Brow trends come thick and fast just like fashion, the way we shape and style our brows can be directly linked to pop culture. From the over plucked 90s to the bushy 2020’s there’s a style for every era and with so much at our disposal now the possibilities for brow styling are endless!
Here’s the most popular eyebrow trends to watch out for this year!ย
All about the Lamination
Arguably, the most popular treatment in recent years is Brow lamination, favoured by celebrities and fashionistas! The treatment itself is a straight forward process where the brows are brushed and set using fixing product into the desired style, creating fuller more even brows. Often combined with tinting the treatment allows for the therapist to increase the visual volume of the brows which makes it a great treatment for clients looking to grow out their brows for a more natural style.
Our Brow Lamination, Shaping & Tintingย Training Courseย is designed toย help you give your clients a uniform, full eyebrow shape. ย This is the ultimate solution for eyebrows that do not have symmetry where the hairs follow a different pattern, with lamination (also known as lifting) we can realign the brows in such a way to give them the desired shape they want.โ This treatment solves the messy brow issue, creates volume and fullness, while giving you a sleek well-kept brow shape for up to 2 months. Treatments are typically between ยฃ30-ยฃ50 when combined with a brow tint and shape. A very lucrative service to offer to your clients!
Highly Defined Brows
Promoted by celebrities, this treatment aims to create natural-looking brow shape, defined colour and give the illusion of fuller, thicker brows, making these brows a must-have treatment. This high-precision procedure transforms eyebrows into a naturally arched shape, dramatically enhancing and defining facial features. Perfectly-groomed brows are one of the most popular treatments within the salon. Performed by a skilled brow artist the treatment includes techniques to create the desired brow shape and appearance, including waxing, tinting and threading.
Our Highly Defined Brows Training Course is a generic treatment course designed to teach you one of the most popular beauty treatments currently offered within the industry. You will learn a range of brow-grooming procedures, including waxing, threading and tinting of the brows, to allow you to competently offer this in-demand treatment from home and/or mobile, creating a natural-looking arches and a defined brow shape for your clients. These treatments typically earn you between ยฃ25-ยฃ40! Clients return every 3-6 weeks to maintain their precise brow shape, keeping your appointment book filled!
Henna Browsย
Similar to brow tinting Henna colours the natural brow. Henna is a natural alternative to other chemical dyes and is plant based making it an appealing option for colouring the brow and creating a more expressive brow. Henna also creates a better skin stain which gives a denser, fuller brow. Although a safe way to colour the hair and skin it is vital to perform a patch test when using Henna to check for skin reaction.
On our Henna course you will learn a range of brow-grooming procedures, including hot waxing, and application of henna of the brows, to allow you to competently offer this in-demand treatment from home and/or mobile, creating a natural-looking arches and a defined brow shape for your clients. Earn up to ยฃ35 an hour providing these lucrative brow treatments!
Want to up your Brow Skills & start earning up to ยฃ40 an hour? Explore our ABT Accredited Courses:
If windows are the eyes to the soul then surely brows are the frames? A great pair of eyebrows can really give a face structure. They can also help correct an unbalanced face shape or give the appearance of a more desireable face shape. When so many clients are investing in lash extensions right now, it would be wrong not to have the know-how to create flawless brows to finish the look. We give you the top 10 ways to make brows look fuller and groomed…
Use a brow pencil to fill in gaps and create better definition to the brow shape such as using short pencil strokes to create high points above the brows making them appear more arched and refined. Choose a brow pencil close to your natural hair colour and if between two shades, go for the lighter option.
Use a brow powder to give a softer, fuller brow look. If you only want to achieve more fullness but more definition, opt for a brow powder. Generally brow pencils last longer on the skin but can look harsher on mature skin and accentuate fine lines and wrinkles. Brow powders are a softer option and can be sealed with brow gels or wax.
Considering brow tinting โ if daily touch ups arenโt working for you, say if you swim or work in hot, humid environments, tinting may be a better option. Tinting can last 2-3 weeks. Treatments typically take only 15-20 minutes so easy to fit in alongside other beauty treatments. A longer lasting option is Henna brows which can last for up to 4-6 weeks instead. Henna brow products have great depth of colour and are naturally formulated so can be kinder to the skin. Tinting or henna can bring out the natural shape of your brows, especially for those with naturally fair or grey brows. This can make the eyes look brighter as the whites of the eyes contrast with the darker tones.
Encourage better hair growth by using a naturally formulated brow oil or serum. The massaging in of products daily can also help boost blood flow to the area which in itself encourages better hair growth and improved hair condition and strength. There are many purposely designed serums on the market or just good quality castor, coconut or extra virgin olive oils will also do a great job of nourishing the hair and skin.
Pluck in the right light and at the right level of zoom โ ensure you pluck your brows using suitably sharp tweezers to avoid hair breakage. Try to pluck in natural daylight to better help you see the new, finer hairs coming through and ensure you are following the right line for shaping. Avoid using magnifying mirrors as they force you to focus in on one hair at a time causing you to lose sight of the overall brow shape and you can get too pluck-happy resulting in uneven brow results or overthinning the brows.
Brows are sisters, not twins. Whenever tinting or shaping brows, ensure you work across both brows equally and check across both brows throughout for an even result. That said, brows are never identical so donโt try to force them to be or you could end up damaging the natural line of hair growth and having overly thin brows which is both aging and unflattering. Overplucking can lead to permanent damage so take care or best still, leave it to the professionals.
Have patiencewhen brow shaping โ donโt be tempted to pluck a clump of hairs at a time. Work on just removing one at a time. Avoid removing longer brow hairs as these are often the leading hairs which define how the rest of the brows sit and removal can leave unsightly gaps or loss of definition. Slanted tweezers are great for helping to select the right hair. Go slow and use patience when removing odd stray hairs between brow services or if attempting some home pampering. You can always go back and take another out but you canโt put a leading hair back in again if removed incorrectly.
Embrace other methods of hair removal such as hot wax or threading. Both offer a quick but accurate hair removal option that take out all the hard work of tweezers. Check reviews of any therapist you are considering booking with and ideally seek out photos of their recent work on their social media to ensure you will get the result you desire. Generally speaking waxing is more readily available and hot wax is great in small areas like brows to give clean results. Hot wax is also less likely to irritate sensitive skin. Threading is great for anyone wanting a more linear, angled look due to the way the thread moves. It is great for those with naturally thick unruly brows that need some serious attention.
Donโt lose patience with those long unruly hairs. Use a brow gel to brush and seal them into shape. If you really must improve them, donโt pluck them out but use short handled, sharp scissors to gently trim them so they sit better in place. Those long hairs often need to sit flat to provide the overall shape for your brows that all other hairs follow so take care not to be too snippy, particularly for the first few hairs at the start near the eyes as these can look bushy if trimmed too short.
If you really canโt get those unruly brows to sit correctly, consider a brow lamination treatment. Not only will they help give the appearance of thicker, fuller and more youthful brows; but it is a quick and relaxing treatment to receive. Typically taking around 30 minutes, results can last up to 6 weeks and when combined with a basic brow shape and tint, it can give you maintenance free, hassle free natural brows for over a month! Well worth investing in. The treatment uses similar products to lash lift (perming) products, but applied to the brows in a specific way that fixes and sets the brows in the desired direction as dictated by the brow technician.
Want to learn to create the perfect brows, explore just some of the many brow course options we have by clicking below. Canโt see the course for you or interested in a package? Give our friendly team a call on Freephone 0800 999 2277 and we can guide you to the right option!
As any amazing lash and brow tech knows, youโre only as good as your products and tools will allow you to be. Not storing these correctly, not only shortens the lifespan of these causing wastage and extra costs but also limiting the results you can achieve. Here we discuss how you should be storing your kitโฆ
Wax Pot
It goes without saying that your wax pot should be wiped over after each use to remove any stray wax. There is nothing worse than going for a treatment and seeing a gunky looking wax pot and wondering just where your wax will be dribbled. Where possible use wax pots with an insert to allow you to remove the wax from the heater and reseal with the tub lid, but the wax heater lid should be on when not in use at the very least. If working mobile, ensure the wax heater remains upright if wax is to be left inside the heater to avoid spillage. Allow wax to cool down sufficiently before moving the heater so for mobile therapists, turn off the heater as soon as it is no longer required. Wax is typically good for 6-12 months from date of opening โ check your product for the specific use by.
Tint & Oxidant
Always used and disposed of in line with COSHH, you should only mix your tint once ready for use and never before your client arrives as it will not be effective by the time it is used. Always replace the lids tightly immediately once decant particularly as products will react with the air on contact and overexposure will reduce its efficacy.
Lash Adhesive
Only ever decant as much as you need to avoid wastage. Replace lids tightly once decanted to avoid the adhesive reacting with the air and setting hard. Keep adhesive stored upright at stable room temperature. Some adhesive brands suggest storing in the fridge but this can cause moisture to develop inside the product bottle causing it to be ineffective. You can purchase vacuum storage bags or jars which help to prolong the life of your lash adhesive once opened and also protect them from falling over and spilling in transit for those who work mobile. If products must be stored in a cooler or hotter area than where you are working, allowing up to an hour for the product to return to ambient temperature before using for best results. Working environment temperature will affect the current viscosity (thickness) of your product so consider this when deciding where to offer your treatments, for
Tweezers
Always ensure tweezers are thoroughly wiped after use to remove any stray hair or wax/lash adhesive residue before sterilising. Avoid leaving tools standing in barbicide continuously as this will corrode tools over time. Sterilise for the recommended time then remove. Store in a sealed plastic case or bag taking care to protect the tweezer tips, never store points down in a jar. Then simply place back in sterilising fluid prior to use once setting up for your client. Take care never to drop your tweezers as this could blunt the points. Replace tweezers roughly every 3-6 months depending on how often used. Keep lash tweezers separate from those used for brow treatments to avoid misusing these and always keep a spare pair handy just in case.
best results. Also ambient environmental humidity will affect the drying times of your adhesive. Lash adhesive is usually good for 3-6 months dependent on the brand once opened (usually for up to 12 months prior to opening) but check product packaging to confirm as it does vary depending on the formulation.
Brow Powder Compacts
Always store these where they will be safe from knocks or dropping to avoid gut wrenching moments where your palette crumbles. Ensure you decant powder onto a spatula using a make up scraper or only ever use a clean applicator / brush (never double dipping) or use a special make sanitiser spray for powder compacts between each client to keep products hygienic. Many brands now offer refills for powder palettes to allow you to replace the shade you use up quickest, rather than having to replace the entire palette so it is worth considering this when buying your products to avoid having to have multiple part used palettes or powders at any one time.
By following the above advice, you will ensure you are not only working safely and hygienically but also reducing your costs (boosting your profits) and getting the very best results from your products and tools for the longest time possible.
Henna brows is fast becoming one of the most popular brow treatments, as a more natural way of giving greater definition to natural brows. Formulated to give longer lasting results than traditional tinting products and with a wide range of colours available to suit all clients, it’s important to know the benefits of offering this in demand brow service.
Henna has been used for centuries to provide colouring the hair and has recently has a resurgence in popularity as clients seek more natural beauty options. Henna has many benefits including its ability to better โtintโ the skin so is great at helping to disguise gaps or sparse hair growth within the brows (more so than a traditional tint product) and also to give a deeper, more natural enhanced brow colouring. Naturally sourced from the leaves of the henna shrub, it contains a substance called Lawsone which is effective in staining the hair and skin. To boost the speed at which the product works, often synthetic dye agents are included, sometimes known as PPD. Some clients are concerned about the use of PPD, however provided you are using products sourced from reputable suppliers, the volume and strength of PPD used will ensure the product is very safe for professional use. As with any tinting product, it is important you carry out a patch test 24-48 hours prior to use and record this on the clientโs record card, patch testing in line with the manufacturerโs and your insurerโs guidelines.
Henna is applied in much the same way as traditional tinting products, however its formulation is easy to work with and using a suitable brush, application can be precise to give a more sculpted, almost microbladed looking result. It can also be applied to improve the natural arch of the brows with hair removal techniques such as threading or waxing to improve the brows overall shape. It is also gaining popularity for use alongside Brow Lamination treatments as clients follow a course of treatments to regrow their brows to their former, fuller and more youthful glory.
Henna brow treatments can typically earn you anything from ยฃ10-ยฃ25 per treatment and usually take as little as 20-30 minutes to carry out! Results last for around 4-8 weeks depending on the client and homecare adherence, quickly providing you with a loyal, regular client base.
Top Selling Brow Treatments (based upon feedback from the many thousands of beauty therapists who have successfully trained with us over the last 29 years) are currently:
Brow Lamination (now one of our best selling courses)
Henna Brows
Brow Shaping (waxing, threading or indeed the hugely popular Highly Defined Brows treatment)
Brow Tinting
โMore clients than ever are now investing in their brows and lashes. Offering the most in demand brow treatments is essential for any beauty therapist, make up artist or lash technician to ensure you arenโt losing your clients to other therapists who are more diverse. Packages that combine lash and brow treatments are hugely successful, with many clients starting out with a simple brow shaping treatment and then getting the โbeauty bugโ and soon become regular clients for a wide range of services.โ
Gain recognised training within these lucrative brow treatments with our courses from only ยฃ99. Choose to learn either at your own pace, online from the comfort of home or attend one of our 10 well located, exclusive training centres to learn face to face with our highly qualified, experienced tutors. Learn more about our Brow Course options below or call us Free on 0800 999 2277 to discover the best option for youโฆ.
With so many new brow treatments launching, it is easy to fall behind in knowing the differences and how best to market your brow services to clients. Our blog this week focuses on whether to highly define or laminate brows…
What are Highly Defined Brows?
Highly defined brows is a treatment involving multiple steps to ensure the optimum brow reshaping and redefining. Starting with a thorough consultation and brow measuring, brows are darkened using brow tinting. Brows are then reshaped using a combination of brow trimming, waxing, threading and use of tweezers. Finally brows are finished using mineral brow make up products to give the perfect finish. Typically highly defined brows leaves brows thinner, with a greater arch and more defined shape and also darker to ensure they really frame the eyes.
What are Laminated Brows?
Laminated brows is all about restoring brows which have previously been poorly reshaped, over plucked or simply where the client wants a fuller, more natural brow look. Brows are brushed into shape by encouraging the existing brow hairs to sit upwards to create a fuller look. Products very similar to those used for lash lift, are then applied to the brow hairs to lift and then set the brow hairs into line and shape to help restore a fuller, natural appearance to the brows. Brows can also be tinted as part of the process to give more definition. The treatment encourages clients to make use of brow products such as castor oil following treatment to encourage the brows to naturally begin enhanced regrowth, particularly where overplucked previously to give more improved appearance over time.
Our quick table below outlines which treatment is best for which clients or desired resultsโฆ
Highly Defined Brows
Removes unwanted, stray hairs to give a better shape and greater definition
Involves use of brow waxing, threading, trimming and tweezers
Brows are tinted to give a darker, more defined look
Usually brows appear thinner, reshaped with an improved arch
Clients are encouraged to have regular treatments to maintain defined look
OR
Brow Lamination
Involves working with the existing brow hairs, taking away only minimal stray hairs
Involves use of techniques to brush hairs up then lift and set in place with products similar to those for lash lifting
Brows are tinted to give a darker but more natural look
Usually brows appear fuller, reshaped to give a restored, more youthful natural look
Clients are encouraged to use brow oils beyond treatment to stimulate regrowth of hairs
Not trained to offer both of these incredible, lucrative brow services yet? Take a look at our fast track courses and start earning up to ยฃ45 per treatmentโฆ
We have lots of students ask us about courses such as Eyelash Extensions, Highly Defined Brows and Lash Lift & Tinting. They are confused as they have seen courses offered by beauty suppliers, branded courses and online courses and they don’t know where to start in regards to what the key differences are. First let’s cover what the term trademark is as this is essential to understanding brand-specific courses…
What is a trademark?
A trademark is a way for a brand, company, producer or other legal entity to identify themselves and the products or services they produce, provide or source. It is a way for someone to recognise one entity (or brand from another) and for consumers to identify the origin of a product or service.ย Trademarks can be registered by the trademark owner and licensed in regards to specific types of usage. By registering a trademark, it can prevent use of the relevant name, logo, phrase or other ‘mark’ to be used without authorised licence from the trademark holder. Such unauthorised use can be considered trademark infringement and can open the person using such up to legal proceedings including prosecution or claims for damages. Brand specific training courses are those offered by such registered trademark owners and they often allow you to then go on to provide treatments using their products, to buy (or resell) their products and to use their logos/brand names within your own advertising.
The Beauty Academy Courses
All courses offered within our training centres are non-brand specific courses which teach you the fundamental knowledge and practical skills to deliver lash extension, lash lift or brow shaping and defining treatments. We teach the generic skills of these classic and in-demand beauty treatments. You achieve our in-house diploma certificate which is accredited by ABT and allows you to gain insurance to begin offering your treatments to clients. The beauty of our courses are that they are professional courses covering the core knowledge and skills for these treatments, they are accredited but they are much more affordable (starting from only ยฃ99) than many of the brand specific courses. They do not tie you in to any specific brand or supplier before youโre fully familiar and practised with the treatment. Many students find they complete brand specific training (which often require you to purchase their costly branded kits to attend the course) but once they begin offering their treatments on a regular basis and start speaking with clients, they find they prefer working with a different brand or clients are asking about other brand names. Often this requirement to purchase kits means half of the kit contents is also used up on the training day(s) themselves also leaving little product to go on to practice with. At The Beauty Academy, we provide all products and tools required to attend our courses at the centre on the day(s) at no additional cost. The only exception to this is where a patch test is required for which we keep the cost minimal.
Branded Courses
There are many brand names for specific treatments such as lash lift, lash extensions, and highly defined brows treatments. We donโt need to list them since you will have heard of most of them along the way when searching for a training course. These courses are usually significantly more expensive but this additional cost is attributed to the fact that you will be able to advertise using their brand names, as a brand specific trained therapist. This may be advantageous for salons who benefit from large shop front window displays using the recognisable brand logos and who can command much higher treatment prices to reclaim the cost; but the additional cost is not usually viable for mobile therapists, those just starting out in beauty (and so who donโt know what brand they prefer yet) or necessary for those who are already very established therapists with an existing client base.
The pros of a non-brand specific course such as The Beauty Academy courses:
Much lower initial course cost (from only ยฃ99 for courses with The Beauty Academy)
The Beauty Academy face to face courses are all accredited with ABT & online courses recognised by Radius insurance
No starter kits are required to attend our training day(s) unlike most brand specific courses
No commitment to any specific brand, get qualified, get experienced & then decide whatโs right for you once you understand the treatment and your clientโs needs
Great, quick and affordable way to learn something new, try out a new treatment service & see if itโs for you and your client base.
The cons of a non-brand specific course:
You canโt use any trademark protected brand names to describe or advertise your treatment services, however you can use a wide range of treatment related non-brand specific terms. If you later wish to utilise brand names, a simple conversion course can assist with this (see more about this below).
You might not be able to purchase branded products directly from the brand themselves, however you will be insured to use any brand of products to deliver your treatments. Similar professional (and cost effective) products can be purchased from large beauty wholesalers like Beauty Express.
OR
The pros of a brand specific course:
You can advertise your treatments using their brand name / trade mark / brand logos
In some areas you may be able to charge a small premium on โbrandedโ treatments but often applicable only to salons or established therapists. Generally treatment price ranges are reasonably fixed by treatment type and area regardless of brand of products used as you must remain competitive to attract new, and maintain regular clients.
The cons of a brand specific course:
Much higher course cost with branded training providers (usually from around ยฃ399 per 1 day course)
Often requires commitment to purchase an expensive brand specific kit to attend the course (as they want to โtie you inโ to their brand)
Much of the kit is used on the training day itself & when starting out, rarely are students optimally economical with product so makes initial practice costly also
You may begin offering branded treatments with little knowledge of your clientโs needs or preferences. You may then find yourself tied to that specific brand with additional cost to retrain within an alternative brand to buy different products or indeed be insured to use other brands as many brand specific courses are not accredited.
Conversion Courses
Remember that once you have completed a generic, accredited training course such as those offered by The Beauty Academy and are insured within those treatments, you will be able to purchase professional products from most leading beauty wholesalers including Beauty Express (just not always direct from the specific product brand). You always have the option to complete a shorter โconversionโ course with most leading branded course providers from only ยฃ99 (depending on the brand), if you later wish to become brand specific and to use their brand name as part of your advertising. These courses also help you refresh and occasionally advance your skills once you have had some time within the industry providing treatments and once youโve gained insight into the available brands and identified the one best for your budget and clientโs needs through experience of the industry. Most quality branded providers offer these courses to attract your business to purchasing their products, build their community of brand qualified therapists and raise their brand profile.
Generic Terms for Advertising Treatments
Many successful salons and independent therapists have huge success in promoting and offering their treatment services including lash extensions, lash lift and brow treatments charging the โgoing rateโ for their location and type of offering e.g. mobile, home based or in-salon. Anyone can describe and advertise using generic terms to promote your services (or indeed be creative with the naming of your treatments to stand out from the crowd). Just take care not to infringe upon existing registered trademarks and brand names unless you are brand trained or otherwise authorised by the brand to do so. Doing so can open you personally as a therapist or indeed your salon/business up to legal action from the trademark owner or brand which is bad for business and could be expensive. Generic terms for treatments as follows, are great ways to promote your services:
Eyelash Extensions โ Classic Lashes, Semi-Permanent Eyelash Extensions, Volume Lashes, Russian Volume Lashes, Celebrity Lashes, Volumised Lashes, Eyelash Extensions, Lash Extensions, American Lashes, American Volume Lashes, Lash Enhancement etc.
Brow Treatments โ Highly Defined Brows, Defined Brows, Ultimate Brows, Enhanced Brows, Brow Shape & Tint, Brow Redefining etc.
If you have any questions about brand names, your course or certification or how best to advertise your treatment services, please donโt hesitate to contact our Support team at [email protected] and they will be happy to help!
