WOW THE BROW WITH BLINK BROW BAR

WORDS RACHEL EDWARDS - SPECIAL THANKS BLANKET LONDON

I have a vivid memory of sitting on the steps outside my house in Edinburgh when I was a child and my mum warning me not to shave my thighs or to mess with my eyebrows. So naturally I did both. The result was uneven, sparse eyebrows that didn't do much, or anything, for the shape of my face. I wasn't too bothered, and in fact I was more annoyed at my inability to raise one eyebrow than I was about how they looked. It was all about the heavy dream matte mousse foundation, chalked out lips and bright blusher back then.

Until, that is, the ‘eyebrows on fleek’ trend emerged. Suddenly, brows were centre stage and everyone had their signature look - the bushy Cara Delevigne style, Kylie Jenner’s perfectly shaped brows, or more recently Gabbriette’s signature skinny brow. Like the boy in Superbad who sees penises everywhere, I became obsessed with eyebrows. At one point I remember envying the middle aged man who made kebabs in the shop round the corner for me for his thick, evenly shaped brows. 'He doesn't even need to try' I thought as I bit into my falafel wrap.

Years later, and following a bleached brow experience which was great, minus the whole not being able to do expressions thing, I decided to seize the reigns and embark on my very own eyebrow journey. After extensive research into the best brow bars in London (let me tell you there are a lot) I opted for Blink Brow Bar. 

BBB is the brainchild of Vanita Parti, who also felt that brows weren’t being given enough airtime in Britain. Wanting to create brow bars in central London, Parti approached department stores before being picked up by Fenwick. It wasn’t long before BBB launched in multiple locations around central London, including Liberty and John Lewis. 

More than just a threading/ tinting bar, BBB has it’s own line of products like eyebrow oils, serums and glosses.

I've tried a lot of eyebrow gels, usually ones that are too sticky or leave some strange residue on my eyebrows which people tell me about once I leave the house. The BBB gel is very, very good. It has a nice texture and still holds them in shape throughout the day.

I was booked in at the John Lewis BBB. When I arrived, I had a quick consultation with the beautician. I was afraid that my eyebrows might end up unnaturally dark, but she reassured me that this wouldn't be the case. She was right, I needn't have worried. They were so natural - almost looking more natural than my real colour.

My other fear was over-threading. Don't get me wrong I love thin brows, but maintenance is an issue for me - would I really be able to keep up with plucking and shaping a thin brow? And was I edgy enough to pull it off? As it turned out, the shape was amazing - somehow with the dye they looked thicker than before, but they had a slight angle in the middle. I left feeling amazing, vowing that I'd return next time I'm looking for a little eyebrow va-va-voom.

I've been using the serum and oil every day, in hope that it will continue to make my eyebrows thicker and more luxurious, but it's too early to tell. What I can say, is that if you need guidance, put your faith (and eyebrows) in the hands of BBB.