Get Your Best Brows for the Season! NYC's Best Brow Shaping Expert, Elke Von Freudenberg Tells All.
Fall is officially here and with it comes all the hottest beauty trends of the season, including bolder lips, darker highlights and (perhaps our favorite) stronger brows! So to kick off the season in true BeautyBooked style, we sat down the brow expert Elke Von Freudenberg to get the scoop on everything we need to know to achieve the perfect Fall 2013 brows.
The German-born, L.A.-raised Von Freudenberg is considered one of the best brow shaping experts in NYC. In her pristine, loft-like salon nine stories above Broadway, Elke specializes in brow tweezing, while fixing and reshaping brows that are uneven, badly designed or in the process of growing in. And while clients can choose from tweezers, wax, or a combination of both, Elke prefers to only work with tweezers and small scissors for a meticulous, formulaic approach to grooming brows that highlight the best features of the face. Needless to say, we couldn't ask her enough....
BB: What advice do you have for someone who wants fuller brows for the season?
EVF: I would suggest to let them go without for a couple weeks, or even months, depending on how fast your hair grows. Let them get messy, but still clean up the hair that you don't need. Try and let a row or two above or below your current shape grow in, but keep everything else neat and polished. Then a new, fuller shape will be easier to construct from the new growth. Also, it's best to go to a specialist who understands how the brow grows in because we know that during grooming, the goal is to keep as much as we possibly can.
BB: Now that Fall is here and the weather is starting to change, what are the big requests you've been getting from your clients?
EVF: When the F/W '13 runways back in February started showing darker, fuller brows, I knew that would quickly become a popular trend for the season, as it has been for the past few years. Many designers darkened their models' brows or fanned them out to be appear fuller and messier. For the real life version of the Fall runway brow, I've been creating a lot of thick and straight shapes, with less of a defined arch. Also, using a darker brow powder than your natural brow color, and applying it with a slanted eyebrow brush can be an easy DIY way to create a more dramatic look for the cold weather season.
BB: One of the most popular services you offer is called the Model Brow Service. Can you explain what that entails?
EVF: Something I really pride myself on offering to my clientele is specializing in fixing and shaping brows that are uneven, badly designed or in the process of growing in from a bad threading or waxing service. I like to tweeze, almost exclusively, tweezing, with waxing only by request. What the Model Brow Service does is adds in that personalized consultation where I can analyze an individual's bone structure and face shape, and then pick a customized brow exclusively for them. There are no stencils involved, no one way that a brow could be created. I also offer an option to include Depilar, an incredibly effective, pain-free permanent hair removal treatment specifically for the brow area. Then I end the service ends with a light brow makeup and brow highlight, so the he/she can see what combination is most flattering for their face. It's essentially a 30 minute session that results in the best possible eyebrow for each individual.
BB: It sounds amazing, no wonder people are lining up to try it! Are there any current celebrities or models that you think is really "getting it right" these days with their brows? Or anyone that clients always ask to look like?
EVF: I tend to appreciate the brows of models more than celebrities. They are generally more editorial than commercial, yet are softer, not too hard or severe. I do like the brows on actress Camilla Belle, they are very elegant yet still are full and dramatic. Up until recently, the most request brow from my clients was Kim Kardashian, but hers are too arched and defined for what people are looking for now. Men just request "No Jersey Shore brow!" They tend to look for just a general grooming, something to clean up their brows and make them tamer, more natural, and more polished.
BB: And finally, after a visit at your salon, what are the best ways we can all maintain our new brow shape after you've worked your magic?
EVF: I always say just do a quick check every day to see if anything has grown in, and get rid of any hairs you can tell are new. If you want to do more of an all over tweezing once a week, go with your gut in terms of what should stay and what should go in order to maintain the shape. And know your body and how fast your hair grows in order to schedule your next brow specialist appointment. I have some clients who like to grow them out for 4-6 weeks, some come every 2 weeks, and some come every 3 months, Everyone's maintenance is different. But finding a shape that highlights and enhances your facial features is worth the small efforts to keep it looking polished and fresh.
Gear up for Fall with a brow makeover at the Elke Von Freudenberg salon, located at:
Book your first appointment here! Or for more information on services, products, and tutorials: visit elkevonfreudenberg.com.
Photo Source: wireimage, elkevonfreudenberg.com, style.com, allure.com
