Eyebrow 101: Eliza,‘Queen of the Arch’ interview

By April MacIntyre Apr 14, 2011, 21:04 GMT

Meet Eliza Petrescu, otherwise known as "Queen of the Arch." This Romanian-born American entrepreneur is the consultant to many celebrities like Jennifer Grey.

People notice many things about your face when first meeting you, but if your eyebrows are not together, or drawn to high or in a cartoonish "chola" sharp line, you immediately are forever remembered as that person "with those eyebrows."

Nobody wants to be known as "that person." Even men, when they take a bit of time out, can look younger and more together by employing some simple grooming steps and good ol' clear brow gel.

Meet Eliza Petrescu, otherwise known as "Queen of the Arch." This Romanian-born American entrepreneur is the consultant to many celebrities like Jennifer Grey.

Ms. Petrescu spoke with Monsters and Critics and shared the biggest blunders and best advice for anyone who needs to shape up their game. “If eyes are windows to the soul, then eyebrows are the frames.” 
says Eliza.

Biggest mistakes? "People should never trim the last hairs from the eyebrow tail, it ruins the line of the brow," says Eliza. "Never ever tweeze the hairs at the end of the brow. Brush and fix them with gel. The longer the better."

Makeup tip: Always use brow pencil or powder prior to using brow gel to avoid clumping. Eliza has shaped some of the most famous brows in the entertainment and fashion industries, as well as her loyal clientele who book a year in advance to see her religiously every four weeks. Famous for pioneering the classically elongated eyebrow shape, Eliza has transformed the brow into an integral extension of one’s overall appearance.

Eliza is one of the leading eyebrow experts in the field. After arriving in the United States in 1981, she started making a name for herself after opening her first New York full service salon/spa on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

She even worked alongside Frederic Fekkai and later John Barrett in their respective salons. In 1998 Eliza partnered with Avon Salon & Spa in Trump Tower where she launched the first dedicated brow-sculpting salon in the world, called Eliza’s Eyes. This concept was expanded into several Neiman Marcus locations, including their Dallas flagship, Coral Gables, Paramus and Las Vegas doors.

During that time Eliza reinforced her pioneer status by launching a full range of eyebrow grooming and maintenance products, including the first ever brow kit for men and women.

In 2006, Eliza brought her expertise to Exhale, training a team of highly qualified E-associates, to serve an expanded clientele at select locations, including NYC (Madison Avenue and Central Park South), Dallas and Santa Monica.

Eliza brings another first to the beauty world, with the opening of Eliza’s Eyes, Eye Brow Boutique, on Madison Ave NYC.

Eliza expands her vision to include (along with her exclusive techniques and products) massage therapy, organic spray tanning, acupuncture, aesthetic applications, permanent makeup, and make-up artistry to create the most youthful appearance to ones features.

A must-have no fail brow item? "The Chunky Filler is easy and will compensate for sparse, overtweezed areas as well as darken the brow and cover white hairs for a more defined look," says Eliza.

Another secret weapon is her signature Miracal Balm -a multi-purpose “miracle” treatment balm that Eliza swears is the solution to most skin problems.

"This can be used anywhere, and is full of Calendula and Soy Bean extraxts to soothe skin and minimize irritation from waxing, tweezing or other environmental factors," says Eliza. The Balm is for face and body, and is designed to ease reddened inflamed skin, alleviate chapped sunburned and wind burned skin, and help to maintain skin’s elasticity while keeping it supple. It's also ideal for rough and dry areas such as knees, elbows and feet.

Breakout stars in her brow line also include the automatic Brow Definer & Eyeliner
pencils, easy to define the arch of the eye area or to contour the eye, the definer/eyeliner is a dual purpose brow tool and make-up pencil. Available in 3 shades to enhance your natural skin tone, it enhances and beautifies the whole eye brow and eye contour.

Eliza also consults with many high-profile executives and male celebrities to make sure they are putting their best face forward.

"For Men, it is best to tweeze after showering and shaving since the skin will be more supple and offer less resistance. Then brush brow hair upwards with Spiral Brow Brush to trim long unruly hair with my Brow Scissors. To fight "Uni-brow" tweeze the hair between the brows, not too far from the left or right. Just above the nose. Tweeze one hair at time, grasping the root and tugging firmly. For a neater look, pluck the last few hairs at the end of the brow to eliminate strays and finish with clear brow gel."

Monsters and Critics spoke with Eliza about brows and how to maintain them.

Monsters and Critics: What are the biggest mistakes that women do when shaping their brows?

Eliza: Over tweezing: destroys the natural shape of the brows. Not just in the middle which creates a huge space between the eyes. Also creating too much of a McDonald’s arch, eyebrows aren’t meant to be maintained at home, they enhance your face, you must follow up with a professional, many women can’t do it on their own

M&C: What is best, waxing or hand tweezing brows? What is your opinion of threading?

Eliza: They are not "best" or "worse" but both good procedures EXCEPT after peelings and microdermabrasion – you cannot wax as the skin gets too thin to wax with anti-aging treatments. Waxing lasts longer, 2-3 weeks, and it takes the fuzz out around the eyebrows. Tweeze every 2-3 days, never tweeze from the top!! Waxing gives a clearer arch; you can tweeze the 1-2 hairs around and left, this gives the most ideal and prominent arch.

Threading... FORGET IT! Worse thing and extremely painful, the brow hair loses elasticity by breaking it instead of pulling it from the root; its an ancient way.

M&C: Are stencils a good investment for people to achieve symmetry?

Eliza:  No, eyebrows aren’t one size fits all, they are all unique and everyone has their own shape; people should go to a professional to get their best shape for them.

M&C: On brow color, what is the general rule? Should redheads go more neutral in tone than matching hair?

Eliza: Redheads are the only ones that can use red-ish tones in their brows
and blondes can go two shades darker, brunettes should go the same hair color
and the fashion trend right now is seeing blond with black eyebrows, but never go the other way with brunettes.

M&C: Are brow pencils more precise and easier than a powder brow color palette? Do you ever recommend brow tattooing, and if not, why?

Eliza: Brow pencils are more precise: especially when you do it on your own, use to enhance your arch, also powder fills in parts where there is missing hair, can be messy but both are necessary, but the pencil can do both things like enhance and fill in parts. And semi-permanent make up - tattooing - is the same procedure, people get scared of the word “tattooing” but it is extremely important to have a professional finalize the arch and pigment, and do this only with a professional in a salon.