With a brow crush on Penelope Cruz, you know The Eyebrow Guru Sabria Celaj has an eye for perfection. She’s been doing brows for years, and has two locations in New York where she designs and sculpts brows. Not only did we learn more about her brow philosophy, she gave us a tutorial on maintaining our brows all by ourselves. Read below for tips, tricks, and more about Sabria and how she’s been staying strong.
How did you get into brows?
I started doing my own brows when I was sixteen years old. Since then, my love for shaping brows has grown. Around 8 years ago, when my children were finally old enough, I decided to turn my passion into a career and it’s been a dream come true.
Any brow crushes?
I have a brow crush on Penelope Cruz! They are bold, youthful, balanced, full, and natural; I could go on and on!
What are your brow grooming must-haves?
- A good pair of tweezers. She recommends Tweezerman products - the slanted tweezer specifically helps grab individual hairs with perfection. Plus, Tweezerman offers free resharpening on most of their tweezers!
- A precision brow pencil. Sabria is a fan of the Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra-Fine Precision Brow Pencil in the shade Universal. It’s the perfect ashy tone for adding depth to brows. With pressure, the pencil deposits more color so you can fill in any gaps while shaping. While this is her personal favorite, she did share that almost any precision pencil will do the job. Find what works for you!
- A spooly. Many precision brow pencils have a spooly on the opposite end, but it’s always nice to have one separate. You’ll use this tool not just for brushing out brows, but for taming, blending, and sculpting them to perfection.
- Sharp brow scissors. Don’t tweeze every hair - trim the unruly ones. A good pair of scissors ensures you’re trimming it to the right length (as opposed to too short!)
How do I maintain my brows at home?!
Sabria’s signature look is brows that don’t sacrifice their natural appearance. She’s know for grooming eyebrows to the perfect shape while paying close attention to facial symmetry and personality. Here are her top tips for maintaining brows at home
Brush through brows with a spooly to find their natural shape.
Fill in brow brows. You will end up tweezing everything outside of the shape you filled with pencil. As a side note, if filling brows to add definition (not just when you’re shaping them), choose a flattering color. Believe it or not, an ash tone tends to work for most people. What’s great about the Diorshow Precision Pencil is more pressure = more payoff, so you can customize the intensity of the color. Do pay attention to how long the brow is when you’re filling them in. Too long can cause the eyes and face to appear downturned, and well shaped brows are always about lifting and perfecting!
Tweeze! Believe it or not, tweezing is better for sensitive skin, and helps with precision. Remember to tweeze only the hairs that fall outside of the guide you’ve given yourself by filling them in with pencil.
Trim tops of brows with precision scissors. Brush brows up and look for strays to trim. Trimming the long strays as opposed to tweezing will prevent unwanted gaps in the brow.
Every 4-6 weeks will keep your brows looking sharp!
How are you doing? How are you really doing?
I’ve been doing truly well. Honestly, this entire experience has been very eye opening. Although everything is a bit crazy right now, I’ve learned to slow down and be appreciative of all the things I have in my life. I’m making the most of the situation and spending more time with my family which makes my heart feel full.
How do you balance it all (entrepreneur/mother/partner/wife/sibling, etc) and take care of yourself?
While at times it can get a little crazy, I’ve learned throughout the years that taking the time to organize my calendar is a lifesaver. I like to write everything down and designate time for everything of importance. This has proven to be the only way to make sure that things are given the time they deserve and has helped me to enjoy all aspects of my life. Keeping a written routine is very important to me. It includes work, birthdays, anniversaries, and self care days; All written down!
How do you define strength/what is strength?
To me, strength is all about persevering through difficult times and hopefully, coming out a better person. I believe anyone who is able to turn tragedy into triumph is strong.
What keeps you strong?
My family keeps my strong. When I look at my children and my husband, I’m reminded of who I need to be strong for and who is there to be strong for me. I’m very lucky to have them as my rock.
How has your mental/physical/spiritual strength helped you during Covid-19?
I am a very spiritual person, and I’ve always said “What is written, we cannot change.” I use this phrase to come to terms with the current situation and keep myself strong, knowing that everything happens for a reason and things will get better. It’s all about having trust and faith that we have the strength, perseverance, resilience to keep going in life.
What is one activity that you believe can help keep anyone strong (even if strength here is different than your above definition)
I have found meditation to be an activity that can keep me and many of those around me strong. I believe meditating is the best way to build mental strength and really center yourself. If you can clear your mind and find your center, you can build strength where there wasn’t before.
How are you helping moms/women during Corona?
During these unprecedented times, I have been having virtual brow shaping sessions. As silly as it sounds, eyebrows truly are a source of beauty and comfort for many women. Many of us can attest to the relief we feel in routine and self care so why should we scoff at the inner peace that comes with a little brow upkeep? During Corona, I’ve been hosting virtual brow shaping tutorials on Instagram and messaging directly with many of my clients, explaining how they can maintain their own eyebrows from home!
What has been the hardest part of this ordeal for you?
The hardest part of this ordeal for me has been losing my schedule. I found a lot of comfort in being able to balance my work and family. It was what made me happy. Although I love my time at home, I consider my clients an extended part of my family and I miss working with and speaking to them one on one.
What is the number one thing you are mindful of doing consistently that helps you?
The number one thing I am mindful of doing consistently that helps me is my morning coffee. I’m sure many other working moms can attest to this. I wake up an hour before my entire family and use my time to sip my coffee and read whatever book I’m reading at the moment. I also use this time to snuggle the puppy before my daughters steal him away for the day. Nothing beats a little cuddle session with the dog! It’s an hour of time that belongs to me and only me. I can’t stress enough how important it is that everyone has time to themselves at some point during the day.
If you’re optimistic, what are you looking forward to?
I’m looking forward to normalcy in my everyday life. I can’t wait to pop into a coffee shop on my way to work or browse through a store while I wait for my husband for our dinner date. I’m excited for the little things that we took for granted before and I don’t plan on doing that ever again.
Make sure to follow Sabria on Instagram @sabriasbrows for more tutorials and brow tips and tricks.
