Browse all things brows — Klara Gilbert Makeup Artistry

I always say, brows are the window frames to your face. They have the ability to lift your face, making you look younger and enhancing your other features. Not to mention, you can have the most beautiful makeup done, but if your brows look crap it spoils it all! Therefore, getting them looking great has never been more important. But this can be a little overwhelming these days as there’s a million different ways and trends to keep track of when it comes to eyebrows. So let’s take it step by step and unpack them…

Grooming

Let’s start by taking a look at the various ways to groom your brows, i.e. hair removal. The most common one is tweezing. This is great for “in-between grooming” of those random hairs that pop outside of your brow lines. However there are usually fine hairs that we don’t get to with our tweezers - these are best removed by waxing or threading. These two treatments will leave you with more precise and clean results. A good brow tint also never hurt. A brow wax will probably cost you around R80. Threading is usually a little more expensive at about R100. Depends from salon to salon.

Tinting

Speaking of, brow tinting is probably the first/cheapest/easiest way to get your brow game on. You can have it done at a beauty salon for anything between R70 and R90. This option works well if you already have full and nicely shaped brows. If you have patchy or thin eyebrows this can only do so much. You might need some more help if that’s the case…

Microblading

The next most popular brow treatment is microblading. What exactly does microblading entail? Microblading is a semi-permanent tattooing technique which uses a handheld tool made of several tiny needles to add pigment to the skin using hair-like strokes. The idea is that you have beautiful, natural looking eyebrows without having to pencil them in everyday. Firstly, make sure you go to a reputable, well trained technician whose work you have seen photos of. This is NOT something you want to go cheap on - it’s literally the first thing people will see when they look at you. Secondly, make sure you are 100% happy with the shape the technician maps out on your face. You still want to feel and look like yourself and don’t think you’re sparing their feelings by not saying if something bothers you. Again, it’s probably the first thing people see on your face. Microblading is the least permanent of all the permanent makeup methods used for eyebrow enhancement and will need touch up’s from between 9 months to a year. Also, it’s not as effective on oily skin as it is on drier skin. Pricing ranges from R1800 to R2200 for your first appointment and then around R1300 for your touchup. Again, depends from salon to salon.. you get the idea now.

Ombré/Powder Brows

Powder (or Ombré) Brows are done using a more traditional tattooing method with a small electric hand-held machine (like a tattoo machine). Powder brows create a more shaded, penciled overall look instead of hair strokes. They tend to have a more dramatic and defined result, compared to microblading. Again, make sure you go to someone who knows what they’re doing. Especially because these brows can last anything from 2 to 5 years, but you might need a little touch up in-between. Another advantage is that this technique works well on any skin type, including oily skin. Powder brows come in a little more expensive, anything from between R1900 to R2200 for your first session and R1500 for your touchup.

Hybrid Brows

This is exactly what it sounds like - a hybrid combination of microblading and powder brows. The hair strokes are usually placed in the beginning of the eyebrow and from the middle to the end the powder technique is used. This technique is a nice middle-ground offering definition as well as detail and still creates an overall natural looking brow. These babies are the most expensive of the lot, as they use both microblading and powder brow techniques, coming in at anything between R2200 and R2500 for your first appointment and R1500 for your touchup.

Brow Lamination

Perming your eyebrows! Who would have thought. This technique sets your eyebrows upward as if they were combed that way, in a more defined shape to make them look fluffier and thicker. This treatment is non-invasive and only lasts a few weeks on most people. Alot of people choose to tint or henna along with this treatment - giving a fuller and more defined look. “Perming” the brows will cost you between R350 and R450.

Henna Brows

Henna has been used to dye hair and create body art for many years. Now this natural dye made from a plant known as hina or the henna tree is being used to stain your eyebrows for you! The dye stains your skin as well as colouring the hair. The advantages are that it is a non-chemical process and has a natural looking end result. The downside is that it doesn’t last very long, typically fading from week 2 onwards (but this does depend from person to person). After tinting, this is the cheapest option costing you between R300 and R400.

That just about covers all things brows! Did I leave anything out? Got any questions for me? What are your favourite brow treatments?

Leave me a comment or send me a mail at info@klaragilbert.co.za.

And look after those brows!

Lots of love,

Klara x

Browse all things Brows.