This may seems a grandiose statement to some, but for Lien Bui, this is a daily reality. Brows not only change the way you look, but they can change the way you look at the world. For the ladies, a well-shaped brow can give you the confidence to free yourself from a product addiction that has lasted a lifetime. For the lads, it will give you a chance at getting past ‘hello’ with said ladies.

As a business graduate with a long-held love of all that is practical and well-presented, brows are now Bui’s bread and butter. Having spent her early years as a sought-after make-up artist for leading local and international beauty brands including Bobbi Brown, Mecca Cosmetica, Chantecaille, and Space NK, she soon realised that another paint of coat is meaningless when the building looks like prime real estate in Where The Wild Things Are.

Bui has since earned herself a loyal following of high-profile clients, and established herself as the go-to girl for all things brow and makeup. She kindly agreed to show Savvy Style a tip or two…

Secret Men’s Business

Before you dismiss brow shaping as ‘women’s business’, think again. Bui says that the boys are just as regular in their appointments, if not more so.

Bui quotes Helena Rubenstein, ‘There are no ugly women, just lazy ones’ when quizzed on the importance of grooming, and says that this applies in kind to men.  

If self maintenance doesn’t appeal to your inner man, then be sure to book in with a professional every six or so weeks. This will also avoid to awkward question of why there are man hairs in the lady tweezers.


Tools of the Trade

While most men will delight in hardware of any description, the array of brow-tools available these days is not for the faint of heart. Bui recommends sticking to something simple, like a pair of slanted tweezers (Tweezerman is her tool of choice).

For an instant eye-opener more potent than a morning Bloody Mary, Bui recommends investing in a decent eye-lash curler, such as the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler.


Three Points and You’re In

With her signature 3-point system, Bui teaches that the shape of a brow is different for each individual, and refuses to subscribe to the ‘one size fits all’ mentality.  She insists on tweezing, over hot wax and stencils. For the unfamiliar, it may merely seem to be the lesser of two evils, for anyone who’s had a close encounter with over heated wax, it’s a god send. Tweezing not only offers more control over the shape of the brow, but also means that you will live to see another day unscolded.

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