New Threads





I have a vivid memory of being six years old and sitting at the top of a stair case in my Aunties house. I would often sit there (usually in tears after throwing a huge tantrum) and contemplate the world, this time I was trying my very best to raise one eyebrow. The logic was that by raising both eyebrows while squashing one of them down it would just stay that way. To six year old me, this, getting a pony and making sure my big brother was in trouble were my main priorities.

After some time, I managed it! In all probability this was due to genetics rather than sheer will (and surprisingly strong facial muscles) …but that certainly wasn’t going to stop me spending the next 5-10 years showing off my ‘talent’…others could paint, sing or run really fast, I was the kid that could raise one eyebrow.



Mr H wasn't sure how to tell Xanthe
.... it was time  for some intervention

20 years on I curse the ambitions of 6 year old me, (except for the pony – that’s still on my list). My right eyebrow is considerably higher than my left – there isn’t one photo of me where I don’t look ‘wonky’ and I have spent many an cringe worthy moment explaining to nervous beauticians with a wax strip that it’s not them, it's me.

Understandably this ‘affliction’ has not left me with an overly eager approach to eyebrow maintenance. Rather than optimising my face friends and embracing their Picasso like appearance I have opted for long fringes and in frequent trips to the wax bars of London.

That is, until, after much persuasion, I got my eyebrows threaded by the charming (and understanding) ladies of the Shavata Brow Bar

For someone who considers it okay to paint molten wax on my face and then allow someone to rip it off, threading certainly shouldn’t look as weird to me as it does, but as I climbed into my padded leather dentist chair and lay back, Jaz, (my specialist for the day) put me right at ease.

It was time for the science part. Using a pure, thin, twisted cotton thread,  Jaz gently rolled over  my untidy brow line, apparently this allows the hair to be plucked right down at the follicle level. Unlike battling with tweezers where a single hair is pulled out each time, threading can remove an entire row of hair,  resulting in a distinctive, sharp, clean finish.

One of the reasons I’d been putting off giving this technique a whirl was that I had heard rumours of how painful it could be, especially if done by a new comer to the trade. At least with waxing, which admittedly is not the most pain free sensation – it’s over in one go. I was expecting threading to be a painful and slow practice. While it’s not exactly something I’d like to have done daily, the pain was certainly minimal and felt more peculiar than uncomfortable. Furthermore it was all over in less than 10 minutes.

After the cotton reel was put away, Jaz brushed and trimmed the bushier parts of my brows (sexy, I know) and then plucked any stubborn rebel strays with her expert tweezers. A quick and refreshing smear of Shavata Soothing Gel and I was on my way £17, and a few hairs lighter.

My chosen salon is situated on the ground floor of House of Fraser King William Street, just next to Monument tube station in the City. For any shy types be aware that while it’s tucked away in a the far right corner of the floor (next to a super Nails Inc bar) you are still in a department store for all to see. That said, I turned up at lunch time on pay day Friday and was seated immediately with no awkward hovering necessary. A bit of exposure is certainly a small price to pay for such convenience.

As well as drop in waifs and strays such as me, appointments are also available in advance and are certainly recommended for those in a hurry.

Shavata has a range of brow bars in most major House of Fraser stores nationwide as well as the prestigious Harrods (I wonder if old Queenie is getting this done for the wedding?)  and offers a variety of treatments concentrating on the face. As well as threading various areas (face, lip and chin) they also offer tinting services for brows and lashes as well as lash extensions, removal and application of strip lashes. I picked up a loyalty card, for every 5 treatments I buy – the 6^th is free. While this may not be the most cost effective salon, the quick friendly and well-located bar will be seeing me again. I left with virtually no tell tale redness and a few days later my skin has not broken out in protest the way it does with wax.

Die hard tweezers are not excluded from this chain, as the well stocked online store offers plenty of tools of the trade for you to recreate that perfect arch at home. It’s worth reading the hints and tips section of the site before getting stuck in. Once you do I would suggest using these cheery heart shape tweezers to brighten up the tool box.