I've dabbled with brow gels here and there, and I've even done the old set 'em down with hairspray trick, but for some reason or another I've never really embraced the product — until now. And after trying Maybelline Define-A-Brow Gel in Clear ($5.79), I discovered it was just what I needed.

After a particularly scary look in the mirror one morning — uh, hello, Muppets character — I knew something needed to be done. I completely understand bedhead, but eyebrow. . .er, head? Not cool.

I swept the non-curved mascara wand right over the unruly hairs for an instantly polished look. I was concerned about flaking and clumping, but nada. The best part? The lightweight gel set immediately without a hardened, clumpy look. I highly recommend.

Welcome to the blog for the Center for Permanent Cosmetics. We provide permanent makeup services to clients in New York City (NYC), New York (NY), New Jersey (NJ), and Florida (FL). When you want to look your best 24/7 permanent cosmetics are the solution. When expertly applied by permanent makeup artist and Board Certified Permanent Cosmetics technician Melany Whitney, you are sure to have beautiful natural-looking permanent results.

Great brow tips - 2008

In case you haven't quite mastered the art of eyebrow shaping, there's another solution. You've probably been coloring inside the lines now since you were about five, and celebrity eyebrow guru Anastasia makes it easy to achieve eyebrow perfection with her fool-proof reusable Stencils ($20). Using a brow pencil or brow powder with brush, ?ll in as needed and let the stencils guide you as you go. It’s as easy as that! The packet includes four shapes: High Arch, Petite Arch, Medium Arch, and Slim High Arch for a customized ?t.

For a more affordable version, try Ardell Brow Perfection Stencils ($3.19), which come in four varieties as well: Delicate, Elegant, Glamorous, and Classic. Well-cared for eyebrows really do make an impact on framing your eyes to create a completely re?ned look. Oh, how I wish I had had these templates during those overly zealous tweezing days.

After looking at some photos of myself circa 2000, it all came back to me. In the place where there were supposed to be two thick and shapely brows, there were two skinny and sparse remnants of hair. Just where did my naturally lovely eyebrows go? Well, my friend convinced me my eyebrows were too "bushy" and she attacked, tweezers in hand. I've never quite recovered from the trauma.

So, if you're in between waxing appointments or just want to keep things simple with some easy at-home maintenance, I've got a good way to shape them up, without cursing your friend out for the next year.

For the three-step process,

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I've been using Mally Beauty's Double Duty Perfect Tweezers ($19.50). To be honest, it's partially because, like them, my bathroom is pink. However, only recently did I start actually using the pointy side. The sharp tips grab my freakishly long eyebrow hairs much better than the slanted side.

It is widely believed that slant-tip tweezers are the gold standard for brows. Short hairs that grow in between waxes (or in between.... eyes), are easily grabbed between the two flat blades, but when trying to change the shape of the brows, the pointy tip is better for grabbing the right hair at the root. Have you found this?