The Eyes Have It
Change up your look with eyebrow lamination and tinting at Studio B Salon . By Jamie Coelho
As we get older , sometimes our eyebrows start to vanish or fail to regrow from overplucking . I noticed in photos and on Zoom calls that my very blond , sun-bleached brows faded into my forehead . Unfortunately for me , fuller , darker eyebrows are in vogue right now , so I decided to look into various treatments to make them more prominent . I had heard about eyebrow microblading , which cuts your skin to place the pigment , but eyebrow lamination is a lot less invasive .
I consult with Kristi Scialla ( aka @ thebrowbeautician on Instagram ) of Studio B Salon to learn more about eyebrow lamination and tinting before undergoing the process . “ It ’ s basically a reverseperm for your brows ,” Scialla says . “ It ’ s going to smell like an oldschool perm solution for a few minutes , and it helps relax the brow hair and make it lie straighter .”
Brow lamination is a three-step process , with a fourth step if you choose to add tinting . The treatment started in Russia and made its way over to London and Paris , where models experimented with having fuller , brushed up eyebrows on the runways . The trend started to make its way to the United States , but then the pandemic hit , forcing salons to shut down . Once they reopened , the process was in demand again .
“ It ’ s a good alternative for people who aren ’ t sure about microblading ,” Scialla says . “ That ’ s how I discovered it for myself . I wanted to do microblading because I was sick of filling in my brows everyday , but I was a little hesitant because microblading is more permanent .” Scialla looked into lamination and underwent training through Brow Code out of Australia , and then tried it for herself .
“ I absolutely loved it and it made a huge difference ,” she says . “ I knew I needed to offer my clients this treatment because I believe in it so much .”
Sold . I decide to give it a try . I recline in a chair at Studio B while Scialla completes the forty-five-minute treatment . I don ’ t
feel a thing as she brushes up my brows to prepare them for lamination , and then applies the eight-minute straightening solution to each brow . The next step is to apply a neutralizer to stop the process , which also stays on for eight minutes . Finally , tinting takes a minute or two , followed by the application of a nourishing keratin gel , which stays on for twenty-four hours .
The after-care is easy for the treatment that lasts about seven to eight weeks , maybe longer . For the first twenty-four hours , I avoid getting my brows wet , and wash my face with a washcloth around my brows . I avoid retinol around the area for forty-eight hours , and apply castor oil to my brows to keep them moisturized each night before bed . Styling involves brushing brows up with an eyebrow gel wand for a fuller look or leaving them sleek and classic .
The next day , I post a photo on Instagram to resounding applause from friends and family . And as I mask up and wander around town , I notice my eyes are more enhanced than ever . It ’ s a good substitution for a bright lipstick , which no one can see anyway .
Scialla says she almost brought one woman to tears after completing the brow lamination process . The woman hadn ’ t had brows in twenty years and couldn ’ t believe the difference . “ It ’ s nice to be able to make someone feel good ,” Scialla says . “ Especially now , that ’ s all you can see on anyone , eyes and brows .”
Follow @ thebrowbeautician on Instagram . Pontiac Mills , 334 Knight St ., Building # 11 , Warwick , 437-8688 , studiob-salon . com �
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