Have you ever stopped to think about how many sayings and quotes focus on our eyes? It’s no wonder since they are the standout feature on our faces! Our eyebrows frame the eyes and naturally draw the viewer’s eye upward. Everyone's after those perfect arches. Thick, thin, arched, straight, even uniquely colored – they've got their own story to tell.
“When you look into someone’s eyes, the eyes alone can tell a story.”
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Have you ever stopped to think about how many sayings and quotes focus on our eyes? It’s no wonder since they are the standout feature on our faces! Our eyebrows frame the eyes and naturally draw the viewer’s eye upward. Everyone's after those perfect arches. Thick, thin, arched, straight, even uniquely colored – they've got their own story to tell.
How do we, as professionals, add a little extra to a regular brow waxing session? How do we make sure our brow services are memorable? Here are some pro tips to elevate your brow game and stand out from the competition.
“When you look into someone’s eyes, the eyes alone can tell a story.”
Set the Scene
To achieve the perfect brows, it starts with your choice of wax. Choose a quality brand of wax; there are no shortcuts here. We're working on a delicate area, so choose a wax that removes hair and is gentle on the skin. What's in your wax is just as important as any skin care choice. Get to know the brand of wax you’ve chosen. Like your brows, every wax brand also has a story, and sharing these benefits with your clients is essential.
While natural products have their place in waxing, a consistent and reliable synthetic resin formula is a better bet. You can confidently go over an area more than once, if needed, without reaching for tweezers, which is more painful for many clients. Using a hard wax or film wax with a synthetic resin will reduce histamine reactions, making the service less painful and more comfortable for your client. There are also fewer adverse reactions, so clients don’t leave a brow appointment pink, red or inflamed.
Choosing a Wax
The next step is determining which synthetic resin wax to use on your client’s brows. The answer is not strip wax. Hard waxes have come a long way and are available in many different forms today. They can even perform like a strip wax, while being gentle on the skin, reducing the chance of skin lifting. When choosing the suitable wax, we need to consider our client’s skin care regime, health, medications and skin type. So, which one should you pick: hard, film or gel? Let’s break it down and look at cream versus clear wax.
Cream. A cream-based, synthetic hard wax would be the gentlest of all the waxes, since it has the lowest melting point and doesn’t feel overly hot on the skin, making it perfect for clients with sensitivities and skin conditions like Rosacea to minimize flare-ups. This wax protects the skin first and removes hair second, making it the most comfortable and virtually trouble-free wax for the face.
Clear. A film-based, clear synthetic wax is versatile and can be used on the face and large areas of the body. It’s what many of us use and are the most familiar with when it comes to technique and application. It simply gets the job done. Since it’s a film, you can treat it like a strip wax and apply it thinly with fixed edges for a clean removal.
The holy grail for brows would be a clear, gel-based synthetic wax. It’s grippy enough that it can easily remove pesky vellus hairs and has unparalleled control for sculpting the perfect set of eyebrows. But, the synthetic base will grip the hair more than the skin. A new esthetician can easily build confidence and not worry about mishaps since this formula is usually dripless.
Related: Lash/Brow Services For Your Menu
Shaping Up Nicely
Now that you have picked your desired wax, it’s time to start creating your masterpiece. There are a few considerations to determine the shape of eyebrows for your client. The most basic would be to look at face shape and brow bone structure. Once you have determined which best complements the face shape and brow bone structure, it’s time to map it out. Brow mapping is a popular technique many estheticians use, and it is a great way to measure and visualize the brows to know where to start. It also opens a dialogue with your client, since they can see your vision for their brows.
Fluffy and natural brows are always on trend since they are the lowest maintenance, but perhaps a client will walk in through your door hoping for the hottest trend like the skinny and narrow brows making a hot comeback! No matter what kind of brow we are trying to help your clients achieve, we can create the perfect frame to compliment your client’s eyes by considering the wax you will use.
Give it Some Depth
Brow shaping is all about balance and symmetry, but is the brow wax the end of this story? A good story has depth. So, how can we do the same for our client’s brows? Brow lamination and tinting are excellent complimentary services to balance the look, framing your client's face perfectly. Brow lamination can be tailored to your client’s desired look. Soapy brows are brushed upward, and to the opposite direction, while laminated brows are lifted in upward strokes and pressed down using an occlusive film. Fluffy brows are lifted in upward strokes, but then fanned down from the arch to the tip. Customizing the eyebrow tint by mixing colors will enhance skin tone and eye color. New lash and brow tints stain the skin and color the hair. This brow intensifying service enables you to fill in sparse areas, giving the appearance of thicker, more even brows.
Adding these services before waxing will give your client the ultimate “WOW Brow Experience.” Clients will walk away looking like they’ve had a mini face-lift.
Additional Highlights
For those special touches, under-eye masks are a great start. They're like a mini spa treatment before and during the wax, addressing concerns like dark circles and puffiness. Keeping them cool helps add an extra touch of refreshment!
Eye creams or serums are a fantastic way to introduce your clients to eye skin care. They're light and absorb quickly, making them an easy add-on.
For clients with sensitive skin, ice globes are a game-changer. After a wax, they'll cool down the skin and calm any redness. They're a soothing addition to creams or serums and can help boost product penetration.
Brows that Wow
Service as simple and common as a brow wax can be elevated from start to finish. It is said that “the difference between something good and something great is attention to detail.” Setting the scene by giving the brows color, direction, depth and the perfect shape are details that bring your service to the next level. Add in some final touches to give your clients a “Wow Brow Experience” like they’ve never had before! The question now is, are you ready to start rewriting your brow game? It’s time to start transforming your brow services into a full-fledged experience and stand out.
Chanel Mak has been a certified Esthetician since 2012. In addition, Chanel is certified in both Laser Hair Removal and Electrolysis. She co-owns “On the Q.T. Salon and Spa” with her husband, where she specializes in waxing and facial skin therapy. She has recently been promoted to Caronlab Master Educator of North America and is thrilled to share her knowledge and experience.
Chrissie Paraschos has been a licensed esthetician for 10 years, and a RefectoCil Lash & Brow Lead Educator for eight. She is also an Infection Control Educator, and has received her Browista Certification through GW Cosmetics. Working alongside Refectocil has given her a lot of experience not only in application skills but also in educational development.
