Photo by Fanatic Studio
Restoration
Yes, most of us shape our brows for vanity reasons, and Mary Hunter of Eyebrow Renovation & Permanent Makeup can help with that, but she specializes in permanent makeup for scar management and camouflage. Working out of La Bella Donna on Forest Hill Avenue and Me By Design on Monument Avenue in Richmond, she can help to replace part of an eyebrow, create entire brows or add a little color for aging women, conservatively blending it with each client’s complexion: “As we get older, the brows get thinner,” she says. “Eyebrows frame the face.” $345 (434-825-0481, eyebrowrenovation.com).
Threading
People may call Miriam Ladhani of Short Pump Threading the goddess of eyebrows, but she simply says she knows her threading because she’s been doing it for eight years. Eyebrow threading is a great way to remove hair, because it’s bacteria-free. There’s no pulling of the skin’s outer layer, but the areas around your brows end up perfectly smooth. “It lasts up to three weeks, and your hair becomes finer,” she says. “Plus, I can be done in five minutes.”
$12 (512-2835, shortpumpthreading.com).
Manscaping
Men often think of getting their hair trimmed, but not their eyebrows. “Sometimes guys come in and their eyebrows are kind of … bushy,” Refuge for Men manager Harry Reid says. So, along with a cut, the experts at Refuge on West Main Street in the Fan can tidy up a guy’s brows. They cut and shape them, but it’s not as intensive as waxing. The goal, Reid says, is just to have the brows look more shapely and in control. Free with cut (539-3526, refuge4men.com).
Waxing
Of course, Richmond’s waxing-expert salon has a philosophy on brows. At Bombshell‘s locations in Carytown, Short Pump and on the South Side, waxers use strip wax above the brows and hard wax underneath. “Hard wax is better for keeping the integrity of the skin,” owner Melissa Black says, adding that it’s easy to use on the delicate skin underneath without making brows too skinny. Also, for those coloring their hair, stylists at Bombshell can tint the brows with vegetable dye, which lasts about three weeks. $15 (342-0051, ilovebombshell.com).
Transformations
Chris Venter may not have a palette and paint, but she says that shaping brows is her art form. “I love transforming people’s eyebrows to give them the shape that fits their face and personality,” she says. As well as the regular treatments, she recently added several additional brow services to her business, located inside Ashtanga Yoga Richmond in Carytown. For “event brows,” she’ll map your face, shape the brows, fill them, seal them with gel and finish your look with fiber lash-extension mascara for a special event. Brow wax, $20; event brows, $40 (938-3800, chris-venter.com).
