Are you fixated on your eyebrows? I am, and recently discovered I could laminate my brows myself. So, I went to work researching at-home kits. I bought one that was well-reviewed, put it to the test and I love the results! During the treatment, I picked up some tips that I’ve incorporated into a step-by-step guide on how to laminate your own brows. I hope you’re as happy with the results as I am.
Before & After
This is a before and after of my brow lamination and lash lift. I love the way both treatments came out. If you’re interested in doing a lash lift, I also created a step-by-step guide to giving yourself a lash lift.
The lighting is not as bright in my “before” picture so it’s hard to see, but I have gaps in my eyebrows and some truly unruly brow hairs. The brow lamination made them look fuller and so much neater.
Jump to the section that interests you most:
Brow Lamination Basics
Brow lamination makes eyebrows look naturally fuller and more defined. It can cut down on the need for brow pencil or, for some, eliminate it altogether. The lamination process begins with a chemical that breaks down the bonds in your eyebrow hairs, making them easy to manipulate and shape. Then they’re fixed or “laminated” into place.
| The Basics | Brow Lamination |
|---|---|
| What Is It | Brow Lamination is similar to a keratin treatment for your eyebrows. This semi-permanent process straightens the eyebrow hairs and “laminates” them into place. |
| Why Do It | — For thicker, fuller-looking eyebrows. — To straighten wavy or unruly brow hairs that grow downward or won’t lay flat. — To make thin eyebrows look thicker. — To tame wild, bushy brows. |
| Who Can Benefit | — Anyone with thinning eyebrows or gaps where brow hairs don’t grow. Laminating brow hairs in place can help hide those gaps. — Those with irregular brow growth, such as hairs that grow downward or won’t lay flat. — People with light-colored brows, especially when done in combination with a brow tint. |
| Who Is Not A Candidate | — If you have sparse eyebrows, it’s not going to do anything because brow lamination works with what you’ve got. — Those with sensitive skin, taking Accutane (consult a doctor first), alopecia/eczema/psoriasis or sunburned skin by the eyebrows, recent eye surgery, recent permanent makeup application, blood thinners, pink eye, or pregnant/nursing. |
| How Long Does It Last | Brow lamination lasts about 6 to 8 weeks if you take good care of your brows. Or until the treated brows naturally fall out and are replaced by new growth. |
| Cost/Savings | A professional brow lamination, depending on where you live and if you include a brow tint, can cost $85-$150! |
The Kit
I chose the Ayasal Lash Lift Kit because it’s highly rated and reviewers said they got good results. It has a 4.2-star rating from over 10,000 reviewers on Amazon. I know the kit is called Lash Lift, but the process is exactly the same for brow lamination.
Other items you may need not included in the kit:
The Ayasal Lash Lift contains everything you need to laminate your eyebrows. The only items not included that I used were: nitrile gloves, alcohol pads, plastic wrap, a brow brush, brow scissors, tweezers, and precision pointed-tip cotton swabs.
For your convenience, I’ve included links to these items below.
How To Laminate Your Brows
Do a patch test per the instructions before laminating your eyebrows. If doing this treatment on yourself at home makes you nervous or you’re worried about side effects, please go to a licensed professional.
If you’re fixated on your eyebrows – penciling them in and brushing them into place – you are going to love the look of a brow lamination.
The process should take less than an hour, including prep, application, trimming, and tweezing. Add extra time if you decide to also tint your brows, which I did with the Godefroy Tint Kit. You can find out more about brow tinting in my post: Tips, Tricks & Tools for Creating Better-Looking Brows.
Plan Ahead
- In the days leading up to your lamination treatment, do not have your brows waxed, threaded or tweezed, and do not exfoliate the skin around your eyebrows. Then wait at least 48 hours afterward to do so. The chemicals used can burn raw skin.
- Avoid getting sunburned or using a self-tanner on your face for at least 48 hours before.
- Plan your brow lamination for a time you can go at least 24 hours without wearing makeup or getting your eyebrows wet. That means no moisturizers, serums, sweating, saunas, steam rooms, or tanning.
- Make sure you have everything you need, such as gloves, brow scissors, etc. See my list above.
Prep
- Begin with a clean face.
- TIP: After cleansing, use an alcohol pad to gently clean your eyebrows to remove any residual moisturizer, dirt and oils. You’d be surprised at what gets left behind.
- Put on latex or nitrile gloves before handling the treatment chemicals.
- I set the treatment bottles out in the order I needed to use them along with the application tools and readied a few strips of plastic wrap, each about two inches wide. You can use kitchen plastic wrap if you don’t have or buy cosmetic plastic wrap.
NOTE: More is not always better. Do not leave the chemicals on longer than instructed, especially not the first time. If your results don’t last four weeks, you have stubborn brow hairs that didn’t laminate in place and the health of your eyebrows was not compromised by the treatment, you can try leaving the perm and fixative lotions on a couple of minutes longer next time.
Step-by-Step Guide to Laminating Your Eyebrows
I followed the instructions included with the Ayasal Lash Lift kit and made some minor adjustments based on the many reviews I read and my own experience. To make my guide easier to follow, I’ve broken it down into five parts, which must be done in order: 1. Protect, 2. Perm, 3. Fixation, 4. Tint/Trim/Tweeze, and 5. Nourish.
NOTE: I highly recommend you read through all of the steps before you begin and not as you’re laminating your brows for the first time. There may be tips you want to know about before you start.
Part 1 ~ Protect
1. Brush your eyebrows with a brow brush to remove any knots.
2. Apply barrier cream to the skin around your brows without getting it on your eyebrow hairs.
TIP: I used a pointed cotton swab to apply the barrier cream for more control.
Part 2 ~ Perm
3. Apply the Perm lotion (#1) to your eyebrows with one of the enclosed micropore brushes and gently come them into place with the comb on the small Y-tool. I then used pointed cotton swabs to carefully remove any extra perm lotion that got on my skin.
4. Cover your brows with regular or cosmetic plastic wrap and set a timer for 10-12 minutes.
- After 5 minutes, carefully remove the plastic wrap and use a spoolie or the Y-tool comb to make sure the perm lotion is completely covering all of your brow hairs and comb them into place.
- Cover again with plastic wrap for another 5 minutes. Remember, no more than 10-12 minutes total.
5. Remove the plastic wrap and gently remove the perm lotion. The instructions say to use a micropore brush but I used cotton rounds. No reason to waste a micropore brush on this.
Part 3 ~ Fixation
6. Apply the Fixation lotion (#2) with a micropore brush, completely covering your brow hairs.
Then comb your eyebrows perfectly into place with the Y-tool comb or a spoolie. Make sure none of your brow hairs are clumped together because the fixation lotion is going to fix or “laminate” your eyebrows permanently into place (at least until they grow out). Use a precision tip cotton swab to carefully remove extra fixation lotion from your skin.
7. Carefully cover your eyebrows with a clean piece of plastic wrap without moving your brow hairs. Set a timer for 10-12 minutes.
FYI, I brushed all of my brow hairs straight up from head to tail. Then, to get the shape I wanted, I dragged the point of a precision-tip cotton swab gently along the top of my eyebrows from the arch to the tail.
8. After 5 minutes, check to see if your eyebrows need to be better placed or separated. If so, slowly remove the plastic wrap and use a spoolie or the pick on the long Y-tool to position your brows perfectly into place.
- This is your last chance to get your eyebrows exactly where you want them.
- Cover again with plastic wrap for another 5 minutes. Remember, no more than 10-12 minutes total.
TIP: If the plastic wrap is messing up your brow placement but all the hairs are exactly where you want them, don’t worry about putting it back on this time. That is, unless, you need to flatten uncooperative curled or straight brow hairs. Just be sure your brows are exactly where you want them.
9. Use cotton rounds to gently remove most of the fixation lotion. Then use the Cleanser (#4) to remove any remaining product. I used a cotton swab to do this.
Part 4 ~Tint/Trim/Tweeze
10. If you want to tint your brows, do so before trimming, tweezing and applying the Nutrition lotion.
I used Godefroy Tint Kit in light brown. It only takes about 5 minutes. You can find out more about brow tinting in my post on Creating Better-Looking Brows.
11. Time to trim and tweeze as needed. Brush your eyebrows up with a brow brush or spoolie to trim. Then brush them into place to tweeze. If you need guidance on brow shaping, see my post on brow shaping and mapping.
Part 5 ~ Nourish
12. Lastly, apply the Nutrition lotion (#3) with a micropore brush to nourish your eyebrows — don’t ask me why bottle #3 comes after #4.
Use a spoolie to evenly distribute the nutrition lotion through your eyebrows and brush your brows into place.
Tada! Brow lamination complete!
Brow Lamination Aftercare
- Avoid getting your eyebrows wet for 24 to 48 hours. That means no makeup, skincare products, scrubs, serums, sweating, saunas, steam rooms, or tanning. And try not to sleep on your face.
- Brush brows daily and set them in place with a brow gel. I’ve been using Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara for years. It’s oil-free, inexpensive and readily available (Amazon, CVS, etc.). If you want more hold, try NYX Brow Glue. It’s also inexpensive and available in clear or tinted shades to match your brows.
- TIP: The general rule for brow color is your eyebrows should be darker than your hair color. The exceptions to this rule are people with black or gray hair. For black hair, try a soft black or dark brown pencil. And those with gray hair should try an ashy brown pencil that’s one to two shades darker than your gray hair.
- To keep eyebrows healthy and encourage new growth, nourish them at least 2-3 times a week with a brow serum rich in botanicals, peptides, vitamins, and moisturizers, such as the highly recommended Pronexa Hairgenics Lavish Lash Eyelash and Brow Serum. It’s on nearly every beauty editor’s most recommended list. For an all-natural option, apply an organic castor oil, such as Briogeo B. Well Organic + Cold-Pressed 100% Castor Oil.
- If you like to use a makeup remover, use one that is oil-free to prolong the life of your brow lamination, like Neutrogena’s Gentle Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover.
More About Brows
For more about eyebrow shaping, mapping, tools, tinting, pencils, and the like, please see my post Tips, Tricks & Tools for Creating Better-Looking Brows.
I hope you get the same great results from your brow lamination as I did. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at AskBronna@gmail.com.
All items are in stock (unless noted otherwise) at time of publication.
[…] My Step-by-Step Guide on How to Laminate Your Own Brows […]
[…] Once your brows fill in, you’ll want to make sure they’re properly shaped. See My Tips, Tricks & Tools for Creating Better-Looking Brows post. And, if you’re up to the task, check out My Step-by-Step Guide on How to Laminate Your Own Brows. […]
[…] I love the way both treatments came out. If you’re interested, I’m also creating a step-by-step guide on how to laminate your brows that’ll post […]