Brow mapping: where your brows should start, arch and end
Brow mapping is the measuring technique brow artists use before shaping, tinting, laminating or microblading. Three lines drawn from your nose and eyes show exactly where your brows should begin, peak and finish — so the shape fits your face instead of a trend.
The 3 brow mapping lines
- Start: a straight vertical line up from the side of your nostril. Your brow should begin here — hair growing past it toward the center makes the face look tense; starting too far out widens the gap between your eyes.
- Arch: a line from the side of your nostril through the outer edge of your iris (looking straight ahead). The highest point of your arch sits on this line.
- Tail: a line from the side of your nostril past the outer corner of your eye. Your brow should end on this line, with the tail no lower than where the brow begins.
Brow shape by face shape
- Oval: Soft angled arch — Follow your natural brow with a gentle lift at about two-thirds of the way out.
- Round: High, defined arch — Build a lifted, more angular peak to add vertical length; keep tails tapered and lifted.
- Square: Rounded or softly curved arch — A curved arch (not sharp) balances the angular jaw; keep them full.
- Oblong: Straight / flat — Keep brows fuller and straighter with a minimal arch — this widens the face horizontally.
- Rectangle: Straight with a soft arch — Keep brows fuller and mostly straight to widen the face, with a gentle curve to soften the angles.
- Heart: Soft rounded arch — A low, rounded arch softens a wide forehead; avoid sharp high peaks.
- Diamond: Curved with a soft peak — A rounded arch softens the cheekbones; don't over-thin.
- Triangle / Pear: Longer, gently arched — Extend the tails slightly to widen the upper face; soft lift.
How BeU maps your brows
BeU's scan finds your nostril, iris and eye-corner landmarks and draws the start (teal), arch (pink) and tail (gold) lines on your own face, then grades your real brows against them: whether to open up the start, move the arch, or extend, trim or lift the tail. Your brow map is free; members also get brow and lash color and product picks.
Questions women ask
What is brow mapping?
Brow mapping is measuring where your eyebrows should start, arch and end using your facial features — the side of your nostril, your iris and the outer corner of your eye — before shaping or filling.
Where should my eyebrows start?
Directly above the side of your nostril. Hairs past that line toward the center can be removed; if your brows start further out, fill them in toward the line.
Where should my eyebrow arch be?
On the line from the side of your nostril through the outer edge of your iris while you look straight ahead.
Can I map my brows at home?
Yes — with a pencil held along the three lines in a mirror, or with BeU, which draws the lines on your own face from a phone scan (members).