How to Do At-Home Brow Lamination for Fluffy Eyebrows

With that in mind, let's move on to the how-to.

1) Create a barrier before applying the perming solution.

A great example of a pro knowing more than a box kit: The product I bought didn't recommend this step, but it's one de la Garza says is crucial. He recommends using a thick balm like Vaseline, Aquaphor, or even lip balm to create a barrier around your brows to protect your skin. After removing all makeup, skin care, and oils from your brows, take your balm and place some right under your eyebrows. Since your brows are going to stretch upward, leave about a finger's worth of space above them, and put the balm above that. 

He also warns that you should perform a patch test 24 hours ahead of using the kit to make sure you don't have a reaction. If you have severe acne or skin sensitivities, it's worth checking with your derm as well. 

Vaseline Petroleum Jelly

Aquaphor Healing Ointment

2) Shape your brows how you want them to be set.

Your kit should come with a brow glue (mine was labeled “lift”), which you will use as your rough draft. De la Garza says to brush some onto a clean spoolie, then shape your brows into whatever position you'll want them to set in. For me, he suggested to style the front more fluffy by holding the spoolie vertically and pushing the hairs up. Where my brows started to arch, he said to use more of an up-and-out motion, using the hand on the same side of the brow I was working on to get the most fluid motion (so right brow, right hand; left brow, left hand). You want to make sure your brows are nice and saturated, and the hairs are flat against your skin. 

3) Apply the perming solution.

After the glue gets tacky and starts to dry, you'll go in with the perming solution, which breaks down the protein chain in your brow hairs and makes them really sculptable. De la Garza says this is where most people make the mistake of leaving the solution on way too long, since they think their brows are thicker than they are. Most kits will vary with the timing they recommend, but he says to leave it on for one minute less than the suggested time. For example, mine kit said five minutes for thin brows, and eight for thick and curly ones, so we left it on for four minutes. 

De la Garza says you need to be super precise with your timing, since “even just leaving it on for one minute longer can make it overprocessed,” so it's helpful for someone else to keep time while you're applying the solution, which you'll want to do as quickly as possible. It's also important to use a brow brush, not a spoolie to apply the solution, since you don't want to disturb the shape you just created. And you want to make sure your brows are super saturated. 

Once your brows are coated, lay plastic wrap over them to help them keep their shape while the solution goes to work. After your time is up, thoroughly wipe off the solution with dry cotton pads, moving up and out. (Again, be sure to check directions for your specific kit, though, as some may recommend you use water to remove.)