start filling them in from the bottom (or base). Work your way across your brows, shading in the arch of the brow before moving onto the tail. Stay in the margins of the outline, and use quick, short strokes to mimic your natural brow hairs.
- For a natural look, fill in your brows with a matte eyebrow powder that matches your hair color or is one shade lighter. For a defined look, choose a darker pencil or pomade that’s 1 to 2 shades darker than your natural hair color.
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Pluck any hairs that extend outside the outline of your brows. Once you’re happy with the way your brows look, use fine-tipped tweezers to remove stray hairs and shape your eyebrows. Place the tip of the tweezer at the root of the hair you wish to remove, and pull in the direction your hair naturally grows. Keep the tweezers as close to your skin as possible to minimize pain, and pluck hairs from below your brows to make them as thin or thick as you like.
- Always make sure to tweeze your eyebrows after filling them in so you don’t overpluck.
- Alternatively, use a pair of eyebrow scissors to trim any hairs that grow above or below your outline. Hold the scissors vertically so you cut each hair with precision, and step back after a few snips to ensure you don’t cut too many hairs.
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Brush your eyebrows with brow gel to seal their shape. To get perfect eyebrows that last all day, use a clear or tinted brow gel to keep each hair in place. Wipe off excess product from the brush onto the sides of the tube to ensure your brows don’t look cakey. Then, apply a thin coat of gel over both brows, brushing in the direction your hair naturally grows.
- For a full and fluffy look, use a clean spoolie and an unscented, transparent bar of soap to achieve soap brows.

Section 3 of 3:

Western vs Asian Eyebrows

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Asian brow hairs grow downward, while Western brow hairs grow upward. The direction of hair growth varies from person to person, but for most East Asians, their eyebrow hairs grow sideways near the front half of the brow and downwards from the arch to the tail.^{[8]
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Research source} This makes it difficult to create a high arch or angled brow shape, making the straight eyebrow shape is extremely popular—it doesn’t change the natural direction of hair growth.
- Western brow hairs, on the other hand, tend to grow upward and across, so their brows are usually more arched and sharp than Asian eyebrows.
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Western eyebrows are usually darker in color than Asian eyebrows. Many Asians prefer a natural eyebrow look, so they usually fill in their eyebrows 1 to 2 shades lighter than their natural hair color. Western eyebrows vary in shape and color, so some Westerners may decide to fill in their brows using a darker color. This isn’t popular among Asians, so Western brows tend to be more dramatic and defined than Asian brows.^{[9]
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- In general, most Asians fill in their eyebrows evenly and smoothly to create a soft and natural look, while some Westerners experiment with an ombre look—they lightly shade in the front of their brows and gradually darken them towards the tail.