How To Have ‘90s Eyebrows Without Over-Plucking

There are two trends from the ’90s and ’00s that most people don’t want to see again: thin eyebrows and low-rise jeans. And somehow, they both seem to be making a comeback this year.

Whether you love them or loathe them, the thin eyebrows trend is slowly but surely making its way back into mainstream beauty. They’re everywhere: from our T.V. screens (did anyone watch Pam & Tommy?) to our Instagram feeds. TikTok even offers a thin eyebrow filter that went viral recently.

In a way, the idea of a minimal brow feels almost refreshing – a welcome break from the full, bushy brow that dominated the 2010s.

But if you were a victim of over-plucking in the ’90s, we sense your fear. 

However, here’s a relieving thought: the modern skinny brow doesn’t have to be over-plucked. If you like, you could even achieve the look without over-plucking your eyebrows. Below, we’re exploring how to get the skinny eyebrow look without sacrificing your precious brow hairs.

The modern take on the thin 90’s brows

Over-plucked brows were totally on trend in the 90’s, but luckily, there’s no reason why you need to take such drastic measures to achieve the same look now – as demonstrated by the likes of Bella Hadid and Nicola Peltz.

The original ’90s brows had a few distinct characteristics: they were placed high on the brow bone, with pronounced arches; there was a lot of space between them, and they maintained almost the same width from start to end.

Thankfully, beauty has come a long way since then. So, there are no rules this time around – make the trend your own and do what suits your face.

To us, thin eyebrows are about minimalism. They’re a departure from statement fluffy boy brows, favouring a more natural look—one that lets all other features on your face shine.

How to achieve 90’s thin eyebrows without over-plucking

Firstly, don’t be intimidated by your tweezers. They can help you shape your thin eyebrows and eliminate any stray hairs that don’t serve you. But there are a few things to keep in mind to avoid permanently damaging your hair follicles.

Use the right tweezers

You want to start with a good pair of tweezers – one’s with a slant to fit the contours of the face and are sharp enough to pluck with precision.

Find good lighting

The next thing you need is good light. And the best tool for this isn’t a significant investment at all (it’s free). Experts recommend that you should only ever tweeze your brows in natural light. It will help you not only see stray hairs that you’ve never noticed before but also have a more accurate idea of how your eyebrows look as you shape them. You don’t need much else.

Hence, it is suggested by a beauty expert that you should not use magnifying mirrors while plucking your eyebrows. Although it might seem like a good idea, staring at your face blowing up three times its normal size increases the chance of getting obsessive and over-plucking your brows.

Determine the shape of your brows

Ideally, find a professional brow artist to guide you with the best eyebrow shape for you at least once before trying these 90s eyebrows yourself. But if confident, go ahead and trace the shape before reaching for your tweezers.

Expert tip: Use white eyeliner to mark out the area you need to tweeze. White eyeshadow is also a great choice. Using eyeliner or eyebrow pencils which have the same colour as the hair will push down brow hairs onto the skin. This makes you miss these hairs easily.

Remember to take your time: This isn’t the kind of task you want to rush. Instead, pluck one brow hair at a time. Every few seconds, take a step back from the mirror to assess your work before proceeding.

Trim the ends

Use tiny hair-trimming scissors to snip the ends of your brows. If you have particularly dense eyebrows, this is a good way to make them seem thinner, even if you don’t want to use tweezers.

Experts advise that you should brush your eyebrows straight up with a dry toothbrush or spoolie brush, then trim along the upper arch to avoid unfortunate bald spots when trimming. Make sure to clean your scissors with rubbing alcohol after each use.

Expert Tip: Don’t aim for perfection

A good tip is to stop before you think it’s 100% perfect – because the truth is, it never will be.

So just don’t stress if your brows don’t match one another exactly, a little variation in the width, arch and length is normal - shared from a beauty expert. Forcing your eyebrows into perfect symmetry is a recipe for over-plucking.

Make-up techniques to recreate 90s brows

If the idea of tweezers makes you anxious, there are other ways to do it. First, you can go the theatrical route by glueing down your natural brows, covering them with concealer and drawing thin, delicate brows in their place. But that look isn’t for everyone.

Instead, for a modern, minimal brow, focus on using the right make-up products and, more importantly, not using as much as you usually would.

Use the right brow product

Set aside your dark brow gel or richly pigmented brow powder. Instead, reach for a brow pencil in a shade that matches your brows (or even go a shade lighter) to fill any gaps subtly.

Try: The dual-ended Eyebrow Pencil, (with a pencil on one end and a spoolie on the other) has a long-wearing formula that dispenses enough pigment to define the brows without looking unnatural.

Fill and shape conservatively

You don’t want too much pigment in the beginning area of the brow. So, use a light hand to define the front of the brow. Then, with your pencil, extend the tail-ends a little beyond where they naturally stop. You could also emphasise the arch as a nod to that classic ’90s brow shape.

Finish with a clear or lightly tinted brow gel.

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