Just like their polished beach waves and streak-free spray tans, a celebrity's eyebrows almost always look perfect. With not one hair out of place, A-listers like Kim Kardashian West, Zendaya, and Lucy Hale have the kind of arches that look too good to be true. Lucky for all of us hoping to copy their flawlessly angled shapes and feathered texture, they're not. In fact, you can credit one woman, and her eponymous salon in Venice, California, for the aforementioned stars' show-stopping eyebrows: Kelley Baker.
After spending years getting Zendaya, Hale, and Ariana Grande's brows in shape (no, they didn't always look like they do now), Baker recently began working with more famous names than ever before, like Khloé, Kylie, Kourtney, and resident Kar-Jenner BFF Jordyn Woods. Now the brow artist is sharing her biggest secrets to getting the A-list look without the risk of botching your brows in the process. Her answers to our top FAQs, ahead.
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How can I make my brows look like your celebrity clients'?
Reaching peak brow goals doesn't happen overnight — not even for celebrities. A lot of Baker's clients came to her at a time in their lives when their brows were lacking shape or completely over-tweezed. Even the fluffiest brows you see on Instagram went through a major renovation to get to where they are now. Baker says it requires patience, monthly visits to her salon, and tossing the tweezers. "I tell my clients to let me do the work," she explains. "Every brow hair matters, and each time I shape their brows they will get better and better."
Reaching peak brow goals doesn't happen overnight — not even for celebrities. A lot of Baker's clients came to her at a time in their lives when their brows were lacking shape or completely over-tweezed. Even the fluffiest brows you see on Instagram went through a major renovation to get to where they are now. Baker says it requires patience, monthly visits to her salon, and tossing the tweezers. "I tell my clients to let me do the work," she explains. "Every brow hair matters, and each time I shape their brows they will get better and better."
I want to start visiting a pro for regular grooming. How often should I book an appointment?
Whether you're growing out brows or if you simply need a clean-up, Baker suggests booking an appointment every four to six weeks. "There’s always something for me to fix, so it’s not necessary to let clients skip an appointment for months and be super hairy," she says. Even if your brows are in rehab, make sure to tell your brow groomer exactly what your long-term goals look like. Kristie Streicher, another celeb brow artist and co-owner of Striiike salon, recommends using an old photo of yourself — pre-plucking — to pull realistic inspiration for the final shape and thickness.
Whether you're growing out brows or if you simply need a clean-up, Baker suggests booking an appointment every four to six weeks. "There’s always something for me to fix, so it’s not necessary to let clients skip an appointment for months and be super hairy," she says. Even if your brows are in rehab, make sure to tell your brow groomer exactly what your long-term goals look like. Kristie Streicher, another celeb brow artist and co-owner of Striiike salon, recommends using an old photo of yourself — pre-plucking — to pull realistic inspiration for the final shape and thickness.
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The front edge of your brow should begin above your tear duct, the arch should vertically align with the outer edge of your iris, and the tail should end 45° from the outer corner of your eye.
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Should I tweeze/trim between appointments?
Baker, like most pros, prefers her clients to avoid any at-home grooming in between appointments. "Typically when a client tweezes themselves, they get tweezer happy and do too much," Baker explains. "So it’s best to let the pros do it for you." Also, it's likely you and your artist are working towards a long-term goal, so intervening at home could set you back at your next visit. But we get it, minor touch-ups are sometimes hard to avoid, but try to limit it to the hairs between your brows to get your through — don't mess with the actual shape or length or you might be sorry you did.
Baker, like most pros, prefers her clients to avoid any at-home grooming in between appointments. "Typically when a client tweezes themselves, they get tweezer happy and do too much," Baker explains. "So it’s best to let the pros do it for you." Also, it's likely you and your artist are working towards a long-term goal, so intervening at home could set you back at your next visit. But we get it, minor touch-ups are sometimes hard to avoid, but try to limit it to the hairs between your brows to get your through — don't mess with the actual shape or length or you might be sorry you did.
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What about the brow hairs that live above the eyebrow line — should those stay or go?
"I always tweeze and wax the hairs above the brow line. It really brings out your natural shape and makes your brows pop," Baker explains. "If you don’t take the brow hairs out above the brow you won’t get that super-clean, defined look." If you've tweeze too much, fake a fuller arch with a brow pencil or pomade.
"I always tweeze and wax the hairs above the brow line. It really brings out your natural shape and makes your brows pop," Baker explains. "If you don’t take the brow hairs out above the brow you won’t get that super-clean, defined look." If you've tweeze too much, fake a fuller arch with a brow pencil or pomade.
I've been growing out my brows for a couple weeks and they look messy. How can I hide the rogue hairs until I see my brow artist?
Baker's hidden secret for, well, everything — even concealing stray brow hairs — is a large highlighter pencil. Although Baker makes her own illuminated formula, any formula that's slightly lighter than your skin tone should work. Bonus: It's also the quickest hack to faking thick brows. “Everyone calls it the 'magic stick.' It just opens up everyone’s eyes and makes [brows] look fuller,” Baker says.
Baker's hidden secret for, well, everything — even concealing stray brow hairs — is a large highlighter pencil. Although Baker makes her own illuminated formula, any formula that's slightly lighter than your skin tone should work. Bonus: It's also the quickest hack to faking thick brows. “Everyone calls it the 'magic stick.' It just opens up everyone’s eyes and makes [brows] look fuller,” Baker says.
How can I tell my brows need trimming?
A telltale sign are long, curly hairs sticking up and out in all directions.
A telltale sign are long, curly hairs sticking up and out in all directions.
Can I trim my brows at home?
Baker's biggest brow no-no is self-trimming. Baker says the biggest mistake people always make is they hold their spoolie onto the hairs as they cut. “Don’t hold the brow hair up because when you let go and it falls back into place, you’ll have holes and sparse areas," she explains. But if you can't make your next brow appointment and need to trim at home, make sure to brush the hairs up and then let them go. Trim only the hairs that continue to protrude above the brow line to avoid going too short.
Baker's biggest brow no-no is self-trimming. Baker says the biggest mistake people always make is they hold their spoolie onto the hairs as they cut. “Don’t hold the brow hair up because when you let go and it falls back into place, you’ll have holes and sparse areas," she explains. But if you can't make your next brow appointment and need to trim at home, make sure to brush the hairs up and then let them go. Trim only the hairs that continue to protrude above the brow line to avoid going too short.
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Is there an easy alternative to brow tinting?
Although most of Baker's clients tint their brows, she makes it clear that they aren't doing it in her salon. Due to FDA concerns, it is illegal in California for any licensed professional to have eyebrow or lash tint in their possession or in a salon, and to administer tint on or anywhere near the eyes. Despite the fact that most professionals, including Baker, do not recommend at-home brow tinting, the dye is available for purchase online for pros. If you're looking for a safer and mess-free alternative, Baker suggests sticking to a tinted brow gel with a formula utilizing thickening fibers to get the darker, bolder effect.
Although most of Baker's clients tint their brows, she makes it clear that they aren't doing it in her salon. Due to FDA concerns, it is illegal in California for any licensed professional to have eyebrow or lash tint in their possession or in a salon, and to administer tint on or anywhere near the eyes. Despite the fact that most professionals, including Baker, do not recommend at-home brow tinting, the dye is available for purchase online for pros. If you're looking for a safer and mess-free alternative, Baker suggests sticking to a tinted brow gel with a formula utilizing thickening fibers to get the darker, bolder effect.
Does my face shape affect the shape of my brows?
Yes, but it's not the final word. Similar to choosing what kind of bangs you want to get, your ideal brow shape is somewhat based on your natural face shape. Baker says the two have an opposing correlation. For example, round brows should not go on a round face. In this case, a higher arch is more flattering. Baker says the goal is to create whatever flatters their individual features, which really depends on the client's desires. Case in point: Grande personally prefers a short, straight "boy brow," so Baker tends to keep her shape soft with a slight curve, like Audrey Hepburn's.
Yes, but it's not the final word. Similar to choosing what kind of bangs you want to get, your ideal brow shape is somewhat based on your natural face shape. Baker says the two have an opposing correlation. For example, round brows should not go on a round face. In this case, a higher arch is more flattering. Baker says the goal is to create whatever flatters their individual features, which really depends on the client's desires. Case in point: Grande personally prefers a short, straight "boy brow," so Baker tends to keep her shape soft with a slight curve, like Audrey Hepburn's.
If you like to play with the shape of your brows, but don't want to permanently change how they look, Baker suggests practicing your makeup skills. You can magically fake the shape using a brow pencil and highlighter to draw your brows in the desired style without creating any drastic, long-term damage.
How do I know I've plucked too much?
Other than over-plucking until you look like Drew Barrymore on the cover of the January 1995 issue of Playboy, the biggest grooming faux pas is shortening the brow. Not only should you leave the tail of your brow alone, but also the inside near the nose. Baker says that most people tweeze without knowing what hairs to take out and what to leave in.
Other than over-plucking until you look like Drew Barrymore on the cover of the January 1995 issue of Playboy, the biggest grooming faux pas is shortening the brow. Not only should you leave the tail of your brow alone, but also the inside near the nose. Baker says that most people tweeze without knowing what hairs to take out and what to leave in.
So what's the best practice? The front edge of your brow should begin above your tear duct, the arch should vertically align with the outer edge of your iris, and the tail should end 45 degrees from the outer corner of your eye. If you’re going to try attempting to tweeze or shape your brows yourself, Baker recommends watching YouTube videos of your favorite brow artist for practice.