You may know by now that Lauryn loves a bold brow. From letting them grow, to castor oil for growth, to a double tint. Plus, she always brushes up.
Today on the blog we have one of Lauryn’s favorite estheticians in the brow game: Lindsay Merrell.
With over 20 years in the industry and as someone who has done Lauryn’s brows for the last decade, we’re so excited that Lindsay is here to share her best tips for snatched brows, her two favorite brow hacks and Lauryn’s exact brow recipe.
Let’s welcome Lindsay to the blog.
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Hi, I’m Lindsay! A little bit about me before hopping into it.
First, I am a wife, a mother of 3 boys and a Lulu (grandma) to 2. I’ve been an esthetician for 26 years, specializing in brows for over 20.
I got into esthetics after going to college for a semester and deciding it wasn’t for me. I became a mom at 18 and didn’t have time to waste finding a way to support me and my son, so I enrolled in beauty school. I got licensed, got a job as an esthetician and then my son’s father suddenly passed. It was devastating, so I got out of the industry, not having much to give of myself.
A couple years later, while working an office job, I got offered a managing position at Anastasia’s La Jolla salon. I had massive anxiety around taking this leap, but pep talked myself into the opportunity and took the job. I was the only hourly employee of this all women salon. All the other girls were on a commission only pay structure, so running the salon was my sole responsibility. I had to answer the phones, book clients, do inventory, tidy, do the books and manage the employees.
Managing the employees was the hardest part. Anastasia had me fire someone my first week in, so that kind of set a tone. It was rough, but I learned a lot and knew I didn’t love that side of the beauty business. God bless the people that do that work well. I took maternity leave to have my second son and was able to come back and transition into just doing eyebrows so it ended up being my gateway back into hands-on beauty and the launch of my career in brows.
I feel very fortunate to have had the Anastasia name behind me at the start of my brow shaping journey. It’s kind of like a stamp of approval in the brow world. She’s a total icon and really put eyebrow shaping on the map here in America. I left Anastasia La Jolla over 18 years ago to start something new and settled in at Browtique Spa in Rancho Santa Fe, CA and I’ve been there ever since. It’s really been a home for me. My good friend Dee Bush owns the salon and does all the things I’m not cut out for and I get to do what I enjoy most. With nearly 2 decades together we’ve seen each other through some beautiful and stormy seasons and I have nothing but gratitude and respect for her.
How to Get Snatched Brows
I fell in love with the art of brows because of how it can instantly elevates someone’s beauty. I don’t believe in cookie cutter eyebrows. What I love is collaborating with the client to help them achieve the brow that they desire but seems elusive to them. I have clients that can clearly communicate what they want and those that rely on me to do what I think looks best. My favorite thing is creating a brow that hits their personal mark. The ultimate goal is unique. Maybe they want to feel more beautiful, groomed, masculine, feminine, youthful or stylish. Maybe they want it all. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul and the brows are the drapes.
Lauryn’s eyebrow recipe:
Lauryn has always been very specific on what she wants and we love that about her!
First, we do a double tint using dark brown to get the brows really bold.
Then, we shape, leaving them full but symmetrical.
Lastly, she’s been really into lifting the ends to get a straighter, more lifted look. (Brow trends are tempting to follow, but always think long-term and don’t do anything that could permanently keep you in that era.)
Here are some tips to beautify your brows:
+ Brush your brows.
It’s a place that’s hard to exfoliate, so dead skin can build up. Brushing them unblocks follicles and increases blood flow to the area for better hair growth.
+ Use something to nourish your brows.
We use a lot of products on our brows nowadays, not to mention twice daily cleansing of our face. So applying an oil (after cleansing) to the brow at night really keeps them healthy. Castor oil is a good option. If you want to step it up a notch, add rosemary essential oil to your castor oil. This addition has been proven to help stimulate hair growth.
+ Stop tweezing.
Don’t like your eyebrows? Stop tweezing and see a professional. There are so many options to make your brows look better. A new shape, a brow tint, or a lamination can work wonders for your overall look.
If you’ve moved away from your beloved brow artist and desperately need to tweeze, try over filling in your brows before you tweeze. If you don’t trust yourself, get a stencil that’s slightly bigger than your desired brow, fill, then tweeze. This way you won’t be tempted to get into your shape.
+ Practice minimal filling.
When filling your brows in every day, try only filling where it’s needed to avoid looking too makeup-y. I tell my clients to back up and squint their eyes like they’re looking at a Monet painting. This will help you see where you need to add pencil to achieve symmetry. For instance, one of my eyebrows is lower on the top than the other, so I add pencil on the top of that brow only to even them out. If you get too heavy handed, use the spoolie brush to soften the lines.
Brow Products:
There are so many brow products on today’s market, but I started 20 years ago using Anastasia and she’s given me no reason to stray. Anastasia has a good range of colors and tones and every type of brow product you could need. Two of my favorites are Brow Wiz and Brow Freeze Gel.
Brow Hacks:
+ If you don’t have a brow gel, try spraying a strong hold hairspray on a spoolie. then, backcomb, wait for it to get tacky, then style.
+ Buy a brow pencil slightly darker than you normally do and go light-handed when filling in. This will make your pencil last way longer.
After all these years I’m still working at Browtique on Tuesdays and Fridays. If you want to book in with me, you can do it online here. And find me on IG @pluckandpout.
Thanks for having me! xx
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There you have it – some brow tips from a brow master. If you’re in San Diego we highly recommend booking in with Lindsay. Be sure to follow her on Instagram to see her beautiful work and some before and afters.
x, The Skinny Confidential team
+ Makeup tips from Lauryn’s makeup artist.
++ How to remove eyebrow tint if your DIY went wrong.
SNATCHED BROWS:
