During this lockdown, many of us bemoan the lack of access to our usual grooming fairies; yes, I am aware that’s the few of us who don’t have bigger worries like where the next meal is going to come from or how to pay next month’s rent, and missing one’s hairdresser and beautician appointments is a first-world problem, I do have some sense of perspective… Still, looking like yourself and not your cousin the bedraggled werewolf from Transylvania goes a long way in making one feel good, and these days, when we’re not sure if we’ll have wine to deal with tantrum number fifteen of the week on Friday (South Africa’s lockdown comes with restriction on what you can purchase, alcohol is not on the list…), anything that makes you feel better about this surreal new life should count for something…
Anyways, back on topic: I do miss my hairdresser and my nail artist, and I so need a facial, but there is one thing I am mighty chuffed I got done a few months ago: getting my brows shaded, which basically means tattooed, only a little softer and more modern. Before anyone scrunches their nose imagining 1990s-like arches drawn harshly in the wrong colour, I’ll post this here, because a picture is worth a thousand words… and then we’ll go back to what ombré brows are (little disclaimer: these pictures are from lockdown week 10, so it’s been a good three months since my last threading appointment, my brows look a little bushier than normal).
Ombré powdered brows have nothing in common with the harsh permanent make-up of before, in fact it is the is the newest brow shading technique: the amount of shading is 100% customizable (and buildable, so you can start small) and you can get as much or as little colour as you like, and your brows go from light towards the bridge to dark around the arch. This method creates pixelated dots with with no harsh strokes or outline. It is not the same as microblading which uses strokes on the arch to look like actual hair, creating a look that is, in my view, a little harsh and artificial.
I got mine done by Leandri at Mirror Mirror Studio in Sandton, and came in for a consultation and appointment one morning last August. The consultation is done the same day of the treatment so make sure to go in with photos of what you want and what you don’t like. Leandri is the sweetest girl ever, and she first got to explaining the process as she applied numbing cream onto my brows. As the cream was doing its work, she explained at length the aftercare and what to expect on each day to ensure the best results.
After about 30 minutes, she drew my brows precisely and that took another 30 minutes, something I was incredibly impressed with: Leandri is an artist who doesn’t cut corners, she wanted me to be totally happy with what the end result would look like. Then we went on to find the perfect pigment shade: I wanted something to match my natural hair, which is a dark ashy blonde, so she mixed a couple of colours until we found the right match.
I laid back down whilst Leandri started filling my brows in, something that took about 45 minutes per eyebrow. There is some minimal pain especially towards the end when the numbing cream effects start to wear off, but it’s bearable. The results are immediate, but, in order for the brows to stay in optimal shape, there is a huge aftercare list of instructions that you’re supposed to follow, and that is 50% of the process…
You’ll get out of the appointment with slightly sore brow bone, and you need to avoid getting your eyebrows wet for the first few days, instead you must clean them from day 2 with soap foam very gently and pat them dry with a clean tissue immediately to avoid messing up the pigment… You have to apply a Vitamin A cream over the brows daily to ensure they stay moisturized and try to avoid harsh scabbing (the scabs might take away the pigment, which is why everyone always needs a follow-up appointment, at about week 6 or 8). At about day 7-10, you can resume your usual skincare routine, but avoid harsh exfoliants, and of course no sun exposure and no facials etc. until your brows are healed. There’s a whole host of other things to avoid for the first few days, it’s quite the commitment… but whatever you do don’t apply make-up, rub, pick or scratch on the area, that will mess up your brow shape.
Besides the after care, the look of my brows was another thing I was a little put off by during the first few days: day 1 they looked fine, if a little dark, day 2 and 3 I had two hairy caterpillars across my face, they started scabbing lightly from day 4 (this is the itchy part, still, don’t scratch!) and when the scab started to peel off my brows looked a little light and a little patchy. At two weeks I had perfectly shaped and shaded eyebrows, with just a couple of spots where the scab had taken the pigment away and we needed to refill. Remember both brows won’t necessarily heal the same way, so one might need more of a touch-up than the other.
I went for my touch-up appointment at week 6, and Leandri patched up the little areas where I wanted a little more shadow, and a few more dots where I wanted them a little more defined. The aftercare following this appointment is the same as for the first one, so be patient. My brows are now more defined so need no make-up at all, it’s all very low maintenance after the brows are settled and I really recommend getting this done to anyone who likes a shaped brow look, although I still go for a monthly shaping appointment at my local brow bar, because the hairs still grow…
With love, S.
A Styled Life 