How to fill your brows in like a pro, according to Lucy Hale's brow artist

Considering our decade-long obsession with Lucy Hale's eyebrows, it's safe to say there's nobody whose advice we would take more seriously than the very woman who keeps them in shape: Hale's brow artist Kelley Baker.

So, when we found out she not only flips the usual brow routine on its head (hint: she starts with highlighter) but also has her regimen whittled down to five simple (and super quick) steps, we obviously had to take copious notes.

Ready to up your arch game? Here's Baker's guide to filling in your brows like a pro.

Step 1: Build your borders

While highlighting may serve as the final touch for most, Baker advises going in with an illuminating formula first to give yourself a guide for where to place your colour when filling in. Basically, the line of lightness will serve as a stencil for the lowest you should go with your darker pigment.

“First you’re going to use a highlighter pencil – take a little swipe of the top [on an angled brush and apply it] right underneath the brow,” she explains of the technique. “[Work the illuminator] straight across, and then turn [at your arch] and go down. We’re basically making our own stencil [before we] fill in above that area.”

Step 2: Fill in the head

Next up? A little feathery fullness at the head of the brow, so brush them up and get ready to fill in. “Now that it’s highlighted, [you want to go in] using a defining pencil, starting at the inner part of [the brow] where the highlighter meets the brow hair,” says Baker.

“[You just want to draw] little tiny strokes right inside of that highlighter line; once you’ve made your own personal stencil, it’s like colouring in a colouring book where we want to make sure that we colour inside of the lines.” Seems simple enough to us!

Step 3: Connect to the tail

Time for the tail to join the party. “After you’ve filled in the front of your brow], you’re going to connect it [by sweeping your pencil across the arch toward the tail to tie the head and tail together],” she shares.

“Remember less is more, so just do soft little pencil strokes, following the shape of the brow and going down [at the tail]. You don’t need to fill in your entire brow, only fill in what needs to be filled in [to keep the finish feathery rather than block-y].”

Step 4: Sharpen the lines

Once you’re satisfied with your shape, go back in with more of your highlighter pencil on the same angled brush. “The next trick is to sharpen the lines and clean up the brow by using a smudge brush and the highlighter again,” Baker advises. “[Apply it] right underneath [the brow to smooth out the lower line and] make it all look more connected.”

Step 5: Dial up the density

Done in the definition department? Finish off by adding powder to any remaining sparse spots to dial up the density. “[Lastly], I put powder in the areas [that need a little more help, because it makes the brow look more dense,” she says.

Keep your touch light, though – powder is easy to go overboard with. “[You want them to] look soft in the sense of product, not too heavy,” Baker confirms. Just be sure to clean off your angled brush before going in – unless you’re trying to illuminate your brow hairs too, of course.

Main image credit: @lucyhale

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