Benefit Brow Bar Party – Putting the Wow into Brows!

A while back, Benefit Cosmetics invited me to Putting the Wow into Brows!, a Benefit brow workshop held at Sephora Ion Orchard.

Held by Maki and Wing, two Benefit brow gurus from Hong Kong, participants learnt about brow techniques and were each treated to a brow-shaping session. Maki and Wing were really effervescent and friendly; I was quite taken by their warmth and chattiness!

As Maki (she has over ten years of experience in brow beauty) worked on the model, the articulate Wing gave us a description of a typical Benefit brow arching/shaping session. Here are some fun facts and trivia, as well as brow tips and tricks, from the brand:

• Benefit Cosmetics started out as The Face Place in 1976 (the brand changed its name only in 1990).

• Between 2003 and 2008, Benefit had 50 brow bars. In 2010, that number has since burgeoned to 500 (!).

• A Benefit brow session is not only fast and convenient, no appointment is needed.

• The Benefit brow specialist will first conduct a personal consultation with you (questions include those pertaining to allergies and current medication).

• The brow specialist first determines the right shape for the client’s face. To do that:

1. A long stick is placed at the centre of each nostril to the brows, to determine where the brows should start.

2. The stick is then placed at a 45° angle from the centre of the nose to determine where the arch of the brow should be.

3. The stick is placed at the edge of the nose to determine where the brows should end.

• After determining the ideal brow shape for your face, the brow specialist will fill in the brows with a mixture of eyebrow powder and wax from a Brow Zings palette/brow shaping kit.

• She will then use High Brow, a brow lifting pencil, to highlight the brow arch. Maki uses it under and above the brows, blending it with a concealer brush.

• For brow waxing, Benefit uses a pearl wax which imparts a smooth finish.

• Prior to waxing, the brow specialist will apply Dear John, a moisturiser, onto the skin to minimise the pain.

• Eyes should be opened when waxing (and shaping).

• The warm wax is  gently painted onto the hairs/specific areas of skin that have not been filled in. Little rectangles of paper are then placed on those areas and removed firmly, pulling off the unwanted strands of hairs.

• The brow specialist first waxes the space between the brows before moving on to the other areas.

Voilà! Sculpted brows, courtesy of Benefit Cosmetics!

In addition, Wing told us that:

• Caucasian brows tend to be shorter in the inner brow area because of the Caucasian face structure.

• A fengshui master in Hong Kong once said that people with brows that are close together tend to be petty :P and that women with thick brows tend to be professional women/have rich husbands! ;)

We were given several Benefit brow products to play with, after the brow waxing demo. I thought the flowers were a nice touch. :)

After our play session, a Benefit brow specialist, Jana, set about neatening my brows.

Here are the results of her labour! Jana was really sweet and professional. Do look for her, should you decide to have your brows done at Benefit.

Here’s the finger food from Gustos. The table setting was simple but lovely and the food was delicious.

Here are the ubiquitous Benefit party balloons, always a cheery sight! :)

My friends and I received a goodie bag that contained a Benefit Brow Bar button, Lust Duster in Nugget, as well as Brows A-Go-Go brow and eye shaping kit.

This handy kit is so cute! I’m looking forward to trying the brow powder/wax and the brightening products.

Thank you, Benefit Cosmetics Singapore, for yet another fun-filled party! ♥

Image source: Benefit Cosmetics