When lockdown struck and her business was forced to close, expert brow technician Heather Mcdowall decided to put the time to good use.
She worked with a laboratory to create a newrange of products that are designed to make the most of what nature gave us (before we all got tweezer happy in the 1990s) and help encourage new growth.
Despite having "no experience whatsoever" in chemistry she helped develop four products that were all trialled on clients and then tweaked to ensure they delivered exactly what she wanted.
Brow lamination remains a popular treatment but she says women are increasingly keen to work with what they have and experiment with serums to encourage new growth.
Lamination involves straightening and lifting the hairs using a chemical solution, which allows the hairs to have more flexibility to move them into your desired shape, therefore covering any gaps or stray areas.
However, Heather says it is important that clients condition brows as a failure to do so can lead to hairs snapping off.
My own brows are barely visible due the sun's bleaching effect and the results of too much tweezing in my teens and twenties.
A full brow (but not the thick, solid lines that many young girls favour) is very youthful and I’m in very good hands - Heather is so popular she has closed her list to new clients.
However, her team are all trained in HD Brows (£31) and Phi Brows, a semi permanent technique of hyper-realistic eyebrow drawing.
She begins by tinting my brows and after a brief chat about my own preferences selects the perfect shade. After the dye has done it’s job she ‘maps’ my brow, creating the ideal shape for my slighly oblong face.
After the stray hairs are waxed away she fills in the gaps (which I’m hoping will soon be filled by her growth serum) using Signature Brow Gel in Ash Blonde (£22) and Pro Definer in Taupe (£18).
The end result is remarkable - Heather has performed a small miracle with my barely-there brows.
I now have a set to rival model Cara Delivigne, earning the approval of my beauty conscious 14-year-old niece. Having a fuller brow also has the flattering effect of making my face look fuller, rounder and more youthful.
I’ve been instructed to use the Niche Grow Up Brow Enhancer (£50) morning and night (there is also a version for lashes) and Heather assures me that even if I don't see the growth I am hoping for, it will make the most of the hairs that are already there.
Formulated to boost density and minimise gaps, the serum stimulates keratin genes to promote optimum condition with 95% of participants in Heather's study reporting an increase in growth within a month.
I'm looking forward to a repeat visit in around a month to monitor my own progress.
Meanwhile I can 'fake it till I make it ' with her ingenious products, which are available at www.nichebrowco.co.uk
Nicke Brow Bar, 76 Coustonholm road, Shawlands Glasgow G41 3TZ Appointments: info@nichebrowbar.co.uk 0141 230 2682
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