London

My job requires a host of different things. Meetings, networking, events, pitching and researching, you name it. And what do all of these have in common? Presentation. I have to be well put together – whether that’s on my blog, my social media feed or in real life when doing all of the above.

London is the hub of fashion; the home of UK beauty innovation and so for me it’s important to look professional. Sure we all love to try the latest trends but no one wants to be that person who walks into the room with awful eyebrows. I admit, that used to be (well in my mind anyway). Being a dark brunette girl I was blessed with naturally very thick eyebrows. Cue years of waxing, over plucking and yes even accidentally taking off half an eyebrow a few years ago (won’t be doing that at home again) and I was left with uneven shapes that I’d violently pencil over.

Andrea Grollet

You may have heard of Andrea before. Based in London’s affluent Knightsbridge, she’s well established and well known among her high profile clients. Andrea Grollet is the one you go to for subtle enhancements to brows, eyes and lips. In short, Andrea is the definition of a luxury – she knows what to do, does it professionally and the results are super impressive. Her reviews in magazines and the like speak for themselves. In fact I’ve yet to find someone as good as Andrea and believe me I’ve searched high and low. She’s the best and quite frankly the only person I would ever trust to do my semi-permanent makeup (and trust me I’ve had a fair few consultations in and around London).

Brow Game

My brow knowledge went as far as ‘get the colour right and the shape even’. But they’re so much more than that. They have the potential to lift eyes making you look like you’ve slept for ten hours, they can lift your whole face and give you a more youthful appearance. Done correctly, they can enhance the face’s symmetry, will make you look more ‘put together’ and can make you feel more confident sans makeup. A well groomed brow is more powerful than you think.

Semi-Permanent Makeup

Having already researched micro blading I decided against it and instead booked an appointment with Andrea for a process that’s the equivalent of tattooing. At first I was a little apprehensive because my brows were very uneven, very different shapes and required a big overhaul. One sat quite high compared to the other and I have areas where the hair grows more than others. They’re also very over plucked and non existent in some patches. But I had nothing to worry about as Andrea assured me she could fix them.

Andrea uses mineral pigments, not ink made from primary colours (that’s why black tattoos fade to blue and no one wants faded blue brows). Like a tattoo, the pigment is put into the upper dermal layer of the skin. The idea is that the brow colour doesn’t ‘bleed’ or ‘drag’ away from where it’s supposed to sit. Unlike micro blading, no long blade is used on skin.

My Treatment

The first treatment requires two visits around a month/month and a half apart. Within half an hour Andrea had cut, plucked and lightly pencilled my brows into the most incredible shape I’d ever seen and instantly I saw an improvement to my whole face. She matched my pigment to a Clinique pencil (just incase I wanted a heavier look for a night out) which I thought was really impressive.

As you know I hate needles so honestly I was so nervous but Andrea put me right at ease and explained the whole process from start to finish, and again whilst doing it. It felt a little scratchy to begin with but it’s bearable (she has numbing cream too).

From just one treatment I could see amazing results. 10 days of keeping them dry they eventually healed. It felt amazing waking up and looking in the mirror and already feeling like I’m almost ready for the day. It was a surprise for about 3 days in a row! After the second top up treatment my brows were the best they had ever been. Perfect shape, colour and thanks to Andrea’s magic hands they also ‘sat like sisters not like twins’ (as they say in the brow world).

I’m absolutely thrilled with my brows and it’s definitely the best beauty investment I have ever made. Thank you Andrea for giving me back my confidence, my smile and saving me a million hours of time fussing over them and a million pounds in powders and pencils.

MY ESSENTIAL BROW KIT

Tweezerman slanted tweezers: Important to use super sharp tweezers from a good quality brand like Tweezerman!

Clinique Instant Lift For Brows (Pencil): Soft and fine, everything a pencil should be!

Rae Morris Brow Brush

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Scissors

*Disclaimer: Because of lighting and camera technology, it’s tricky to clearly show the brush strokes of the brows. My brows are completely natural looking and no one has ever asked me if they’re tattooed. I highly recommend Andrea!

Semi-permanent make up as the name implies requires periodical maintenance to ensure the freshness of the look, but you can expect the enhancement to last anything from 9 months to 18 months before a re-touch treatment is required.