written by: Christie Marcy
Trends come and go. One generation’s Brooke Shields is another’s Cara Delevingne, but one thing is for sure—brows are back.
Vanessa Lavey, owner and brow stylist at Big City Brows in Sugar House, says there’s a good reason for that. “The brow is the frame of the eye and your eyes are the first thing people see when they meet you,” she says.
“It is all about a big eyebrow right now,” Lavey says. “You do have to have genetics to make that happen, so I work with clients to determine what they want and what’s possible.”
Lavey says there’s a lot that goes into a good brow—waxing, tweezing, trimming, tinting and microblading among them. “There’s some subtleties,” she says. “It’s about your face, your brow bone, your brow color, volume and texture. My job is to ask, ‘What is the maximum amount of drama and beauty we can bring to your face?’ ”
“Every hair matters,” Lavey says with a laugh. “I really love helping women to look great without a lot of makeup. Then they can just feel pretty and go on with their life.”
It’s not just brows. Big City Brows also works on eyelashes, forgoing the ever-popular lash extensions and focusing on a temporary procedure called the Lash Lift. “It puts your natural lashes on display and lifts your lashes up and out,” says Lavey. “Your natural lash is actually being styled, too, now.”
Fake fuller-looking brows with Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel, available in 3 shades, $24.00, sephora.com
Lavey’s tips for great brows:
1. “Less is more.” Less work, that is. “Don’t overdo it. It’s better to be a little bit messy.”
2. “If you’re doing your own maintenance, don’t get so close to the mirror. Ask yourself what your brows will look like from a normal distance and look at yourself from farther away. Some of those hairs that look messy close up are really part of your shape.”
3. “Don’t just let your hair stylist do your brows—find a great eyebrow stylist. Even an awesome hairdresser is going to wax your brows really fast and without attention to detail. They are an expert in hair. Go to an expert of brows.”
774 E. 2100 South, SLC, 801-970-5555, bigcitybrows.com
