Audrey Hepburn's Iconic Eyebrows: A Retrospective

Audrey Hepburn is known for many things - her graceful presence, her captivating performances, and of course, her iconic eyebrows. But what is it about her eyebrows that makes them so memorable and enduring?

First and foremost, it's important to note that Audrey's eyebrows were not always perfectly shaped and groomed. In fact, during the early stages of her career, she struggled with sparse and uneven brows. But with the help of makeup artists and the right techniques, she was able to transform her eyebrows into a signature feature. Let's take a deeper dive into her brow logic.

Face shape and features - Audrey has a square face shape, characterized by strong jaw line and shorter vertical axis. The length and width ratio of her face is closer to 1:1. Her most prominent features are her expressive big eyes and very compact/centred facial features. She has a very short forehead space, which means she is not suitable for a high arch.

Brow base- Most of Audrey's photos is shown with brow makeup on, but in some of the more natural pictures I can find, it appears she has a naturally shorter brow base with a slight arch towards the tail. She also has a good base of brow hair with consistent density.

Audrey’s signature brow look is to fill in the entire brow, focusing on mid-tail section of the brow, minimizing the arch and lifting the tail higher. This creates a thicker straight brow with the tail pointing upward. This type of eyebrows draws attention to her beautiful big eyes, and softens her otherwise sharp features (jawline).

Why it suits her?

Audrey’s brows are designed to bring out her eyes. Audrey has beautiful expressive eyes, having strong "statement brows" help bring focus to that feature. They were also perfectly proportioned to her face. They were neither too thin nor too thick, and they followed a natural arch that balanced out her features. This is key to achieving a flattering brow shape, as eyebrows that are too thin or too thick can throw off the balance of the face. Straight brows also soften her look, bringing balance to her other otherwise sharp and prominent features.

But perhaps the biggest reason Audrey's eyebrows are so memorable is that they became a signature part of her image. She was known for her elegant and refined style, and her eyebrows played a big role in creating that overall look. Straighter eyebrow is often associated with kindness and a child-like innocence, something that absolutely aligns with Audrey’s lovely personality. ❤️