Yaletown’s Bombay Brow Bar popped my cherry

Credit: Elianna Lev

Blogger Elianna Lev delightfully loses her eyebrow virginity at Bombay Brow Bar in Yaletown, Vancouver.

Eyebrows weren’t my strong point until I checked out, or rather, experienced, Bombay Brow Bar

There was a point last year where three women in my life separately told me I needed some work done. It had nothing to do with personal growth from within. No, it had to do with my eyebrows.

These women were all professionals when it came to aesthetic—a make up artist, an aesthetician and a hairdresser—so I trusted their judgment. It’s the same thing when my architect and design friends come over and critique the layout my living room and my furniture. Rather than take it personally, I trust and value their expertise. (FYI, as a writer, I totally critique your emails.)

The thing is, I don’t really care about eyebrows. Unless they look like caterpillars or are shaped like sperm, I certainly don’t notice them. And I’ve definitely never put any thought into mine. They’re usually covered by my bangs.

Then I discovered Yaletown’s Bombay Brow Bar. I was in the same business class as its co-owner, Ravy Mehroke, and was impressed by her passion, commitment and drive toward building her empire. Which, essentially, was about all things eyebrows.

So I popped in there recently to lose my eyebrow virginity.

Bollywood bourdour threading in the heart of Yaletown

The shop itself is a Polly-pocket-sized Bollywood boudoir. All lavenders and pinks, chiffons and silks, you certainly don’t feel like you’re in Vancouver in there. A flat-screen TV continually showcases poppy Bollywood dance-offs, and delicious chai tea is served on pewter trays. 

I was paired with Karen, a warm and motherly “brow sculptresses.” She asked if I’d like an arch or just some basic shaping. Since I’d never done this before, I was a bit nervous and wanted my commitment to be minimal. I opted for shaping.  

Next she asked how I’d like it done: wax, tweeze or threading. I’d experienced tweezing and waxing on different parts of my body in the past so I decided to go for something new. Threading it was. I had no idea what I was in for.

One-third helicopter, one-third dental floss and one-third lawnmower

First, Karen outlined the tops and bottoms of my eyebrows with white eye pencil, as a guide to where she would be trimming.

Next she threaded and twisted some floss-like string between her teeth and fingers. Then, she got me to pull on my forehead and eyelid and she went to work.

The procedure was one-third helicopter, one-third dental floss and one-third lawnmower. It tinged just a bit but if Karen noticed I was uncomfortable, she’d stop, get me to stretch my skin tighter, then go back to work.

Karen wound down our time together with a mini eyebrow massage, in which she rubbed rosewater into my newly shaped brows, which were slightly red. Then she applied a bit of makeup and I was complete. It was all done in less than five minutes.

Karen held a mirror up to my freshly shorn brows. I was astounded by how precise her work was, given how quickly it was done. They looked so clean! So shaped! So refined! My aesthetically minded friends would have very little to critique now.  I actually wanted to tell them to try this place out, because not only did I now feel like and look like a real classy lady, I had a really fun time doing it.