If you seek "eyebrows on fleek," look no further than Brow Club, which debuted this summer at 214 Pierce St. (at Haight), the former temporary home of Groove Merchant Records.
Owner Mina Michael uses microblading and digital hair-stroke tattooing techniques to fill in clients' patchy brows and give them an improved shape.
For the uninitiated, microblading is a hand-tattooing technique that uses fine, hair-like strokes to enhance or create natural-looking eyebrows. It can be paired with cosmetic tattooing, which uses a rotary machine to embed special cosmetic pigments in the skin, for the most natural-looking end result.
A graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute, Michael shares her new space on Pierce with a friend and classmate, Genevieve Dupre of Huahine Tattoo. The pair previously worked from a space in the Castro before moving to the Lower Haight.
Already licensed as a practicing tattoo artist, Michael first learned about microblading four years ago, before it became a bigger trend, she said. Her clients were some of the practice's earliest adopters.
Complete brow packages, which span multiple appointments, run $750.
"Every appointment starts with a drawing and consultation," Michael said. She also requires clients to come back for a touch-up four to six weeks after the initial session. "I always make sure my clients are feeling comfortable."
With extensive experience in a field that's still relatively new by beauty-industry standards, "I do quite a few [brow] corrections," Michael told us.
Those who've had microblading work done elsewhere and didn't like it can book a design consultation with her to discuss a possible fix.
Asked why she chose to open in the Lower Haight, Michael cited the "old-school San Francisco vibe" of the neighborhood and the adjacent bike-sharing station as high points. She said she's excited to share her craft with her new neighborhood.
"I’ve always been really into brows," she added. "It's a convergence of beauty and art."