Gone are the days when eyebrows were subject to the whims of fashion. Nowadays, eyebrow shapes are more individualized, patterned according to one’s face shape and proportions.
Brows are the thinly (or thickly, depending on how blessed you are) drawn line between looking polished and unkempt.
Brow products are also up to date with the latest technology. In the past, your only options were powder or pencil; today there are gels, liquids and hair-thin brushes that let you create a perfect brow in minutes.
Unsightly shade
The most feared eyebrow tattooing should get a modern update, too. When cosmetic tattooing became ubiquitous, a lot of women jumped on the bandwagon. After all, the promise it offered was very alluring: waking up looking perfectly made up.
Of course, there was a catch. Over time, the permanent tattoo ink applied on brows and lashlines started turning an unsightly shade of green (reddish for those who opted for a dark brown shade). Pretty soon, some women who had undergone eyebrow tattooing became cautionary tales, especially those who had theirs done as oddly rounded thin arches, popular during the ’90s.
We’re happy to report that, for those afraid of permanence, there is a better and easier way to score yourself a great pair of fuss-free brows.
Gorgeous arches
We met up with makeup/brow artist Alberto Fuderanan to get the skinny on scoring gorgeous arches for a longer period of time. Fresh from his training abroad, Alberto demonstrated the techniques he learned for brow embroidery, or “embrowdery,” as he calls his new service, a term he recently trademarked.
This new technique employs a machine with very, very fine needles lined up in a row, called microblades. These are able to create very fine, hair-like strands hidden amidst your real eyebrow hair, so the result creates a “3D” effect that makes your brows look fuller and thicker without looking like they were drawn on—very different from the heavily drawn eyebrow tattoos of old.
Alberto’s method differs in that he does not use a machine. Instead, he uses a tool that resembles an X-Acto craft knife with a slot for a microblade at the end. He then painstakingly “tattoos” each strand one by one using semipermanent plant-based ink, until he creates the shape appropriate for your face.
It’s not just the stranding technique that’s crucial in embrowdery, it’s also the person doing the shaping—something Alberto is passionate and obsessive about.
For those who fear needles, don’t worry—the procedure is completely painless, thanks to a numbing liquid applied to the brow area. The embrowdery can be done at home or at Alberto’s studio in Las Piñas.
Home session
We booked Alberto for a home session and he brought in a complete setup, including a foldable bed and bright studio lights to help him determine the appropriate shape for your face.
The sessions are currently being offered at an introductory price of P15,000. We divided the cost by the days we don’t have to spend drawing on our brows ourselves, and discovered that we would be able to have perfect brows for three years at a daily cost of P13.70—not bad at all.
If you have a special occasion where you want to show off your new brows, Alberto recommends having it done a month before (two months for brides to be absolutely sure) so that the brows are fully healed and the color has normalized.
During the first few days post-application, expect to have gorgeous brows with a villainous slant because of the darkness of the ink.
The effects are amazing and instantaneous. We went in for a session and we couldn’t believe the difference. After one side was finished, you could really see the effect a good pair of brows can have on your face.
To book an appointment or to see before and after photos, visit Alberto on Facebook at Alberto Brow Art Studio: facebook.com/albertoiiistudio; or call 09177940340 to schedule your embrowdery session.
