Before my mid-twenties, my eyebrows weren't really a big deal to me. I'd missed out on the days when plucking them until they were razor thin were all the range, but all of the feathery brows, lamination, microblading, and brow tattoos were in my distant future.
As such, I never touched them, and they looked just like nature intended; wispy, barely there and mousey brown. A bit naff, to be honest.
In time, I learned to appreciate the power of the brow. Perhaps even more important than a good mascara, nowadays I need nice eyebrows to feel like a make-up look is finished and to feel like my best self – and, as such, my sad wisps have had a series of transformations over the years, from disastrous heavy brows to wild arches that didn't suit my face (sorry, Benefit), to over-zealous waxing that left them even more diminished.
© BEN STANSALLBut in the months leading up to my wedding, I decided to have one more go at trying to find a better brow look. And, for me, Meghan Markle has always had the most beautiful brows. They are bold but subtle, with a natural feel but shaped – so I did some research.
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While living in the UK, Meghan's go-to place was the Nails + Brow Mayfair, a small, bright boutique beauty salon founded by Sherrille Riley. According to the founder, the Duchess of Sussex would opt for the Audrey Brow. So, I made an appointment for just that.
The Audrey Brow is based on the timeless look of Audrey Hepburn, and was created by Sherrille herself. The process is a shape and tint, and instead of creating a perfect arch, the brows are straighter and archless, with the ends fading out. Using a tint, threading and tweezers, the result is meant to look very natural but defined. It definitely worked for the royal – but how would I fare?
Contemplating my wispy brow hairs, my beautician Shabinaz didn't, as I suspected, throw her hands in the air and proclaim that giving me the brow treatment was impossible. Instead, she was lovely and complimentary. "You have a lot of very fine hair," she told me. "So it's perfect to tint, there's plenty to work with."
She initially tried a lighter shade (I have pale skin and red hair, so sometimes caution is key), and after testing it out, we agreed a more distinct shade of brown would be better.
"That's turned out really nicely," she said, and I agreed. It might be a small thing, but it was such a reassuring experience knowing that the beautician was completely invested in her work and was going after perfection rather than hurrying through it. After we nailed the colour, Shabinaz got to work with shaping. She efficiently threaded my brows, then tidied them up with tweezers.
Checking them out, I was a little bit in love. They didn't look over the top or overdone, but natural and healthy, and how I would want them to look on a day-to-day basis. Finally, Shabinaz showed me how to enhance them with a touch of highlighter and brow pencil, perfecting the look.
To conclude? Meghan Markle knew what she was doing. I've found my wedding brow look, and I'm never going back!
Book your Audrey Brow treatment at Nails + Brows Mayfair here.
