Bad news for beauticians, salons and anyone looking forward to their first facial since lockdown – Boris Johnson has just announced that the government will reverse the decision to lift a number of restrictions from tomorrow, August 1. This includes what the Prime Minister referred to as 'close contact' beauty treatments, which includes facials and any brow treatments.
Since many lockdown measures have been relaxed, it seems that the rate of infections from Covid-19 has increased in England – some areas have even been put back into lockdown, including Greater Manchester and parts of West Yorkshire.
While hairdressers and nail salons have reopened with new safety measures in place, the government is still deeming any facial treatments to be too much of a risk. It's unclear as to when they may be able to resume – Johnson said the lifting of these restrictions would be postponed until August 15 at the very earliest. It's another hit for the beauty industry and those who work in it, many of whom are self employed and therefore currently without an income.
One in every 60 jobs in the UK is within the beauty industry, so it's hugely important for the economy that it's able to operate as usual. Of course, people's health and safety must come first but the government's latest decision has confused many.
Luckily, there are things you can do to support your local beauty salon, which may be suffering as a result of this news.
Meanwhile, here's how to get perfect-looking brows at home according to Patrick Ta...
Perfect Brows By Patrick Ta
1 of 4Patrick Ta Major Brow Shaping Wax, £20
1. Prep: 'First, ensure brows are completely clean, and there is no foundation or product residue of any sort on the hairs. If there are any stray hairs outside of the brow shape, tweeze them away.'2. Tame: 'Next it's time for wax. My go-to product is my Patrick Ta Major Brow Shaping Wax, £20. Activate the product by spraying a setting spray or water liberally into it to wet the wax.'
2 of 4Patrick Ta Major Brow Dual Ended Brow Brush, £18
2. Tame: 'Coat the spoolie end of the Patrick Ta Major Brow Dual Ended Brow Brush, £18, with product. Gently pull through your brow hairs, coating each one, taking care not to brush the product onto skin.'
3 of 4Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz, £23
3. Shape: 'Wait for 45 - 60 seconds to allow the wax to dry down a little. Once brows are slightly tacky, use the angled brush end and push down the hair, so it's flat against the skin, laminating it in place. Then take the spoolie end and fluff brows one last time in your desired direction.4. Define: 'If you want more definition, go in with a brow powder like Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz, £23.'
4 of 4Glossier Brow Flick, £15
'Or a brow pen, I love Glossier's Brow Flick, £15, use it to fill in sparse areas.'5. Finish: 'Brush through one more time with the spoolie brush to make sure everything is blended in and looks natural.'
Patrick Tais a renowned make-up artist who is famed for working with the well-groomed likes of Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber. Here he talks exclusively to Grazia about how to achieve the perfect 'undone' fluffy brow look at home with a few key makeup items.