If we were to point to one unique trend that has taken the beauty world by storm in the last few years, it’ll have to be the Korean eyebrows. The trend is characterised by straight brows that look soft, and is loved by many Korean celebrities and makeup artists, who associate the look with youthfulness.
It is probably not surprising that when it comes to brow grooming, embroidery, or general makeover, many women have been requesting for this trendy look.
It may be on-trend, but is it on-point?
We asked brow specialist, Erabelle, which has more than a decade of experience in brow artistry, whether straight Korean brows are for everyone.
Unfortunately, the answer is no. In fact, most people may not find this style flattering on them.
Korean celebrities are blessed with oval-shaped faces, sharp features, and well-endowed brow hairs, and straight Korean brows look complement these outstanding features.
On the other hand, if we don’t have the same attributes, we may end up with our faces looking larger than before, or present an odd, “imbalanced” look where our brows don’t go with the rest of our features, instead of framing them properly.
But don’t be upset if you can’t rock straight Korean brows because there’s definitely a set of brows that look fantastic on you! And this is possible if you go for brows that flatter your face shape, instead of simply following latest trends.
But if you are still hankering after straight Korean brows, here’s my recommendation: visit Erabelle and request that they draw straight brows on one side and the brow shape they design for you according to your face shape on the other. Do an objective comparison and decide if you still want to go ahead with straight brows.
I went in search of my perfect brows
Just like how an Japanese itamae (or chef) is put through a long apprenticeship of cooking rice before he can even be allowed near a chopping board, Erabelle says that their artists have to spend at least one year of training in brow design before they can start practising on the brow embroidery tools.
Analysing my face shape, the Erabelle artist told me that my face is considered round, although I have a defined chin that makes it unconventional for round-shaped faces. She also pointed out that one side of my face is a little wider than the other, which means the design of my brows may not necessarily be symmetrical in order to “balance” out my face.
As she used a pair of tweezers and a brow pencil to slowly fill in my brows professionally, I can’t help but feel like I’m watching a bonsai artist at work – the process is meticulous, focused, and patient. And the result? Pleasing on the eyes, just as a completed bonsai should.
When she was done, she asked me to inspect my brows and let her know if I had any comments about them. I didn’t have any; I was happy with what I saw: A set of brows that frame my features neatly, and made my eyes look more lifted and awake than before.
The technology used by Erabelle
Even the embroidery process isn’t a one-size-fits-all one. There are different types of tips used on each customer to ensure that the perfect look can be created according to her skin type. For instance, for those with scarred skin, nano-tips will be recommended to create a seamless look.
To get the most natural-looking colour that goes well with the customer’s skin tone, the artist mixes cold and warm brown shades from light to dark shades. This is done so that the colours are blended beautifully onto skin without giving tinges of red or grey after they fade.
On me, the artist mixed cold dark brown with warm medium brown to get a shade that’s perfect for my skin tone.
It was my first-ever brow embroidery experience, and having heard some comments from friends who have done it before, I had expected a less-than-comfortable process.
A patch test is done before the process to make sure I don’t react to any of the pigment or products used.
However, it was surprisingly painless; it felt nothing more than just scratch on my brow area and left no redness on me. I immediately stepped out with good-looking brows.
What do you think of the results?
The Erabrowlogy service is available from SGD1314 to SGD2400, and includes four to seven colour sessions (depending on the package required), as well as an aftercare kit after every session.
Erabelle is located at #01-06 to 11 VisionCrest (103 Penang Road, Tel: 6836-8388), #02-01/02 VivoCity (Tel: 6376-8336), #02-12/13 Eastpoint Mall (Tel: 6260-0098), and #04-19/20 The Seletar Mall (Tel: 6702-3933). Find out more on the Erabelle website and Facebook page.
