By Alison McGill
The quest for perfect arches is something most of us have been obsessed with for a while now, but Instagram, masking and Zoom life have intensified the mission. The best brows of the moment are thick and fluffy à la Lily Collins and Zendaya. Give those eyebrows a close study, then look at your own brows and figure out what you need to achieve this of-the now look. You may need to sign on with a brow expert to help you achieve those goals.
Haley Bogaert, owner of HB Face and one of Canada’s premiere skin and eyebrow specialists, is just such a pro star. Bogaert says there are several tips and insider tricks she relies on to help her clients (she has two HB Face locations in Toronto and Oakville, and recently launched product line) achieve fuller eyebrows. Here she shares her best brow secrets with us.
How has the new era of natural beauty influenced eyebrow trends?
“During the pandemic, my business was closed for 300 days,” Bogaert reports. “This gave our clients a lot of time to grow out their brows, which was perfect for us because when they came back, we had lots to work to do and a lot to work with! People learned to do a lot of things on their own including their nails, and even cutting their hair, but our clients kept telling us they couldn’t wait to come back to us to help them with their brows.”
For someone with thin brows is it possible to rehab them and work towards a fuller look?
“We do see many of the ’90s overplucked brow hair clients in our studio,” Bogaert reports. “We know it’s tough to not touch your eyebrows, but the best process is to work with an artist and see them every three to four weeks for appointments—this means not doing anything to them yourself in between. This allows sparse areas to grow in, and we can shape that new growth as it appears. One thing that is a miracle worker is a brow growth serum—it works like a lash growth serum and results are noticeable!”
What are the most popular brow treatments you do?
“Our Thread and Tint is a 15-minute appointment where we trim, thread and tweeze eyebrows if needed, then tint brows with a shade custom-blended to create a totally natural look,” Bogaert explains. “We prefer to thread eyebrows to shape them as it is a more precise practice and less abrasive to your skin than waxing. With regards to brow tinting, we use a vegetable-based dye, and the colour lasts up to three weeks before naturally fading out.”
Eyebrow lifts are also hugely popular, what’s involved in this service?
“This is an amazing way to achieve the fluffy look that is so on trend right now,” Bogaert says. “A brow lift is a three-step service in which we perm eyebrow hair which acts as a relaxer. This allows us to perfectly place the brow hair on your face and helps to create an illusion of more voluminous eyebrows. The results are quite incredible.”
