Keep an eye on ancient Indian brow treatment

By Suzi Dixon
Feb 4, 2010

Eye to eye: Threading is an ancient Indian skill which uses cotton thread to remove unwanted hair from the root

By Suzi Dixon

Harvey Nichols has added a new dimension to Bristol shopping – and beauty treatments, too.

Savvy girls who love to be pampered have been frequently seen at the ground floor beauty bars since it opened, getting  on-the-go manis, pedis and brow treatments.

You may have seen the ladies of Blink brow bar, the walk-in, drop-in service in the far corner by the beauty zone, next to the hair stylers and must-have shampoos.

Two ladies at a time can sit in the dentist-style (but much more comfy) tip-back chains to have a brow makeover by the threading experts there.

I went only to give the service a test-drive, with worrying images in my head of someone sewing on new, dark brows for me.

Luckily, my fears were unfounded – threading is an ancient Indian skill which simply uses cotton thread to remove unwanted hair from the root. The excess hair is grasped between two pieces of cotton by the expert stylist then whisked away with the minimum of pain (it’s less uncomfortable than plucking, and much quicker).

The thread is twisted and rolled along the surface of the skin entwining the hairs and removing even the smallest, fairest strands from their follicle, ensuring a smooth, even finish.

The result? I looked more alert, awake and felt confident with my make-up for the first time in a long while.

Blink was started in 2004 by Vanita Parti who identified a niche in the market for walk-in brow bars that offered a quick, pain-free threading service for women on the go. It’s a technique loved by celebs such as Cheryl Cole, Lily Allen and The Saturdays, while queen WAG Coleen Rooney swears a good eyebrow shape is the basis of good make-up and ageless beauty.

“We simply don’t pay enough attention to eyebrows,” says Vanita. “It should be a basic beauty essential. Our mission is to change the way people think about their eyebrows by offering a speedy drop in service in the style of a nail bar.”

Convinced? Then why not give it a try yourself?