We’ve all experienced it—eyebrows that are either too thin or too thick. So, how exactly do you get the perfect shape to complement your face? DOWNTOWN Magazine spoke with three New York City salons on the ins-and-outs of getting the perfect brow every time.
“For the best brows, try not to ask for something that is the total opposite of what you have,” says Sadia Brangan, the General Manager of Thread Salon at 140 Nassau Street. “People always want what they don’t have, which requires the esthetician to take out more hair, resulting in a thinner look,” she adds.
“The best brows have a slight arch,” says Malynda Vigliotti, (AKA Boom Boom,) owner of Boom Boom Brow Bar, loacated at 35 7th Avenue. “Brows are sisters, not twins. [They] should be proportionate and similar, complement one another and frame the face. They do not need to be identical,” she says.
Common Mistakes:
Less is more when it comes to getting perfect brows. “Always just ask for a cleanup first at the salon and see how you like that,” says Brangan. “If you still think it looks too thick you can always go thinner but not the reverse.” Patience is another key component to achieving the perfect look. Brangan recommends clients taking the time to carefully examine their new shape before leaving the salon. “It’s crazy how many people just rush in and out without even taking the time to look over the results,” she says.
Over-tweezing is another common mistake in many salons. “It can take months for brows to grow back, so avoiding over plucking is a must,” Vigliotti says.
When trying to achieve the look at home, it can be difficult to get the perfect shape. “Most people remove the hair on the brow bone before the arch to try to create an arch, but that’s a big mistake, it creates the dreaded Rainbow Brow,” says Vigliotti. To avoid going “tweezer happy,” Vigliotti recommends that someone should “draw on the ultimate brow with a white pencil and then with a clean pair of sharp tweezers, pluck out anything on and below the line. Remove the liner and you should have brows with a clean line that are not over-tweezed.”
The Best Method:
Brangan prefers the threading method due to the clean results it produces. “Threading is by far the best way to do brows right now. There are no chemicals, no heat, no stripping of the skin. The shape can be much more precise than waxing or tweezing,” she says. “Most people think threading cuts the hair and this is not the case—threading pulls the hair out by the root which is why the result is such a clean look.”
“Tweezing is the method I use,” says Sanie Vucetaj of Sania’s Brow Bar at 18 West 56th Street. “It is super precise (unlike the other methods), does not pull on the skin, so there is minimal redness. Plus pulling on the skin can stretchit,” she says.
Fewer Trips to the Salon:
To extend the life of the shape of your brows, Brangan recommends first getting the shape you want at the salon, then only tweezing when stray hairs start to appear outside of the shape of the brow. “Limit [tweezing] to just the strays on the top and bottom, which mean may only tweezing one or two hairs every day,” she says. “Do not start tweezing into the shape of the brow since this is very hard for most people because they get tweeze happy,” Bragan adds.
Expert Tips/Tools:
“Keep freshly threaded/waxed areas free of makeup or lotions/cover-ups until redness is gone,” says Brangan. “Use a highlighter or reflective skin toned colored eye shadow underneath the brow bone/ right above your eyelid. This will reflect the light and make your strays and incoming hairs less noticeable,” she adds.
“Try filling in brows with powder to camouflage bare spots, imperfections and lack of growth, [thereby] creating a more natural looking than pencil,” says Vigliotti. Her must-have tools: a clean sharp pair of tweezers, a cheap white eyeliner, and a brow gel to make them look fuller. For a playful, fun vibe, Vigliotti recommends adding a color tint to your brows as a great way to really make them pop.
—Mary Wheeler
Mary Wheeler is a New York City publishing professional and lifestyle writer. Her work has appeared in Redbook, Time Out New York, Hamptons, Aspen Peak, CBS Local, Page Daily, Mensjournal.com and AOL.
