Brows have been a standout beauty feature for quite a few seasons now — whether they’re feathered, bleached to oblivion, heavily groomed, or conspicuously au naturel (we’re looking at you, Cara D!). And, while the catwalk is the perfect stage for any kind of exaggeration, in real life, a good brow shape is one of the easiest ways to get an instant pick-me-up (be it correcting asymmetry or giving an almost immediate face-lift).
Here at R29, we know the best people and places are discovered by word-of-mouth, which is why we decided to compile this list of our top picks for wow brows in New York City. Whether you’re looking to find the best $8 threading spot or splurge on an $89 feathering that will completely change your look, we’ve got you covered.
1. Maribeth Madron at Sharon Dorram Colour at Sally Hersberger Hair
With just a tweezer, an eyebrow brush and (if necessary) a scissor, Maribeth can elevate sparse hairs into power brows that keep a natural shape, so you don’t have to think about them very often. It helps that she’s a makeup artist who understands that trends change, but your face shape stays the same and gives fun tips, like using Smith’s Rosebud Salve to keep stray brow hairs in place.
Price: $95
Sharon Dorram Colour at Sally Hersberger Hair, 17 East 71st Street; 212-535-3519. In the salon on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
2. Shobha
The aestheticians at Shobha’s five locations are experts in the artistry of hair removal, even if you ‘dread the thread’, because Harvard MBA Shobha Tummala founded her chain to specialize in brow shaping for those with extremely sensitive skin. Quick and consistently perfect, each appointment is rounded off with a spritz of rose water to soothe any unsightly redness.
Price: $8
Shobha, Multiple locations; 212-977-7771.
3. Maya
Straggly brows are pretty aging and ruin a carefully thought out look. Luckily, it’s no longer a choice between hit and miss with the tweezers as you can pop into Maya in your lunch hour to neaten things up. Don’t be put off by the small space, after a short consultation, Judy and Navi, the dynamic duo, use the Indian technique of threading – spinning two threads twisted together to pinch out the hairs at the roots in no time – to restore order.
Price: $7
Maya, 3 Greenwich Avenue; 212-243-7354
4. Tenoverten Salon
If you ever find yourself flush with cash and in Tribeca, head to Jimenia Garcia at Tenoverten. With yogi-like calm and amazing precision, the grooming guru who inspires incredible devotion amongst her bi-coastal clients (she spends two weeks at a time in L.A. and two weeks in NYC) will help you make a commitment to big and beautiful brows.
Price: $25 for eyebrow wax, $50 for eyebrow shaping.
Tenoverten, 112 Reade Street (between West Broadway and Church streets); 212-406-1010.
5. Benefit Cosmetics
The beauty brand that introduced us to cult classics like Brow Zings and Gimme Brow, has opened a deliciously girlie, pink and white boutique in Soho that makes you feel extra giddy. Inside the multi-level beauty behemoth, you can get your brows tinted or shaped with either wax or tweezers, depending on your preference. Added bonus: You get a free brow shaping session on your birthday.
Price: Tint $20; Shape $23.
Benefit Cosmetics, 454 West Broadway (between LaGuardia Place and Prince Street); 212-769-1111.
6. Robin Evans Skincare
If you find yourself in a brow emergency before a big event, Robin Evans is your woman. Not only can her brow wax induce a mini-facelift effect, but her passion for skincare and amazingly refining facials can help turn your skin into the perfect canvas.
Price: Initial brow shaping $65; thereafter $45.
Robin Evans Skincare, 611 Broadway (between West Houston and Bleecker streets); 212-677-6114.
7. Bliss
Dee at Bliss 49 has earned her waxing chops: she’s one of the company’s most requested brow specialists. The therapists the salon won’t give up the secret formula for its propriety, aromatherapy-based Poetic Wax, but they will tell you that it’s prepared at a low temperature to minimize pain, stinging, and redness. Bingo!
Price: $35
Bliss, multiple locations; 877-862-5477.
8. Sania’s Brow Bar
Sania Vucetaj — the self-taught brow pioneer — and her team tend to your tiny hairs for a full, clean, and natural look. They work according to your face shape and tackle things with meticulous and (virtually) painless tweezing.
Price: $75
Sania’s Brow Bar, 48 West 20th Street (between Fifth and Sixth avenues); 212-247-1129.
9. Frederic Fekkai
Manana Dzhanimanova wants to get you excited about eyebrows, and she caters to the client who “cherishes the details” — Beyoncé is a regular — by sticking to good old-fashioned tweezing. Yes, it’s a splurge. But, if you’re squeamish at the thought of having each hair plucked one by one, fear not; not only will her warm demeanor instantly relax you, but she’ll identify your natural arch and best shape in record time, and create it with minimal pain.
Price: Tweezing with Manana: $57; all other therapists: $50.
Frederic Fekkai, 712 Fifth Avenue (at 56th Street), 4th Floor; 212-753-9500.
10. Thread Salon
Sadia Brangan’s three New York City locations offer fast, reliable, and inexpensive threading that leaves skin intact and gorgeously bare. It’s perfect for girls who are pain-sensitive and prone to redness.
Price: $8
Thread Salon, multiple locations; 212-533-4700.
11. Blink Brow Bar
The New York outpost of British hair-removal brand Blink is now comfortably ensconced on the fifth floor of Saks. Walk-ins are encouraged, and there’s usually not a long wait for a well-trained aesthetician who will sculpt your brows into clean and, dare we say, sexier-looking arches using string (note: It’s threading only here). Post-treatment, you’re given an ayurvedic pressure-point massage around the temples, forehead, and eyes with a cooling and heavenly-smelling rose gel.
Price: $32
Blink Brow Bar at Saks Fifth Avenue, 611 Fifth Avenue (between 49th and 50th streets), 5th Floor. 212-940-4186.
12. Elke Von Freudenberg
German-born Elke Von Freudenberg and her two-person, by-appointment-only team prefer to work with tweezers and small scissors only, although you do have the option to wax. We especially love the brightening eye-contour treatment and Elke’s collection of shadows, pencils, and vegan, vitamin E-enriched brow scrub.
Price: The Model Brow (new client): $75; returning clients: $60.
Elke Von Freudenberg, 1140 Broadway (between 26th and 27th streets); 917-475-6845.
13. Shen Beauty
Shen’s 1,100-square-foot jewel-box-like shop in Cobble Hill is widely known for incredible facials and stocking an ever-expanding array of global beauty products. Recently, eyes have become a big deal courtesy of her rapidly growing brow bar.
Price: Brow wax and tweeze: $30
Shen Beauty, 315 Court Street (between Degraw and Sackett streets), Brooklyn; 718- 576-2679.
14. Wink Brow Bar
This West Village spot has become something of a downtown gem for repairing overtweezed or overwaxed brows, which can often require starting from scratch and trusting the skilled therapists’ regimen of threading appointments. Ditch the brow makeup, too, with a quick dye treatment (it’s vegetable-based for sensitive skins!) to help accentuate and sharpen arches for weeks.
Price: $20
Wink Brow Bar, 7 Greenwich Avenue (between Christopher and West 10th streets); 212-600-1857.
15. John Barrett Salon
Shaping eyebrows is an art, and Mauricio Ramos is quite the artist. Once he gets his hands on your face, he’ll pluck, wax, and fuss until your brows come into sharp focus, all the while doling out great tips: For example, fuller brows can make your face look softer and younger, while thin, arched ones can give you a more mature appearance.
Price: From $65
John Barrett Salon, 754 Fifth Avenue (at 58th Street), 9th Floor; 212-872-2700.
16. Boom Boom Brow Bar
Getting waxed may seem like one of those annoying upkeep chores — until you meet the team, who can morph brows from post-college, Pam Anderson-thin to just the right amount of Cara Delevingne, eye-framing bush with a flick of the wrist. For those in need of some serious help, check in for Brow Rehab, where arches are tinted with vegetable dye to make them look thicker, and then shaped with a lavender-infused wax.
Price: From $26
Boom Boom Brow Bar, 30 Greenwich Avenue; 212-229-2666.
17. Hibba Beauty
The tried-and-trusted queen of her beauty community back home in India, Hibba Kapil is now New York’s uncontested star at tending to eyebrows. Her experienced hands will custom-shape your perfect brow line, which in turn will frame your features beautifully. All of her salons live up to their mission of providing customers with a calming, pleasant, Ayurvedic spa experience, too.
Price: First-time threading by Hibba Kapil: $30; returning clients: $20; all other estheticians: $15.
Hibba Beauty, multiple locations; 212-260-4321.
18. Warren Tricomi Salon
We’re definitely taking lessons from Maral Balian, whose own brows border on those of a modern-day Brooke Shields. The salon’s technique of feathering, in which the arch is tweezed to open up the eye (but not too much is done to the ends — the “back” or “tails,” in brow-speak), is minimal beauty at its best. She’s also reliable with all-natural and subtle eyebrow tinting, which can be disastrous in the wrong hands.
Price: Eyebrow shaping: $89; brow tint: $47.
Warren Tricomi Salon at The Plaza Retail Collection, 1 West 58th Street (at Fifth Avenue), 2nd Floor; 212-262-8899.
19. Browhaus
The sister company of waxing experts Ministry of Waxing, Browhaus is famed for its unique Brow Resurrection – restoring the eyebrows you thought had gone forever. Unlike a tattoo, Browhaus uses a patented, feathered tool to scratch a non-toxic dye into the skin, creating the impression of individual, tapered hairs. And, crucially, it only lasts six months to two years. So if the fashion for size-zero brows comes back, you can just let it fade. Lucky enough to have big, bushy brows? The thread and tweeze is fast and flattering.
Price: Brow Thread & Tweeze $13 special offer for Refinery29 readers with the code Refinery13. (Regular price: $27). Brow Resurrection $925.
Browhaus, 56 Spring Street; 212-431-1124.
20. RAMY Brow & Makeup Studio
For brow beginners — or people who just aren’t into waxing or threading — RAMY Brow & Makeup Studio is your next go-to spot. Here you can get your brows micro-needled, sculpted, or filled in the old-fashioned way. (And if you’re a Taylor Swift fan, you’ll be happy to know she’s come here for her arch needs before, too.)
Price: Micro-needling (call for rates), brow sculpting ($85).
RAMY Brow & Makeup Studio, 343 E 30th St #19j; 212 684-9500.