The 7 things you should NEVER do to your eyebrows

GONE are the days of super-thin brows - now it's all about embracing your natural brows and playing to their strengths.

But there's a fine line between great brows and terrible ones  - so here are seven things you should never do.

Over-pluck above the brow

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You might have heard that you should never pluck above your eyebrow. That's not quite true - but shaping above the brow is usually best left to the professionals, as messing it up can ruin the appearance of your brows' arch. If your brows are naturally thick, treatments such as waxing and threading can help to keep them under control - a beauty therapist will know which hairs are safe to remove and which to leave well alone.

Take too much from the middle

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Nobody wants a mono-brow - but overcompensating by vigorously plucking the gap between your brows can eat into your actual eyebrows, leaving an unnaturally wide gap. Vertically lining up a thin makeup brush with your inner tear duct can help you work out how far is too far - you shouldn't pluck beyond this line.

Try to match them exactly

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People often say that brows are sisters, not twins - and trying to force identical eyebrows can lead to over-plucking. Most of us aren't blessed with a symmetrical face, so embrace your eyebrows' uniqueness and remember that quite frankly, nobody except you is looking that hard anyway.

Try to match the colour to your hair

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Make-up companies sell brow pencils, creams and powders in all sorts of shades- but beware of picking out a colour which matches your hair exactly. It's likely that, especially if you have dark hair, a shade that matches your hair will end up looking harsh and unnatural. Instead, opt for a slightly lighter shade and build up colour as necessary. As a starting point, most people can get away with a medium taupe colour - but if you have red hair, golden-red or lighter red-brown tones will create a natural look.

Use dry eyebrow make-up

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Speaking of filling brows, with so many types of product to choose from it can be hard to know what's best. However, it's worth keeping in mind that products with a drier formula, such as some pencils, can tug on natural hairs and lead to hair loss. And while long-lasting products are great, it's worth keeping in mind intensive scrubbing to remove remnants at the end of the day will do your natural brows no favours.

Pluck too enthusiastically

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It's tempting to use a magnifying mirror and ultra-bright lights to make sure you get every last rogue hair. But doing this can actually make you lose perspective - just as nobody will notice if your eyebrows aren't identical, nobody will notice that tiny hair, either. Over-plucking can leave you with misshapen brows, and if you pluck too much for too long they could become sparse over time.

Forget to clean your tweezers

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It might seem harmless, but when you pluck your eyebrows you leave your pores open to bacteria. If your tweezers aren't clean, you could end up with an unsightly and painful infection - so give them a quick wipe with a cotton pad soaked in antiseptic liquid to cut the risks. Storing your tweezers away from other tools such as make-up brushes and sponges can also help, as these often harbour additional bacteria.