Between waxing, threading, plucking, tinting and henna-ing, there’s about a gazillion ways you can wrangle your wayward eyebrows into shape, but we’re about to add another one to the list, and it’s one you’re going to want to add to to your beauty regime stat.
It’s called brow lamination, and while it might sound like somebody had an accidental run in with a laminator, it’s actually an innovative brow shaping technique that’s taking the beauty world by storm.
Originating in Russia (which seems to be where all the hot new beauty trends start), brow lamination is sort of like a lash lift for your eyebrows—those unruly hairs are smoothed out and set in place so that every hair is going in the same direction. The result? Bolder, fuller looking brows that will stay that way for up to two months.
We headed to The Beauty Element in Brisbane to test the trend out and get the full lowdown on how brow lamination works from their expert brow tamer, Grace.
So what happens during brow lamination?
First up, you’ll chat with your brow artist to work out the right shape and style of brow for your face (of course). Once that’s settled, a lifting cream is applied to the hairs, to soften them so they can be straightened out. This is when the plastic wrap that you might have seen on Instagram comes out—it’s used to protect the eyes from the straightening solution. Next, a neutralising cream is applied to set the hairs in place. If your brows are a little thin, a tint can also be applied to help them look fuller. The whole process takes about 30-40 minutes and is easy and painless—I even scrolled Instagram while waiting for the lifting cream to take effect.
How will your brows look after lamination?
Think Cara Delevingne level brows. Because the hairs have been straightened, your brows will naturally look fuller and thicker. You will still have to brush your brows out each day to get that full feathery effect, but it won’t be the hour-long struggle it was before. After the treatment, I found that my brows stayed in place all day, without any gel required.
How long does brow lamination last?
Typically, brow lamination should last about six to eight weeks. As with any perm, you should try to avoid getting them wet for about 24 hours after the treatment.
Should I get brow lamination?
Whether your brows are thick or thin, brow lamination will give them that full, feathery look. Mine being quite full and thick already, Grace suggested a trim to prevent them from looking too feathery, and skipped the usual tinting afterwards. For anyone who has thin brows, lamination combined with tinting can help with getting that bold shape you’ve always obsessed over.
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Image credit: Luca Laconelli