Munaza is brow queen of Mayo
THE ancient Asian tradition of eyebrow threading has been introduced to Mayo by London-born Munaza Gilmore who operates from Meelick, Swinford.
The art was taught to her by her Pakistani grandmother, Khadija, when she was 10, writes Tom Gillespie.
Mother-of-three Munaza operates brow clinics from her home and also in Roscommon, Ballina, Castlebar (Breaffy House Resort and Demure) and Westport.
Munaza moved to Swinford with her husband 15 years ago after completing university. Her background is in psychology and she works as a social care worker with Western Care.
She explained: “My grandmother taught me the art. She used to sit with me and show me how to thread my upper lip.
“I provide probably the first authentic threading service in Mayo with an established business for over three years and a client list of over 1,000 women.
“I pride myself in offering the best experience incorporated with the latest trends and fashions, producing the best set of brows for your facial features and personal preferences.
“It is the most gentlest form of hair removal, dating back centuries, with its origins from Asia. The process involves a piece of thread that is twisted and pulled along areas of unwanted hair, acting like a mini lasso. The thread lifts the hair follicle directly from the root without the use of chemicals.
“Discussing how you want your features to look is essential to me and then I know exactly what you are looking for. This gives me time to discuss shape, thickness and colouring detail to ensure you get the look you want. You can bring a photo of your brow idol too.”
Munaza added: “If you are prone to getting in-grown hairs around the brow area, you should exfoliate the area before treatment. Avoid covering post-appointment redness with makeup as it may irritate the skin. Some redness is normal. I apply either rosewater, witch hazel or aloe vera to soothe the area.
“The benefits of threading include the ouch-less factor as threading is much less painful than waxing. Since threading only targets the individual hairs, skin irritation is kept to a minimum.
“Threading is very precise and allows greater control over which hairs are removed, resulting in a better shape. Threading is 100% au natural. Even those short stubbly hairs can be removed, giving you the option of avoiding that bothersome grow-out period. Any redness subsides in an hour or so, so your beauty secret stays a secret.
“Most people who break out from waxing have a much better result from threading, which is dermatologist recommended for individuals who are currently using skin-thinning medications like Accutane and Retinolla. Waxing can tug, stretch and even remove delicate skin, eventually facilitating the development of wrinkles. Threading does none of this.”
She continued: “Our new revolutionary 3D brow building will allow you reconstruct your eyebrows completely. Furthermore, you can create fullness and definition that cannot be achieved with regular eyebrow grooming. The result is waterproof and smudge-free eyebrows, which is created by building on your natural shape to create fuller, thicker, luscious brows that have perfect definition. The achieved high definition result is similar to permanent make-up except it’s three-dimensional and non-invasive.”
The look is tailor-made for each person and suitable for those who have naturally good eyebrows as well as those who suffer from partial or complete eyebrow loss.
Munaza added: “My treatment is so intricate it is not available from any brow artist. This is not simply ‘eyebrow extensions’. It is a whole technique of building eyebrows and growing your own with time.
“Research has led us to develop two completely new concepts to the beauty industry. The first is for those who naturally have good eyebrows or thinning eyebrows and would like to work on the shape and fullness - we then apply specialised hairs to their natural hairs. This creates the desired look that lasts.
“If, on the other hand, the client does not have eyebrows at all or is experiencing partial loss, we have developed a textured paint that can be applied directly in strokes onto your skin where there is no hair at all. It gives slight texture and allows you to grow your natural eyebrows with the use of eyebrow serum. With care and following aftercare advice the sleek look can last for up to four weeks.”
She confessed: “My friends call me the brow queen of Mayo. I am amazing at shaping eyebrows. I can tell people how to pluck them, particularly teenagers who are just starting, and show them how to do it so they don’t take too much off.
“At the moment my work has just been word-of-mouth and I am so grateful that people have recommended me.”
Master threader Munaza Gilmore can be contacted on (086) 3514161 or email threadingbymunaza@yahoo.ie for her 2016 price list.