It may be the one time you’ll see a Queen with a tattoo ; it’s also the one tattoo that every woman with thinning brows might benefit from. And we now know who the aesthetician is behind them.
At Wednesday evening’s state banquet, marking the visit of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the president of Nigeria, Queen Camilla was impeccably dressed from head to toe.
But through the heirloom jewellery and ice-cream blonde hair, her amplified arches also played a pivotal part in her style story, and the question of what she has done to her brows has finally been answered.
Semi-permanent make-up artist and aesthetician Suzanne Martin, who is based at the Lanesborough Club and Spa on Hyde Park Corner, has recently taken to Instagram to reveal that she is behind the skilful tattooing of semi-permanent eyebrows for Her Majesty.
A best-kept secret for those in the know, Martin regularly transforms the brows of her discerning clients combining her make-up artistry and her skilled practice with a microblading needle. Using a tool that resembles a sharp pen, the brows are “drawn” on with a series of fine needle strokes, using a blend of colours that mimic the natural shade of the Queen’s eyebrows.
Creating beautifully thick and natural-looking brows, the two-step treatment, which Martin calls “The Couture Brow”, takes little to no upkeep, which helps to minimise the time needed to prepare for events like the state visit – a factor no doubt appreciated by the ever-practical Queen.
The Queen is far from alone in this. Dame Helen Mirren got her eyebrows tattooed in her 70s. “I’ll tell you what I had done recently, which I love – I got my eyebrows tattooed,” said Dame Helen in 2018 when she was 72 . “I was fed up of my brows barely being there and when one of my girlfriends got it done, I thought that they looked great.
“They’re very lightly and delicately done – but it means that when I get up in the morning and I have no make-up on, at least I have eyebrows. It’s made a huge difference,” said the actress at the time.
So what is microblading?
A form of semi-permanent tattooing using micro strokes of ink applied with a pen-like hand tool equipped with tiny needles, microblading can reshape and re-pigment sparse eyebrows.
While early iterations of eyebrow tattooing were crude and slug-like, newer technologies – provided you’re in skilled hands – are imperceptible from real eyebrow hairs, making it a smart tweakment for anyone looking to enhance their eyebrows, but particularly for women whose hair is thinning due to ageing or illness.
Is eyebrow tattooing really a good idea for women in their 70s?
Nez Hasan is a microblading expert who works with high profile clients day in, day out. She says: “Sparse or faded brows can age the face; microblading restores their shape and fullness , instantly lifting and defining the face – I’ve done a lot of women in their 70s for this reason.”
Plus, adds Hasan, once you’ve had the treatment, eyebrow grooming is very low-maintenance, eliminating or minimising the need to fill and pluck your eyebrow hairs daily. Good brows also boost confidence. “A skilled artist can create a soft, natural look tailored to thinning, mature skin. My clients often feel more ‘put together’ with defined brows, even without make-up,” she adds.
One caveat to consider before booking in for any kind of semi-permanent tattooing treatment, says Hasan, is the health of the skin. “If your skin is very thin or sensitive then you should be careful. Always go to an experienced professional who understands the needs of mature skin.”
How to define your eyebrows at home
Naturally treatments like microblading, salon tinting or threading are not necessary to create more defined eyebrows at any age. “For mature women, brow grooming should focus on softness, definition and hair health,” suggests Hasan who warns against over plucking.
“Tweeze sparingly, only removing stray hairs”, then go in with a soft pencil or tinted brow gel to define sparse areas. If hairs are long, she recommends lightly trimming them to maintain a “neat shape” and brushing brow hair upwards with a spoolie or clear brow gel to get a lifted youthful look.
Hydration is all important for eyebrow health. “By applying a brow oil consistently you can nourish existing eyebrow hairs and prevent losing any more,” says Hasan.
