Eilidh MacRaeFreelance Lifestyle Content Creator and Editor.

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THE BROW BOOM

40 | Vitality | January/February 2017 January/February 2017 | Vitality | 41www.babtac.com/145-vitality-online

‘Brows’ has been a beauty buzzword for the last three years, and rather than dying down, the industry just keeps

growing. It is becoming increasingly important

to consumers to have perfectly groomed brows that adhere to the current trend of full and natural looking brows. But, rather relying on their own natural arch to achieve the ‘natural brow’, clients are willing to part with their hard-earned cash each month to keep on top of brow maintenance.

In the UK in 2014 between January and May, £6.5m was spent on eyebrow related products, making the UK brow market worth an estimated £15.5m that year. According to the NPD group, this was a 53 per cent increase on the previous year, and while exact figures are not currently available for 2016, the market has been estimated at £20m, which reflects the increase in brow products on the market and the range of brow treatments now available.

Clare Stephens, head of education at The Eyelash Design Company, says: ‘The eyebrow industry has been growing at an impressive rate over the past couple of years and the beauty market has been reaping the rewards ever since.

‘However, with such fast growth it has meant business and beauty brands have had to work even harder to not only come up with new and innovative ways to achieve these brows but also stay ahead and above fierce competition.’

Earlier this year, market analysts predicted that brow products are set to become as popular as mascara, but brows are not all about aesthetics. While a well-shaped brow can go a long way towards opening up the eye and complimenting the shape of the face, many women have suffered confidence issues due to over-plucked or unruly brows.

Back in the ’90s a thin brow look was on trend and, with a lack of brow bars

at the time, most women chose to shape their brows at home. This resulted in over-plucking and eyebrows that did not compliment the shape of the face.

Today, clients have better knowledge of just how important the shape of the brow is and the growth of the industry is due to the willingness of clients to seek the help of professionals.

[Person and job title to come] from microblading training academy Eyebrow Embroidery said: ‘Brow Mapping is extremely important, as is understanding the correct placement and measurements of brows in relation to the client’s face shape and desires as well as fashion.

‘The placement of the arch is crucial as is the “tail” not being lower than the “bulb”, one template does not fit all; as a rule of thumb I ask clients to come for their scratch test and consultation 24 hours prior to their treatment with their brows made up and work from that.’

For those who work in the brow industry, demand is at an all-time high, as we found out when we spoke to BABTAC member Misty Crew, and founder and director of High Definition, Nilam Holmes-Patel.

From specialismBABTAC member Misty has found that interest in brows has skyrocketed over the past three years, which has directly led her to opening her own brow bar.

Misty says: ‘I’ve had to restructure my business to keep up with the demand in my area. I used to be a walk-in beauty salon offering quick 15-minute treatments when I first opened three years ago.

‘I soon became very busy with clients who wanted quick brow treatments, so I made the decision to look for more advanced training in eyebrows. After taking a course for Billion Dollar Brows I soon saw a bigger interest from clients wanting the fuller brow look but not having any eyebrows, either due to over plucking or just age, so I looked even further into longer lasting treatments.’

The Brow Boom

With the brow industry achieving growth year after year, editor EILIDH MACRAE takes a deeper look into this

lucrative market...

Editor of Vitality MagazineThe members magazine for the British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology

Made Editor in 2014

EDITORIAL CONTENTemmedia.uk

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42 | Vitality | January/February 2017 January/February 2017 | Vitality | 43www.babtac.com/145-vitality-online

In order to advance her skills and keep up with demand, Misty underwent training courses with Epibrow to be able to offer her clients a list of advanced eyebrow treatments.

Demand increased, meaning Misty had to make the decision to focus solely on brows; she decided to drop all of her other beauty treatments to keep up with the sudden demand. She then decided to move the business to accommodate the growth, and became the first brow bar in the Scottish borders.

On the weekend of the launch of her new brow bar in September 2016, Misty also attended the Scottish Hair and Beauty

Awards, where she was named Best Brow Artist in Scotland. Misty is now fully booked four months in advance, and has recently taken on a new member of staff to help meet the ever-growing demand.

Misty says: ‘I think brows are here to stay, from just a quick wax or thread to Epibrow microblading and every other brow treatment in between.

‘I can cater for any client who walks through my door. I never imagined I’d be able to do eyebrows day in, day out and make a living from it and even to win an award for my skills. The brow industry is booming and rightly so, everyone needs their brows done!’

To expansionWith over 20 years’ experience in the beauty industry as a brow stylist, make-up artist and salon owner, Nilam went on to set up High Definition, the leading brow brand in the UK.

Launched in 2008 as HD Brows, the brand became an authority in creating perfect arches for men and women across the UK. Recently rebranding as High Definition, HD recognised that there was room for expansion and now offers a make-up collection alongside HD Brows and skin, nail, hair and lash treatments. In addition High Definition also offers training courses and careers in the beauty

industry.Nilam set up High Definition because

she saw that there was limited education surrounding brows in the beauty and cosmetic industry, saying: ‘I always had my own methods of brow shaping that I wanted to share with others. There wasn’t a branded brow treatment at the time and I saw the gap in the market, I knew this was something people were looking for.’

Initially training in international hotel management and business studies, Nilam didn’t initially set out to have a career in the beauty industry, although she did work part-time in a beauty salon while she was studying.

Nilam carried out her beauty training on-the-job after she opened her own salon with her sister. She developed her skills further when she went to America where she worked with several VIP clients on music videos, TV commercials, films and photoshoots.

Returning to the UK, she focused on being a skin and brow specialist. Nilam trained in a variety of areas, working with doctors, surgeons and cosmetic scientists, before launching HD Brows.

Following the success of the brand, Nilam concentrated her interest and passion for science-led beauty treatments and expanded the range of treatments offered under High Definition.

Launching High Definition at just the right time, the market has seen on-going growth over the last decade. When talking about the brow industry, Nilam says: ‘There’s such a huge focus on eyebrows now and I don’t think it will stop. There’s a boom in techniques such as microblading and permanent brows, but I think it will revert back to more traditional brow shaping methods. The growth has resulted in many make-up brands having dedicated brow product ranges within their collections.’

Nilam also says that the growth has continually increased year on year. When HD was launched there wasn’t any other branded brow service or education option on the market, and as the brow industry grew so did HD, which resulted in the expansion into different areas of beauty including products and services.

Nilam says: ‘I think High Definition has been a big player in the industry,

particularly in the UK. We’re one of the original eyebrow brands and the number one salon-branded treatment in the UK.

‘There is a lot more education available to consumers in the market now – things like YouTube tutorials and social media trends – which has also driven the growth of the brow industry.

‘People want bespoke brows that are tailored to them and their facial shape and personal style, we don’t get asked for too many ‘trends’ but the unstructured look (or the undone look as we call it at HD Brows) is the most requested look right now.

‘It suits almost anyone but be sure to keep the size relevant to your face size. If you don’t have a great deal of brow hair to begin with, don’t worry! You can mimic the look by layering products. Clients are surprised by the number of products I use on the brow and still manage to make them look natural. If you are blessed with natural full brows all you need to do is lift and separate the hairs with a clear brow gel to look fluffier.

‘There’s also a move towards microblading and permanent make-up techniques which I think will carry on into 2017, but traditional brow shaping will prevail.’

For the future of brows, Nilam hopes to see more basic-level education for brows at colleges, and she expects there will be more branded brow treatments appearing in the market, with more products launching that focus on growth and regrowth of the brow.

Finally, Nilam says: ‘We are always looking for the next big thing and how to improve on the treatments and products we already have. I’ve always been interested in the scientific and technology side of the industry and I think this will become more and more important.’

HIGH DEFINITION TIMELINE 2008 – HD Brows launches2010 – Capsule retail brow product collection launches2011 – Ireland academy opens2014 – Make-Up Collection launches and the Professional Artistry course launches2015 – Head office relocates to Leeds, Glasgow Academy opens and HD launches in India2016 – Leeds Academy opens. Company rebrands as High Definition Beauty.Anatomy and Physiology course is launched online, High Definition Nails Systems launches, the High Definition Boutique in Notting Hill opens and the company launches in Russia.

“I never imagined I’d be able to do eyebrows day in, day out and make a living from it and even to win an award for my skills”

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