If you're one of the many women who look in the mirror and see sparse brows staring back at you, there is now an insanely easy fix so you too can have Brooke-Shields-style brows. It's not a brow wax, pencil, or powder. It's the latest craze in the beauty biz that's making it's way into mainstream America: eyebrow extensions.
Cosmopolitan.com called up Mae Manalo, licensed aesthetician and makeup artist at Nine Zero One Salon on Melrose Place in L.A. — where stars like Cosmo's April cover girl Hilary Duff, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, and more get their hair done — to get the scoop. Manalo has been giving Nine Zero One Salon co-owner and Clear Haircare's new celebrity stylist Riawna Capri eyebrow extensions for a while now, and sent over her stunning before/after pictures (and no, there was zero brow pencil used, Riawna swears — the definition is purely from the placement of the hairs):

 
"Eyebrow extensions are new to market but we're definitely getting a huge reaction to the service — and it's not just in LA," Manalo says. "Brow extensions are now gaining traction in the U.S., since the application is so similar to eyelash extensions.





































































































































































































































































































  
 

 
 



She explained that aestheticians apply the temporary tiny synthetic minx hairs with an adhesive glue and tweezer to your existing brow hairs and directly to your skin (if you're not allergic to the glue — a patch test is done) to build out a longer, fuller brow. The results last about two to three weeks.
The salon uses different thickness extensions to get different types of brows. "Typically with eyelash extensions, you would use a thickness of 0.15 to 0.30 [millimeters], but with brow extensions, the hair you use needs to be even thinner, like anywhere from 0.6 to 0.10," Manalo says. "Brows are the hardest thing to build on someone's face, especially if you don't have any, because you need them to look natural. With this service, we can customize the amount of hairs we need in the exact place to make them look perfectly imperfect — since your brows should look like cousins, not twins." Typically Manalo makes the are from the beginning of the eyebrow to the arch the thickest/darkest, and then she tapers off toward the tail, so it gives off the appearance of the natural fade effect.
So how do you keep these babies intact once they've framed your face flawlessly? "You can get up to three weeks' wear out of the hairs that are attached to your brow hairs and up to two weeks out of the tiny hair attached to your skin, but you need to be careful when cleansing and sleeping," Manalo says. She recommends using oil-free cleansers when you wash your face so you don't break down the glue, being mindful that you're not rubbing your eyes or brows, and sleeping on your back. If they get brushed out of place, she suggests using your fingertip to gently nudge them back into the shape your technician created.
Here's what you need to know before getting brow extensions: First of all, look for someone who is licensed and works out of a clean space. Leave yourself some time for the appointment because it will likely take about two hours. The service is still pricey ($150 and up), even though it's still less expensive than lash extensions, but touch-ups are available and more affordable (about half of the cost of the initial expense) once you have your thick new brows.
The bottom line: If your brows are spotty or just plain thin, and you're tired of penciling them in everyday, there is an alternative that could make you as happy as Riawna, who's completely obsessed with her brow extensions. "It's instant gratification," she said. "I was so excited to get the brows I've always wanted."