Though many professional make-up artists would recommend using an eyebrow pencil for a defined look, not every woman can master the technique without looking like she’s drawn on her eyebrows. That’s not a good look for anyone! There are several simple ways to plump up or accentuate your brows without reaching for an eyebrow pencil.

First, you need to make sure you have a great foundation to work with: make sure your eyebrows are nicely groomed. If you’ve never had your brows professionally groomed, that’s a great place to start. Make an appointment for a professional brow waxing or threading. Waxing is fast and not as painful as you might expect; however, it can be harsher on your skin, so if you have very sensitive skin, you may want to try threading. An experienced eyebrow esthetician will help bring out the brow’s natural shape that is most flattering for you. To maintain your newly groomed brows, plan to see your esthetician every four to six weeks. If you don’t want to spend money on grooming, just go for an appointment once to get a great shape, then use tweezers at home to maintain the shape. Pluck stray hairs; to trim long hairs, comb your brows upward with a brow brush or toothbrush and carefully cut the excess growth.

Having well-groomed brows will instantly perk up and frame your face. Now you can add products to make them even more beautiful. The easiest, and most natural-looking, technique is to use eye shadow. Don’t be limited in your use of eye shadow by presuming it’s only for lids, as powder shadow can be a great tool for accentuating your brow. Take a shadow or liner brush with short, stiff bristles. Gently tap the edges onto the eye shadow that best matches your brow hair color. Blow on the brush to remove the excess. Then simply tap the shadow into your brow line. This will fill in your brows, but it won’t look harsh or dramatic.

If your brows are already rather full and you simply want to make sure they stay in place and together, use a bit of hair wax, hairspray, or a clear brow gel. These are natural-looking products that don’t add color; they merely help keep your brows in shape. Use a tiny bit of hair wax or pomade, and apply it to brows following the natural path of the hairs. You can buy a clear brow gel (it usually looks like clear mascara and comes with a wand or applicator) in the same manner. Another option is to spray hairspray on a brow brush or spare toothbrush and apply to brows.