TikTok's Eyebrow Tape Tutorial, Explained By A Celebrity Brow Pro

Eyebrow shaping is an art form and it can be done in many ways. If you’re looking for a way to give your brows some clean definition without leaving the comfort of your own home, this might do the trick for you. Say hello to #tapebrows, a TikTok-friendly beauty hack that’s been viewed millions of times on the platform and demonstrated in countless eyebrow tutorials.

The users in the videos usually make it look incredibly simple. As celebrity eyebrow artist Joey Healy puts it, “[it] takes something that is very complicated and artistic and makes it look as easy as 1-2-3.” The tape brow trend involves using painter’s tape to aid in mapping out your arches. The painter’s tape, Healy explains, creates a straight line to give you “nice, clean edges” for a more lifted brow.

“This is almost like reverse brow waxing where people use a wax strip that almost looks like tape to remove the hair,” he says. “This is the inverse of it, where you’re using it to block the hair that you want to keep.”

So is the viral method being shown in all these eyebrow tutorials really as foolproof as it looks? Read on for more of Healy’s expertise.

How To Shape Your Eyebrows With Tape

For starters, painter’s tape is ideal because it won’t be too sticky and difficult to remove afterward. Healy warns that if the tape is laid on too horizontally, you won’t get enough lift. On the other side of that spectrum, if the tape is too steep, your eyebrows might be a little more raised than you like them, giving you that “shocked” look.

He recommends following your natural brow bone to get that gradual incline when putting on the tape. “The top line is easy because you want it to run parallel to the bottom line. So when you’re looking at those two parts, you want the bottom two-thirds of the brow to be parallel to the top two-thirds,” he says. “The trick is to try and get it the same on both sides and take your time. You will have to eye it.”

When it’s time for trimming, use a small pair of eyebrow scissors to get the most precise lines. Once you’re done, he suggests cleaning up the area with tweezers (or even a dermablade to remove any peach fuzz). Remove the tape to reveal your newly groomed brows.

The Bottom Line About Tape Brows

While this is a great eyebrow trick, it’s not necessarily for everyone. Healy wouldn’t recommend this technique if you’re looking for a more feathery brow. He also wouldn’t advise this technique for beginners or anyone who isn’t super confident in their own brow grooming skills.

“The eye of an artist is a little better at balancing the face, and the face is already naturally asymmetrical,” he says. Unless you’re used to doing your own eyebrows and have a symmetrical face to start (again, not common), you might have a hard time.

This hack is best for those who are interested in eyebrow stencils, but may have had trouble finding the right size. “Everyone has a different shaped head and a different shaped face,” he says, explaining that the size of your skull and facial bone structure impacts the unique size and shape of your eyebrows. Since eyebrow stencils can be “one size fits all,” this could be a solid alternative.

With all that in mind, if this is eyebrow tape hack is something you want to try — go for it. If you’re already good with your arches, eyebrow tape might be a great thing to add to your beauty arsenal.