What’s better than a pair of lush eyelashes and beautifully shaped eyebrows? Ones that require almost zero daily fluffing and maintenance! Both eyelash extensions and eyebrow embroidery, which include techniques like powder brows and eyebrow microblading, are becoming more and more advanced. They make a huge difference to your everyday look; you can jump out of bed half ready to go! If you’re trying to decide on the best salons for semi-permanent makeup or eyelash extensions in Singapore, read on for our reviewers’ personal experiences, and find out why these amazing treatments are so worth doing.
Jo Artysan – The Eyebrow Specialist
Artysan Signature Brows (from $990)
My short, sparse eyebrows seemed to be falling out as I grew older. I’d always held back from having them done, as I didn’t want them looking tattooed like some I had seen from my mum’s era.
While having coffee with a friend, I asked her the secret to her full and fluffy brows. I was amazed to hear she’d had eyebrow embroidery at Jo Artysan – they looked so natural! After another friend of mine also recommended Jo Artysan, I took the plunge and booked a consultation.
On the day of the appointment, my artist first prepped me on what to expect during the next two and a half hours. Then she crafted a brow design that was unique to my asymmetrical facial shape, using professional tools for the “golden ratio”. I was thankful for her patience in finding out what I preferred.
After we had agreed on the shape, she led me to a cosy and comfortable treatment room. While the numbing cream took effect, we chose the brow colour that would best suit my skin. During the treatment, I could hear light scratching against my skin, but I didn’t feel a thing. I must have fallen asleep, because she had to wake me at the end. When I saw my brows, I was so pleased that I almost cried.
There was no swelling or redness. By the second day, my brows had turned darker, as expected. The scabs started peeling by the sixth day, my brows became lighter by the ninth day, and the whole recovery process was a breeze.
Like my friends, I am very happy with my brows and have had plenty of compliments. Jo Artysan has a very warm, professional team who provide honest and transparent advice on what they can do for you. I sincerely feel that they are providing a service from the heart.
– Michelle Oliverio
#02-44 to #02-48 TripleOne Somerset, 111 Somerset Road
8889 2880 | joartysan.com
The Lash Company – personalised eyelash extensions in Singapore
3D Volume Lashes ($168; first trial $138; refills at $98 within three weeks and $118 within four weeks)
Getting lashes done at The Lash Company felt distinctly different from any other eyelash extensions I’ve tried in Singapore. First up, its Holland Village branch feels more like a beautiful spa than a lash salon. The musky fragrance, soft piano music and warm interiors instantly put me in a state of relaxation, ready to be pampered! Second, the consultation process was really thorough – with good reason. The Lash Company doesn’t just offer standardised, pre-set lash styles. Instead, everything can be customised. The team, based on the shape of your eyes and health of your natural lashes, plus your lifestyle and aesthetic preferences, will suggest some lashes that suit you. This attention to detail and bespoke approach really made an impression from the get-go.
Noticing my eyeliner-framed eyes, leading lash artist Penny recommended the 3D Volume Lashes. They would create a similar natural eyeliner effect. Yes, please! Then together we decided on the curl (CC), length (8-10mm), shape (natural fan) and density (another rarity: unlimited strands of up to 500 can be offered, depending on your natural lash count). I settled into one of the curtain-flanked treatment beds as my lash artist Nichole worked her magic. A deep cleanse and foam cleanse removed any makeup, oil and impurities that would disrupt the adhesive. Then, each individual lash was gently applied with precision. I felt totally comfortable and even dozed off a bit!
It was love at first sight waking up to my new lashes: full and fluffy, with just the right amount of oomph without going overboard. Not only do they elongate the corners of my eyes, but also make me look (and feel!) more awake – sans eyeliner. It’s been over a week, and the lashes have barely fallen off, which is another huge plus. I’m told that these 3D Volume Lashes, because they’re so light and non-damaging, would be perfect for someone who wants to fill up their sparser, thinner lashes as well. I can’t recommend getting them done at The Lash Company enough.
– Cherry Lai
Holland Village | 27B Lorong Liput | 9144 0377
Katong | 101 East Coast Road | 9113 7675
thelashco.sg
SleekBrow – beautiful misty eyebrow embroidery
Misty Eyebrow Embroidery ($450 by resident artist; $550 by lead artist; $650 by master artist)
Like many people, I plucked my eyebrows to death in the 90’s and they’ve never been the same since. I have been religiously filling them in every day. So when I was given the opportunity to try out eyebrow embroidery at SleekBrow, I jumped at the chance.
I was slightly nervous as I’ve never had anything “semipermanent” done before. I wasn’t exactly sure what I should be asking for. But from the minute I walked through the door, I was reassured by the team’s friendly, knowledgeable and confident approach. It started with a 30-minute consultation, discussing what I knew I didn’t want (since all I really knew was that I wanted it to look quite natural!). The team drew an outline and filled it in with makeup to replicate a finished look that I was happy with. By this stage, I was relaxed and confident to go with anything they suggested.
I was then taken upstairs to the treatment room and had the luxury of lying down and napping for approximately 90 minutes during the treatment. The treatment itself didn’t hurt at all. At the end, it felt slightly sore, but this feeling went very quickly. Throughout the process I was asked how it felt and whether I was okay.
Taking my first look in the mirror after the eyebrow embroidery treatment, I was a little worried as my brows were a bit darker than how I usually drew them. But I was reassured by the team that this was normal and they would fade and the outlines would blur over a couple of days. I left with an aftercare kit and a smile on my face.
Four days later, everything they said is true and I couldn’t be happier with what I believe look like the eyebrows I had before I plucked them away. No more daily filling in for me – I will definitely be going back in six months for a maintenance treatment!
– Claire Salaria
#05-06 The Flow, 66 East Coast Road 9727 6276 | sleekbrowsg.as.me | IG: sleekbrowsg
Beautylane – soft and natural powdery brows
Ombrè Plus Powder Brow (special price $780, including aftercare ointment and complimentary touch-up within two months)
As the owner of sparse, fair brows, I’ve been considering having some form of permanent eyebrow makeup for a while now. I’d recently received a recommendation from a friend with great brows to try an ombré misty eyebrow embroidery treatment. I prefer the natural powdery look rather than the more obvious strokes common with the eyebrow microblading approach. If I’m honest, though, I was a bit nervous about the potential pain, and the permanency of it if it wasn’t right.
Meeting Janet on arrival at Beautylane allayed my concerns. She’s so warm and bubbly and clearly has a real passion to make everyone who walks through her doors look and feel pretty! Over a ginger tea we chatted about my colour and style preference, with me showing a few pics of looks I liked. With her lovely beauty specialist Kelly, she measured and drew on with pencil precisely the shape of my brow. I decided to go for a finer look. Once we were all happy with the shape and thickness, it was time to head to the treatment room.
After I was happily settled under a cosy blanket, Kelly applied the numbing cream and I had a little kip for 20 minutes while waiting for it to kick in. I was amazed how well it worked as I didn’t feel a thing once the procedure started. The application process took around one and a half hours, including additional numbing cream.
Then it was time for the great reveal. It was better than I could have imagined. Clearly the technology has really improved since my mum had her eyebrows coloured five years ago! I’m absolutely thrilled with my new look, which will last around a year. It darkened slightly after a day or two and slightly slimmed, which was perfect.
I’ll definitely follow Janet’s guidance to come in after a month for a touch-up to ensure a perfect result. And the timing couldn’t be better as I’m off home to Australia for a holiday – feeling fresh-faced with zero downtime. I’d recommend this to anyone; as a first-timer, I’m now a convert.
– Georgina Hockley
144 East Coast Road 6344 6418 | WhatsApp: 9227 2665 beautylane.com.sg
Eyebrow embroidery, powder brows and eyelash extensions in Singapore – what’s trending?
Eyelashes and eyebrows are having a major moment on centre stage – and they aren’t about to exit left anytime soon. I think the reason lush lashes and full eyebrows are so attractive is that they signal health. Only a vibrant, well-nutrified body will go to the trouble of maintaining a full, thick head of hair – let alone brows and lashes to frame, protect and beautify the eyes. This is also why eyebrow embroidery, powder brows and eyelash extensions in Singapore are so popular.
As with most aspects of fashion and beauty, brow trends have cycled and been recycled through the decades. Today’s dramatically full, defined and manicured brows were also popular in the 40s and 50s – think Elizabeth Taylor, Vivienne Leigh – but that hasn’t always been the case. They were thin and rounded in the 20s, understated Twiggy-style in the 1960s, and again thin and plucked in the 1970s and 1990s.
In fact, the natural brows of some of my friends and family have never really recovered from overzealous plucking in the name of fashion. New tattooing techniques like eyebrow embroidery which includes eyebrow microblading and powder brows have been a godsend for them – and for anyone who has lost brow-hair to thyroid issues or simply getting older. Plus, of course, powder brows work wonders for people like me whose real eyebrows are so short, fine and blonde as to be literally invisible. Powder brows also give a natural-looking outcome, so they look like your no-makeup self.
Flutter-worthy eyelash extensions in Singapore
The lash-enhancement trend is difficult to ignore – especially for genetically dispossessed unfortunates such as yours truly. Sadly, only the rare few are blessed with eyelashes long enough to look great with mascara alone. For the rest of us, mascara – even today’s improved lash-building and telescopic formulas – doesn’t really cut it.
From long, wispy, ingenuous lashes that could almost be natural, to those ultra-dramatic fan-like sweeps, eyelash extensions instantly add glamour and an undeniable wow-factor. Yes, top-quality extensions are not inexpensive, and maintaining them takes time and commitment. The same goes for achieving stunning eyebrows, though perhaps to a lesser extent.
– Verne Maree
This article first appeared in the February 2024 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe, so you never miss a copy!
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