WHAT EVEN ARE HD BROWS?

is the question i got asked a lotttttt after i posted pictures of my new browz on my instastories over the weekend. well, i mean, i do not know anything about, nor have i ever shown an interest in beauty trends or products, but i've had an actual gut-full of certain hang-ups i have about how i look and so i'm doing something about them all this year. starting with my eyebrows. why? because mine are basically non-existent thanks to spending my youth over-plucking because fashion, and my adult years continuing to over-pluck because ocd, and i can't actually bring myself to leave the house without filling them in. without eyebrows, i feel naked. i think i would rather be naked than be seen without my browz, so.. that needed to change. 

i have tried numerous techniques for shaping and filling over the last few years, but the older i get and the looser my forehead gets, my brows seem to be constantly changing to a point where i can't really be bothered with them anymore - i need a solution. again, if you saw my stories over christmas, you'll know that i was considering microblading. this is basically where a beautician will draw fine lines to replicate those of actual hairs along your brow bone - a bit like a tattoo, but not as long-lasting, nor as painful. just as expensive, though. you're looking at about £200+ for this service, and you need to have them "topped up" about once a year - so really, it's an investment. 

before

i'm doing some research and finding well-reviewed places to have a consultation at, because it's not something i want to rush into. it feels serious. so, instead, over the weekend i opted for a trial run, by having a treatment done called "hd brows". i have never, ever had my eyebrows waxed or threaded, always just pluck, pluck, plucking to my heart's constant discontent, so i was nervous. my beautician made me feel totally at ease though, and just got on with it while i lay there and let her.

she began by defining my brows by waxing the baby hairs from above and below my brow bone. even though i didn't think that could be possible, having even obsessively plucked that morning, she managed to clean them up even more. next, was threading. anyone who's ever had their brows threaded will know this is not a peasant experience, and less so if you've just had warm wax applied and then small hairs ripped from a sensitive part of your face. nevertheless, the threading part was more or less to tidy up the arch by sharpening the hairs in that area. or something. i still don't know how she managed it, but she found an arch where i didn't think there was one, and even made them seem thicker than they started. the last step was dye. dark tint was applied to my brows, left for eight minutes, and then wiped away to leave the most beautiful eyebrows i've ever had.

after

yes, they're thinner than i'm used to, but.. they look so good! the shape is flattering for my face, and not having to use a steady hand to outline, fill, and shape them every day since has been like, a revelation. i catch myself in the mirror and am like, oh hey.. nice brows *wink*. it's hilarious, but it was so worth the test. the treatment was only £12.50 at my local salon, though there are cheaper/more expensive ones available on treatwell too. just have a look, if this is something you're thinking about yourself. my beautician advised that so long as i don't scrub them, they should last 3-4 weeks, which is only slightly cheaper than the microblading, but is more affordable as you'd only be paying every time you go.

so. i'm bloody chuffed with the result, which is saying something. i'm going to keep this treatment up while i consider microblading more, and just absorb the cost as part of my monthly upkeep - which includes at least one de-stress massage and having my nails done (both for medical reasons, not just because i'm high maintenance), as well as my gym membership and trainer - all things that i just seemingly have to pay for in order to feel human and be happy. life, eh!