BoomerGirl Diary

If the eyes are the window to the soul, then the eyebrows are a welcome mat, albeit often poorly maintained.

"Your eyebrows shape your face," says Rhonda Green, an aesthetician at Potion, a Huntersville, N.C., beauty boutique. "If you've got unruly eyebrows it takes away from everything else. (Having groomed brows) opens up your eyes."

Or, says Carla Jones, owner of Beautiful Brows in Charlotte, N.C.: "It's the one thing that can completely change the way you look, without even using makeup."

Though silent, the shape and state of your brows can speak volumes.

Fuller, more natural brows are the trend now. Just take a look at brow beauties Oprah Winfrey, Sienna Miller, Jessica Alba and Vanessa Hudgens.

"We're trying to get people to go thicker," Jones says. "Thinner brows make you look older. That's all we have to say to people and they'll convert right over."

Some don't need a lot of convincing.

"My eyebrow (obsession) is very sacred," says Beth Osborne, 29, of Charlotte, who's been plucking since she was 15. She's become an expert at wielding a pair of scissor tweezers handed down by her mother, Adella, who passed away 10 years ago. Osborne has never done anything but tweeze and proudly says she gets compliments on her brows.

But whether you go all natural or you pluck, wax, shave or thread (a Middle Eastern method of strand-by-strand hair removal using cotton thread), you need a daily routine for maintaining the brow's shape.

Brow-specific products such as pencils, powders, stencils and gels are employed, as well as some nontraditionals: Vaseline and even ChapStick to keep them tame.

Use caution when considering products that aren't intended for use on your face — for example, hairspray. They may cause breakouts.

Trimming the brows is important, too, especially for those with wiry hair.

When Pat Covington, of Charlotte, turned 50, her brows started to resemble those of curmudgeon Andy Rooney, she says. Now 58, Covington says she uses her trusty tweezers to pluck the grays and brow scissors to snip the strays, but is searching for something to keep the brows in check.

While few are willing to admit brow mishaps, they happen — often.

"If you've overplucked, don't keep overplucking the other brow to match," Potion's Green says. "Stop and try to fill in the mistake with brow powder or pencil."

Jones suggests using Rogaine on brows to stimulate regrowth. "It takes about three months, but then the brows sprout out all at once," she says.

As long as you're not repeatedly shaving your brows off completely, they'll likely grow back.

"When I first started, I probably looked like I had a fight with a hedge trimmer or something," Osborne says. But she kept at it, working at getting the right proportion.

Finally, it's best to tackle the challenges of brow maintenance with a sense of humor.

Always keep in mind...

When it comes to shaping brows, there are three points to consider, but there are always exceptions. "If you've got really thick brows or a larger nose, then the rules change a bit," Potion's Rhonda Green says. Instead of using the nostril as a guide, try the bridge of your nose.

• The inner edge of the brow should never extend past the nostrils.

• The arch should extend just past the outside edge of the iris.

• Using a pencil as a guide, from the outside edge of your nostril to the outer edge of your eye marks where your brow should end.

Brow kits/shapers

All-in-one sets, which vary greatly in price and complexity, with tools to shape and style brows. Brow powder adds color and definition. Wax, also colored, is for control.

Anastasia All About Brows Six Piece Brow Kit: Tweezers, brow powder and wax, stencils, duo-angle/spiral brush, brow gel, and an Eye Lights highlighting pencil. $75, Sephora (multiple locations); Nordstrom; www.anastasia.net.

Too Faced, Brow Envy Brow Shaping & Defining Kit: Tweezers, brow powder, stencils, spiral brush. $35, Sephora (multiple locations; Nordstrom, Beauty Brands (multiple locations); Ulta (multiple locations); www.toofaced.com.

Brow Zings, Benefit: Brow powder and wax, two brushes and tweezers. $30, Belk (multiple locations); Sephora (multiple locations); www.benefitcosmetics.com.

Brow gels

Sometimes tinted, gel is usually applied with a spiral brush as a setting lotion and resembles colorless mascara.

Flirt! Clear Deal 3-in-1 Lash Glosser/Primer/Brow Groomer: Three uses, one product: groom the brows, prime the lashes and give a clear, natural, glossy effect to lashes as an alternative to traditional mascara. $9, Kohl's (multiple locations); www.flirtcosmetics.com.

Sonia Kashuk Brow Gel: $5.99, Target (multiple locations); www.target.com.

Pencils

It's a matter of personal preference when it comes to color and pencil texture.

Prescriptives Groom Stick for Brows: Automatic pencil with spiral brush. $18.50, www.prescriptives.com.

Sephora Eyebrow Pencil: Professional formula with a brow brush on the cap. $8, Sephora (multiple locations); www.sephora.com.

Maybelline Expert Eyes Brow & Eye Pencils: Claims to be the No. 1 brow and liner pencil in the United States. $3.49, various retailers; www.maybelline.com.

Tools

Most brow pros say slant-edged tweezers are the most versatile, but again, personal preference rules.

Revlon Brow Set, Brushes and Trims: Spiral wand brushes brows into place for trimming, tweezing or daily grooming. $9.99, various retailers; www.revlon.com.

Sonia Kashuk Precision Slant Tweezers: $12.99; Target (multiple locations); www.target.com.

Studio Tools, Precision Grip Tweezers: $1.59, Target (multiple locations); not available online.