Well, folks, we’ve got some eye-brow-raising images for you today. It’s hard to understate how important these two little hair strips are to your aesthetic. Of course, as with all things fashion, brow styles have changed over the years. Some styles remain classics, while others remain as terrible as they are today as they were when they first appeared.
Remember that it only takes a few bad plucks for everything to fall apart. So take a cue from history and learn from the mistakes others have made with their tweezers—presumably, as they were preening themselves by the carnival funhouse mirrors at night, during a blackout (with their eyes closed).
Makeup Malfunction
This lady has a question for you—or at least, she has one written on her face. We couldn’t help but notice that this image was still taken from a TV, meaning that someone either hadn’t had their cup of morning coffee that day—or they had been drinking way too much.
Quality control must have been asleep on the job too. Either that, or she’d just arrived late from her other face-painting job. The rest of her outfit works—the hair, the outfit, the nails. How did this one particular feature get messed up so badly?
Bad Framing
To some, a large forehead can sometimes give off the impression of having high intellect, but to others, it’s something they’d rather cover up. We think that everyone is beautiful in their own special way and that it’s a shame that people feel the need to conform to one very specific standard of beauty.
There is, of course, a limit to how much you can get away with when it comes to displacing your ‘fod, which this lady seems to have found. Unfortunately, one eyebrow doesn’t quite frame her eyes as it probably should be doing.
A Little Unsure
This isn’t the worst example, to be sure. This eyebrow enthusiast seems to be going for a certain look that says, “What’s up?” We wonder how permanent that look is, however. Given the thickness with which those cowboys were drawn, we’re not sure if they can actually come down.
Still, if you’re about to head into a situation in which you expect plenty of photos to be taken, you’re going to look pretty snazzy in most of them—unless they need a reaction that says something other than “Weird, huh?” in which case, they might be out of luck.
She Has Your Brows
What’s worse than drawing eyebrows on badly? That’s right—drawing badly-drawn eyebrows on a baby. Ding ding. That’s the bad parenting alarm. Why anyone would want to make their precious bundle look so fiery and stern is beyond us.
Here’s a great little example of how parents can instill a sense of insecurity in their kids even at a young age. Baby eyebrows are cute and fuzzy—they certainly aren’t supposed to be so thick and concentrated like this!
The Pencil Look
This look used to be everywhere from the 90s to the early 2000s. These brows are so thin that they look drawn in by a pencil. By the end of the decade, their appeal and staying power had mostly been drawn out.
They took ages to pluck, and one mistake could leave you bald, and worse, they were bad for your eyebrow follicles. Too much digging, and your eyebrows would never return. Unlike this lady’s natural eyebrows, we hope this trend never returns.
Tears For Fears
The teardrop (which we like to call the ying-yang) is something we all left behind in the 90s, and for good reason. The rounded shape near the bridge of the noise is supposed to provide definition, but it comes across as looking a little cartoonish.
It looks cartoon partly because it’s about 80% paint. One drop of actual water could wash it all away, at least unless you used the more permanent stuff. While it isn’t the worst we’ve ever seen, some things are still better left in the past.
The [Bracket] Look
There’s some real creativity going on here. We’re not sure how long ago this picture was taken, but needless to say, the brow-bracket trend never managed to catch on—surprising, given the handle-like shape of these eye-framers.
![The [Bracket] Look](/fp/static/_d_35b072f4-d2af-48ac-818b-54b145f96e5f.jpeg)
![The [Bracket] Look](/fp/static/_m_35b072f4-d2af-48ac-818b-54b145f96e5f.jpeg)
We’re reminded of math equations, coding, briefcases, and paperclips—it’s a look best suited for the office—but we’re not sure this look would help anyone in a job interview. Maybe this will take off in a few years when we’re all being managed by actual robots. Who knows?
Two Subtle Arches
This lady’s rocking a look that says, “I’m surprised—but only a little bit.” Either she had until two minutes to get the job done, or her eyebrow pencil was running out of juice—and fast. It’s not the worst look in the world—they’re symmetrical, at least.
That being said, they were drawn symmetrically a little too close together—not that distance would have helped. Still, they’re probably easy to wipe away and replace. As iconic as they are, we think this lady could do better.
The Little Ramp Of Regret
The woman on the left is smiling, but you wouldn’t know it. She looks like she’s suffering, and in a way, she is. That’s because she took a ride on the ramp of regret. It’s like the teardrop, but instead of having an eyebrow look like a tear, it looks like you’re about to tear up at any moment.
Everything else is on-point—her makeup, hairstyle, lip gloss—but it’s like we always say, you’re always one small pluck away from disaster. But it looks like it turned out well in the end. Her brows grew back, and she whipped them into perfection.
The Subtle Points
This lady looks like she’s up to mischief this Christmas. This one is a little different in that her brows look quite natural. However, her brows seem to have subtle points that make her smile look just a little sinister.
Do you see it, right in the middle, pointing upwards? By far, this is the least shocking example of brow grooming on the list, but it’s also an easy fix. Just a little plucking to soften the sharp edges. Otherwise, what a wholesome scene!
Staying Power
Holy smokes! These brows have been painted so thick that they can visually transcend any physical object put in front of them! Either this lady’s found a physics-breaking eyebrow pencil, or her hair is made of gossamer thread.
Well, no. This picture has obviously been altered in Photoshop. For some reason, the artist went a little overboard while filling in her brow, possibly to reach that ideal of perfect symmetry. Maybe it was a bad AI job. Either way, it’s not a good look.
The Drop-Off
The camera can do strange things to your appearance. It can add 15 pounds, stretch you, tinge you red or orange, or it can make you look extremely flat. This still was taken from a political show. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like the camera’s fault.
It’s not the worst thing we’ve ever seen from an American news politics broadcast, but it’s probably the most unfortunate. Maybe the studio lights were so intense they caused her eyebrows to melt in the middle. It’s not the first time someone’s paint-on hair melted on TV.
The Giga-Brows
If you’ve ever been insecure about having thick brows, this might make you feel a little better about yourself. These brows are less “makeup” and more “war paint.” They certainly give her the Angry Birds look if nothing else.
It’s certainly one way to do your makeup. This is Instagram star Anzhelika Protodyakonova, famous for sporting her two chunky brows. Needless to say, she looks much better without those two massive blocks over her eyes.
The High Road
This is the British daytime chat show, The Jeremy Kyle Show, with another example of 90s fashion taking its toll on the poor feminine arch follicles in the audience. In an attempt to get a more dynamic look, this woman has painted herself into the corner of her own face.
The show itself is famous for making fun of the downtrodden, lower classes, and overall unusual members of society. Maybe it’s all in an attempt to make its viewers—and audience—feel better about their mistakes? (It’s transparently obvious that the answer is yes).
Going Natural
Here’s a positive transformation if we’ve ever seen one. On the left is the old look. Her makeup looks nice, but those brows are a definite 90s tell. The photo on the right shows what she looks like now. We think she really embodies a kind of natural beauty.
Not just the makeup—but the plucking work, too. Those brows look less dramatic and more vital, healthy, and calming. It just goes to show that while fashion can be a sharp tool in your toolbox, the cutting goes both ways.
The Cutlass Look
This would be a lovely mother-baby photo if it weren’t for the two curved swords swinging down this lady’s forehead. To be honest, though, having a baby might be one of the most stressful experiences a woman can have, so tending to makeup might be low on the old priorities list.
You’d be running on low energy and low sleep after pushing that little darling out too! It’s understandable; wanting to look good for your earliest motherhood memories. It’s just a shame they were laid on so thick.
Laying It On Thick
Good eyebrow makeup is a lot like the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears story. Too thin, and brows can look weak or overly dramatic. Too thick, and they will come across as looking borderline experimental. Getting it right in the middle is the tricky part.
Conversely, that may have been what this prospective prom goer was going for, given the extra golden glow of her makeup. It’s unclear how this look will age in the future, but one thing is certain—eyebrows don’t come naturally that way.
Bridging Brows
It might take you a second to get this one. We like the futuristic-chrome color she’s rocking, but her brows look like they’ve been pulled from both corners, as if by some overhead, magnetized machinery.
While this retro-futuristic robot aesthetic is directly in contrast with the natural look, we think this would have looked great if it weren’t for the bridge effect. It’s certainly a startling look, but it probably isn’t a look for the ages.
Circus-Chic
When you hear people call someone “extra,” we’re pretty sure this isn’t what they’re referring to. There’s a lot going on here—the double-sized hoops, the double eyelashes, the double-thickness lip gloss—but the strangest of all is the double brows.
We can’t imagine this is this lady’s go-to daily look. Just imagine the extra effort you’d have to put in every day! It’s a look you might reserve for the carnival or Halloween. Maybe we’ll see the quad-brow take off in the future, but unfortunately, not today.
Kitty Interlude
Phew! Let’s take a break from all of that brow-bashing and take a much-needed cat break. Oh no! This cat has funny eyebrows too! Meow, meow, eyebrow! The little dashes of black hair on his head make him look perpetually surprised. Almost as surprised as we were to see a cat at his height.
At least, we’re assuming that those are his real eyebrows and that they weren’t drawn on. Maybe he’s genuinely shocked to have found himself up here, too, hence the look on his face. Just how did you end up there anyway, kitty cat?
Earthquake Quick
This lady’s real eyebrows—which we can visibly see under the top corners of Batman’s insignia—look perfectly nice, if not a little faded. How she got from there to this is anyone’s guess. Strangely, the rest of her pencil work—on her lips and eyes—is pretty decent.
We’re assuming there was no time to wait as an earthquake ripped through the streets as she was finishing up on top, impairing her ability to draw anything near realistic lines for her eyebrows. We bet she can do better.
Drawing Attention
What a dazzling smile! Unfortunately, it’s paired with such an unfortunate monobrow fade. While they were probably intended to make her eyes pop, her tan lines have the unfortunate effect of drawing too much attention to the artificial thickness of these eyebrows.
It’s an interesting attempt at making something sleek, but it just doesn’t seem to work in practice. There’s popping, and then there’s plopping. This one is so odd that we can hardly believe that it was done without some post-processing effects.
The Classic Unibrow
The only person ever to pull this one off correctly seems to have been the legendary artist Freda Kahlo—but then again, even she didn’t go all the way mono. While hair does grow naturally between the brows, it’s an easy fix—just remove a few of them with tweezers.
This person, however, has decided to go full in with the look. The brow is painted all the way, from left to right, as a single entity. She may not be anywhere near as talented as Kahlo was, but she’s expressing herself, and we can get behind that if it makes her happy.
The Crispy Look
There’s a lot going on here besides the eyebrows, but let’s stay focused—It looks like there isn’t one set of eyebrows here, and not two, but three. Her brows look like overly-done strips of bacon. We can’t help but wonder what prompted the selfie, if not a good sense of humor.
There’s hope, though—signs of genuine hair pushing through. Wipe away those eyebrow pencil lines and mismatched lipstick, and we’re sure there’s a pretty face to be seen. With all that being said, those wings are on point!
Mother Of Wolves
Behold the snarl of a supernatural superhero—as woo-woo and out there as this look is, we’re rather fond of it. It’s a style that says, “I’m going in all the way on the lupine look,” and we can’t help but respect that.
While it may work for a selfie, we can’t help but wonder what this lady looks like when she isn’t doing her best primal wolf snarl. Can you imagine her making pasta or waiting at her local laundromat? The look of her brow would certainly deter you from making conversation—but not from looking.
Smokescreen
What we can’t understand about many of these examples is how some of their makeup is great while the brow-work is completely left in the dust. Speaking of great makeup, we love the smokey eye effect here. Maybe she had smoke or dust in her eyes when she drew those Vulcan lines.
Her look leaves an otherworldly impression, that’s for sure. Is it possible that she simply fell asleep and fell victim to the cruel machinations of pranking children? Kids do love to draw kitty cats, and she’s got one of those just below the nose.
Hair-Raising Effects
Thick, luscious arches are in at the moment. However, as we can’t imagine anyone walking out of the house like this, never mind taking a selfie, we’d be very surprised if this wasn’t makeup for a theater production.
Given the rest of her makeup and knowing smile, we’re confident it’s for a show. That being said, if you’re seeing any similarities between her eyebrows and your own, it might be worth penciling in those gaps and finding some micro blades.
The Poor Pup
It’s not just people messing up their own faces with weird and wacky eyebrow styles—animals have been subjected to it, too! Dogs pretty much come with their own eyebrows, and we’re questioning the shade of pink this cruel owner used on her pet.
Although, in a way, the misaligned brows sort of match the pup’s misaligned eyes, and they’re not the worst we’ve seen here. At least this wasn’t the result of a bad trim—although we hope that the ink will wash off sooner rather than later.
Bad-Girl Brow
This lady is certainly going for the dominant, permanently-scowling look. Whatever you have to say to her, you’d better say it fast and say it nice. Otherwise, she might show you exactly how her eyebrows were knocked in a different direction.
We wouldn’t dare give her eyebrow-preening advice in person, but it seems like she got most of it right—they just look a little skew-whiff. She probably wouldn’t need a spirit level, but a mirror might help.
Taking The Plunge
These brows took a mighty jump before diving down in the middle. It’s practically visual poetry—there’s so much to take away. The way the brows thicken in the center is really magnificent. Best of all, they look fuzzy enough to be real.
This might be a case of having gone and plucked too much off the side. Hopefully, she has enough follicular power in her to even it out the sides. Once it grows back, she can start cultivating some luscious brows.
Meeting Her Halfway
We take exception to this image—these brows are great. The level of dexterity required to get that tight gap must be high indeed. We think the diamond in the middle looks fresh, and we foresee this one catching on sometime in 2122.
It’s like a third eye, the sign of spiritual awareness. We can’t advise you to stay away from this style—we think this is going to be everywhere in the future. For now, this remains this lady’s own personal killer look.
Straight-Edge
We have a feeling that this lady has a fantastic sense of humor. If so, this look must really be killing it for her on the comedy scene. The expression on her face, thanks to those eyebrows, says it all. She’d have us losing it at any punchline.
The straight-faced look will catch anyone off guard, especially when a punchline is delivered with the right amount of dry sass. However, even if you consider yourself a comical genius, this look might not be for everybody.
Leaky Brows
This lady has some perfectly smooth and well-hydrated skin—the only problem is that her skin is so smooth and so well-hydrated that her eyebrows have nothing to hold onto and are slowly leaking off the side of her face.
No, not really—it’s just that trend of dropping eyebrows again! You can’t have it both ways. Eyebrows are generally supposed to curve around, but these arches seem to have a right angle on both. We’re sure it was just a practice attempt. Better luck next time!
Twin Comets
This throwback from the 90s, or the 50s? or the 80s?… Anyway, this throwback from the past keeps making its way back. Funnily enough, these eyebrows look like they’ve been trailing themselves, skating from the side of the head to the center.
The thinness of the outside looks harsh, and the abrupt thickness in the middle, while it can look quirky and chic on some, looks inert and sterile here. We really hope the au naturel eyebrow style persists well into the future. Those poor follicles!
Take A Browse Of These Brows, Meows
It’s one thing to love cats, but it’s quite another to have them inked between your eyes and forehead as this woman did. We’re going to guess that she didn’t tattoo them on—nor were they done with her consent, given her expression.
There must be quite a story behind these feline-themed eye warmers, and we’d love to hear it. The two napping cats look quite cute if we’re being honest. There are probably worse things to put there if you’re missing eyebrows.
The Jury’s Out
We think that this pair of arches will have one of two effects on the person reading them: first, it will convince you that this man has the ability to read (his left-hand brow spells “convicted,” as an example). The second is that it will give you the impression that he has at some point spent time in prison.
We’re not really sure that the second effect is very useful, especially not to any prospective employers, but the first one might come in handy. That being said, most people are assumed to be literate these days, and he could have just taken a writing test to prove it. Yup, the jury is out on whether this is a good style or not.
A Small Change Can Make A Difference
Once upon a time, when styling, women everywhere were guided to emulate the brows of cartoon characters. Thankfully, that trend has come and gone, and the trend of matching your brow color and texture to what’s on top returned.
This isn’t the worst example of the Disney brow. Actually, this lady looks stunning in both pictures, but of the two, we prefer the one on the right-hand side. We prefer her brows to look brighter, more vital, and natural. What do you think?
Just Don’t It
Unless this lady got paid as part of some wild, out-there ad campaign, we’re not sure why anyone would want their eyebrows to remind people of feet and running shoes. Being that we can still see her natural hairs, we’re hoping that this was done with a marker pen and not with ink.
If you look closely, you can even see the letters “NIKE” over her right eye. Okay, in all honesty, we’re assuming she’s satirizing a look seen elsewhere on this list. If so, she’s a frickin’ genius. If she really did get a tattoo—we hope they’re still paying out.
One Sequin Too Far
Other than a particularly evocative pair of eyes, all of this woman’s features suggest quite a normal style sense. Why would she elect to go for the spotted caterpillars? Perhaps she got carried away with a sequin-themed outfit, and this is the result.
Perhaps she lost her eyebrows in another way, and there was only enough ink in her marker pen to trace an outline before this shot was taken. Given her attire, hopefully, it’s not a picture she’ll have to share with many people in the future.
The Brows Unbound
These eyebrows seem a little artificial to us. We can’t know for sure, but it seems as though this gentleman used cosmetics to enhance his arches, to a quite dramatic effect. It’s almost as though he’s scowling and raising his eyebrows at the same time.
If this guy walked into an audition for a cartoon villain, there’s no doubt that he’d nail the part for sure. With those chiseled cheekbones, broad chin, and exaggerated arches, he’d look the part in 3D or 2D. The only question is—why did he do this to his forehead in the first place?