Move over microblading, there's a new brow enhancement treatment in town that's making waves in London: brow laminating. Don't worry, no one is going to come after you with a laminator (unless you're a stationery fan, then that sounds ideal). The simplest way of describing brow lamination is that it's a semi-permanent brow gel that helps your brows stay in place. Essentially it's like a lash lift [1] or perm for your eyebrows.
The treatment was started in Russia, and you can find loads of brow lamination videos on YouTube created by Russian aestheticians. The first salon in London to offer brow lamination was Brow Bar BBM London [2] in Knightsbridge. They have a Moscow salon, too, where they've been offering brow lamination for over four years and decided to bring the treatment to their London location a year ago.
Brow lamination is ideal if, like me, you have thick and unruly brows that no brow gel can tame. Yana Gushchina, cofounder and director of Brow Bar BBM, told me the treatment is for all brows, as even perfect brows might have imperfections that need solving like "incorrect eyebrow shape, improper hair growth, unruly, thin, or uneven hairs, or an undefined shape." According to Gushchina, brow lamination can help all of these issues.
Beth Camilleri, founder of East London studio The London Dolls [3], thinks the treatment is actually great for thinner brows, too, as it not only secures the individual hairs in place but the tint that's applied as part of the treatment also helps brows look full and fluffy. "Brow lamination is a lift to the brows," Camilleri says. "The hair is chemically straightened and reset in a more upright angle similar to the effect of the soap brow." Camilleri notes that this could be a great alternative to semi-permanent brow tattoo — also known as microblading [4] — as it gives the illusion of fuller brows, that are perfectly undone. "Brow lamination means no more brow gel, pencil, or any need for filling!" she adds.
The treatment is meant to last six to eight weeks and, at a London salon, costs on average of £60. Because I wasn't sure if this treatment would work for me, instead of going to a salon, I decided to try it out at home (and yes, I know that beauty editors and brow technicians would advise against this if you asked them). The premise is the same as a lash lift, so all I had to do is find a good lash lift kit on Amazon, and after watching a few reviews and a few lash lift videos to understand the process, I was ready to go.
The At-Home Brow Lamination Process
Step 1: Prepare Your Products
I found this Eyelash Perm Kit [5] (£16) on Amazon that had good reviews. A word of warning, though: before you even put this near your brows, make sure to do a patch test first. This is very important to ensure that the solution won't cause an adverse reaction on your skin, especially as you're using it so close to your eyes. If you're someone with very sensitive eyes, I would absolutely not recommend trying this at home.
The other things you will need apart from the kit are:
- Micellar water and cotton rounds to clean brows (mine are reusable [6])
- Vaseline, or some other type of ointment to use as a barrier cream around the brows — I used my favourite lip balm, Lucas' Papaw Ointment [7] (£7)
- A spoolie brush
- Brow tint and activator if you wish to tint your brows
- 4 pieces of cling film
Step 2: Clean and Prep Your Brows
I started by removing any product residue left behind on both my brow hairs or on the skin underneath by using my reusable cotton soaked in micellar water. Once clean and fully dry, I added a thin layer of the Lucas Papaw ointment around the perimeter of my brows to protect the skin from the perming solution. Next, I combed my brows up into the shape I wanted using the spoolie brush.
Step 3: Laminate Away
Next, I painted the lash adhesive in the kit onto my brows to give them more of a feathered effect and waited for the glue to dry. I spent some time on this step, as whatever your brows look like during this step will be their final shape after the lamination process.
Once the glue set, I applied the perm solution to both brows. The instructions in the box were brief, only mentioning to leave the product on for 8-12 minutes (I left it on for the full 12). Because there wasn't much detail in the directions, I borrowed a trick from some of the YouTube videos I watched, including covering your brows with cling film (apparently they also do this at in-clinic brow lamination appointments). I then repeated the exact same process but with the second bottle in the kit called "Fixation."
Step 4: Put on the Finishing Touches
If you want to tint your brows, this is when you'd do it. I like using the Julienne Eyelash and Brow Tint [8] (£5) that I found on Amazon. Again, here's another instance where you want to do a patch test to make sure the ingredients in the formula don't irritate your skin.
After cleaning away all of the residue left on my brows from the lamination process, I then followed the tint instructions in the kit, leaving the dye on for 15 minutes.
When I was done tinting, I applied the nourishing solution that comes with the perm kit. This is a step you need to do whether you choose to tint your brows or not as the perm solution is quite drying, and this will help both your brow hairs and skin to stay moisturised.
Step 5: Treat Your Brows to a Hydrating Oil
Just like with a lash lift, the most important thing to do after your treatment is to avoid getting your brows wet for 24 to 48 hours — and this includes going into a sauna, steam room, or pool, or getting sweaty at the gym. To ensure your brow hairs stay soft and hydrated, use a nourishing brow oil and brush them daily, says Gushchina, who offers clients organic Usma Oil at the salon but says that any oil will do. Camilleri seconds that point: "Brows need to be moisturised every day with a good oil or they can look frazzled."
The Verdict
The first couple of weeks, my eyebrows looked perfect. From the second week, on, I noticed the hairs weren't "stuck" in place like they were initially, but after brushing them up with a spoolie, they stayed put much easier through the day. The fluffed-up shape didn't last for 6-8 weeks, but keep in mind I have quite unruly brows, and someone with thinner brow hairs may experience different results.
This is the second time I've tried at-home brow lamination and have been happy with the results both times. However, I have to admit I'd be curious to see if having it done in a salon by a professional would have a different effect, as their products are probably stronger and therefore longer lasting.
And while doing this at home works for me, it's definitely not for everyone (as I said, professionals would not recommend trying this at home). For most people, I would definitely recommend going to one of the salons that offer the treatment professionally. Keep in mind the people that do this in a salon have been doing so for years and are brow specialists that know what suits your face shape and brows.