Microblading, HD and lamination: how to style your eyebrows in 2020

As one of the biggest beauty trends of the 2010s effortlessly rolls over into the new decade, we suss out the best ways to style your brows

Natural, brushed-up brows will be a trend.

Ever since Cara Delevingne burst on to the scene in 2011, big eyebrows have been big news. Beauticians, make-up artists, celebrities and beauty editors alike swapped out the noughties' narrowing, overly arched eyebrow (sported by every cast member of The Hills upon debut) for a full-bodied alternative. So much so, that bold brows are arguably the defining beauty trend of the decade just behind us.

While they’re going nowhere for 2020, Patsy Kerr, founder of Brows By Patsy, says that this time around, it’s all about striking a balance between an over-plucked brow (Kate Moss circa 1990) and an over-styled finish (the signature Kardashian / Jenner shape). “The perfect, clean Instagram brow is out; the latest trend is natural, brushed-up brows.” From semi-permanent solutions to rehabilitate eyebrows to the latest styling techniques, here’s how to achieve the look.

Brow lamination

In 2020, brow lamination is the styling treatment you will hear about wherever you go. "Brow lamination is a process that lifts the eyebrow hairs from the root using a setting lotion," says Caroline Mills, brow expert at Brau salon. "Technicians can then brush and set these hairs in any desired direction to create a fuller, fluffier and denser brow. We also add some colour." Think of it as an eyebrow equivalent of LVL (length, volume and lift) eyelashes. "Even the thinnest of brows can appear fuller in one treatment," adds Mills.

Although it is not permanent, lamination is a non-invasive treatment that lasts six to eight weeks, and is ideal for those who want to enhance what they already have – swapping out the daily make-up routine for a bimonthly salon visit. Mills explains that the trend erupted towards the end of last year and its popularity is expected to soar in the year ahead.

Microblading, micropigmentation and nano-needling

While we can forgive you for being late to the lamination party, there’s no excuse for missing the microblading train. A long-term solution for lacklustre brows in need of more than a lick of clear mascara, the treatment already has a diehard following.

“It’s a minimally invasive treatment within which pigment is deposited into the epidermis layer of the brow skin using an ultrafine blade,” says Mills. “This creates [the appearance of] a crisp, fine hair stroke that blends with your natural hair to create an incredibly realistic finish.”

Microblading can last up to two years and is particularly recommended for women with patchy or sparse brows. But it isn’t the only semi-permanent option. Kerr details that alongside the colossal increase in treatments over the last five years have come “new advances in machinery, finer needles, better pigments and new drawing techniques”.

She unpacks two of the alternatives she offers patients at Lesprit Medical Clinic in Dubai. "Micropigmentation is done with a machine using a single needle with the assistance of light vibration from the handpiece," she says. As microblading isn't suitable for all skin types, those with oily, sensitive or thin skin would be more suited to this gentler alternative. Then there's nano-needling, which is similar but uses the thinnest needle available, and it's the best option for women with barely any hair to begin with. However, Kerr warns: "If someone is after heavier, bolder eyebrows, this won't always give that effect."

HD Brows

Founded in 2008 in a UK salon, the High Definition Brows method has travelled well beyond Britain's borders over the last decade – and Dubai salon THT is one of the establishments to take it on. "HD Brows is a seven-step procedure that involves a combination of techniques including bespoke eyebrow tinting, waxing, threading and make-up application to give the illusion of very defined brows," says the salon's senior beauty therapist Linelyn Arceo.

The 45-minute service starts with a face-mapping session to help redefine and rehabilitate customers’ brows in way that will both complement their face shape and enhance their best features – it’s far from a one-size-fits-all thread and tint. If you’ve got to a point where your eyebrows look like third cousins, let alone sisters, and have strayed so far apart that there must have been a family argument somewhere down the line, then this is an ideal solution to gradually restore brows to their former glory.

“Normal shaping and tinting will usually last around two weeks, where the results from your HD Brow treatment will last from three to six weeks,” Arceo says.

DIY brows

If you're more of a do-it-yourself person, then behold the plethora of products available to help beauty lovers recreate such treatments at home. Sephora has almost 100 results for brow make-up; Hourglass recently launched an entire Unrestricted Brow Collection with specific products to fill, define, build and set brows; and Benefit has more unique brow styling cosmetics than fingers you can count on.

Yara Ayoob, Benefit Cosmetics' regional brow artist, says that with the right tools, women can mimic the look of lamination and microblading at home – namely Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil and Benefit 24-Hour Brow Setter Clear Brow Gel. When used to brush the hairs upward, the latter creates a laminated finish, Ayoob explains. She advises then "pressing the hairs upward with your finger" to add to that effect.

Once the gel dries, use the former to fill in any gaps. “The tip of the pencil is super-thin, and allows you to draw hairlike strokes so the result of your brows will mimic that of microblading,” she says, so you can create a full, brushed up look from home.