If eyes are the windows to the soul, what does that make our eyebrows? Something we don’t want to f-up, that’s for sure.

Danielle Vincent, celebrity makeup artist and founder of clean Japanese cosmetic brand, KIMIKO, believes less is more when it comes to beauty. Her ultra-fine eyebrow pencils are one of our absolute favorites for a hyper-realistic brow — the next best thing to natural — but for truly great brows, Vincent says time and restraint are key. Discover this brow guru’s do’s and don’ts of styling eyebrows…

Do: Put Down The Tweezers | Dedicate 6-8 weeks of re-growth time in order to achieve your full brow potential. Often we get into the habit of tweezing too far into the core brow, so we don’t get a full visual of potential thickness and areas that need focus. Putting down the tweezers entirely (and that magnifying mirror) – as hard as it is – will allow a specialist to give you your best possible brows. Speaking of…

Don’t: Over-trim long hairs | Length is your friend because it makes the brow appear more full and helps cover gaps. When it comes to the front of the eyebrows, cutting straight across can give brows an unnatural and brush-cut look. For the most flattering look, don’t cut straight across, only trim those individual hairs that are crazy long, one at a time and at varying lengths.

Do: Call In A Pro | Make an appointment with an eyebrow specialist. Do your research. I recommend finding someone whose aesthetic jives with yours. My archetype (pun intended) is entirely based on your facial structure. The goal is to achieve a full and natural brow that is never overdone. The right specialist will guide you through the continued growth process. I always recommend taking a photo of yourself right after an appointment, so that you may use it as an ongoing reference.

Don’t: Go right for the wax | It might be fast, but waxing is less accurate than the precision of tweezing and it comes with inherent risks, like burning the skin and even tearing off too many layers on the sensitive brow bone and lid. This area of the eye is super delicate and you want to avoid tugging at it in this way. Stick to tweezing whenever possible and treat that skin with the care it deserves.

Do: Enhance Naturally | Use the right products to naturally enhance and aid in the growing out phase, which can be awkward at times. My go-to is our Japanese Super Fine Eyebrow Pencil Automatique specifically because the texture is dry, allowing individual hairs to be drawn, which is essential to make sparse areas look naturally filled. I also love that it stays put, so those gaps don’t make a mid-day appearance. I will often polish off with a clear brow gel for hold and an uplifted finish. Use a brow growth serum daily for an extra boost.

Don’t: Overdo it with products | There are many brow products out there, but you probably don’t need to use a brow marker, pencil, powder, pomade, mascara, and gel all at once. While having options is great, don’t use them all together, because seeing some skin is a good thing! I will use several products at most and always leave some skin showing, so brows never looks blocky or heavily filled. You want your brows to accentuate your facial structure and act like frames, so your eyes stand out first, not the other way around. While it’s fun to play with brow intensity based on the rest of your makeup, a good rule of thumb is to keep it light-handed.

Learn how to fake flawless and natural-looking brows with this green beauty tutorial.