Amy Jean Eye Couture: Road-test

A good brow frames the face, big-time.

I often refer to myself as 'a poor excuse for an Italian' as my eyebrows are so darn fair and sparse.

(FYI: I don't have a lady-mo to wax and I am decidedly non-hairy… not a bad thing, of course).

And so, when I spotted good friend and TV host/author/fabulous woman Sally Obermeder sport some insanely fabulous eyebrows, I simply had to pay a visit to her new brow guru… Amy Jean, from Amy Jean Eye Couture.

I stalked Amy Jean's Instagram account and saw some incredible before and after shots. I just knew AJ was my kinda beauty gal.

I will straight up give you the before and after:

Incredible transformation, right?!

I could hardly believe my eyes. And yes, I took several snaps on my phone, below. This one above was taken by Amy Jean herself, understandably proud of her handiwork.

I have brows! Big, thick ones!

Look how fab specs look with a good brow to frame them

And a clever eyebrow magician she is. Australia's eyebrow queen has been crafting brows for eons. Born and raised on the picturesque South Coast of NSW, 33 year old Amy Jean Linnehan has become Australia’s most renowned celebrity brow artist and pioneer of the 'Feather Touch Tattoo' technique. Testament to her success are her exclusive Eye Couture salons in Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sydney’s historic Bambini Trust building (where I went. It's fittingly majestic), with new franchises now planned for Perth, Adelaide and New Zealand.

“Brow artistry is taking the world by storm and, in response to high demand, we are expanding faster than I ever have imagined when I opened my first Eye Couture salon at Palazzo Versace in 2010 “ says Amy Jean.

Dubbed ‘the brow magician’ by her high profile clientele, including Naomi Campbell, Mel B, Jesinta Campbell, Sandra Sully and Kate Waterhouse, Amy Jean has built an unshakable reputation as the go-to-girl for brows and lashes. Her fan base spans the globe and includes celebrities, such as Dannii Minogue, who snapped up her Powderliner Pencil and tweeted, “This product is amaza-bubbles”.

Amy Jean’s luxe range of high-quality, eye-specific cosmetics are available in-salon and on her website. “Anyone who has tried the Eye Couture Collection products is completely hooked on the results,” says Amy-Jean. “The whole range is made and packaged in the United States, not in China, and you can see and feel the quality difference.” 

Oh yes, you can.

The 'Amy Jean Eye Couture Brow Velvet' eyebrow powder is like nothing I've ever tried before. It really does have a velvet-y texture and is super easy to apply… with the brush it just glides on super smooth, instantly filling in brows:

Post brow shape, Amy Jean answered some questions for Josie's Juice.

What was the catalyst for you to start your career in making over eyebrows?

It was a combination of wanting a business and trying to combine my love of “creating things”. After a short stint working in the beauty industry, I was lucky enough to realize that eyebrows were my passion and customers kept re-booking. When you recognise a niche, it’s criminal not to leap at it!

Tell me about your early history in the industry (working with Renya Xydis, etc)? And the year Amy Jean Eye Couture came to be, and when you started to branch out.

Ten years ago I was still in Sydney, but after researching where the “established” brow bars were, I packed my bags for the Gold Coast, as I found there were no brow salons in the whole of Queensland. To have the monopoly in a vain city like the Gold Coast seemed like a no brainer. The local newspaper up there did a full page spread about my business two weeks after I opened and by the third week I was completely booked up…and totally blown over by the demand. I later opened my first signature store at the Palazzo Versace Hotel on the Gold Coast. I also launched my own cosmetic line which is dedicated to “eye styling” products.  I wasn’t satisfied with the Gold Coast alone so I jumped on a plane almost every week back to Sydney and began to build clientele back here with the view to eventually open down here. Renya Xydis was lovely enough to give me a corner within Miss Frou Frou at Valonz to kick start my exposure back in Sydney. I then started to add Melbourne to the mix. Once I had built up enough demand in all areas, I would then open a stand alone store.

How do you research what's the newest trend in brows?

Fashion magazines as well as beauty and fashion bloggers usually dictate what’s popular, but the newest “trend” doesn’t necessarily suit all face shapes.

I also travel to international cosmetic trade fairs in America, Italy and Hong Kong. It’s important to research emerging trends and products that are available on the market and get a good look at all cultures as Australia is such a melting pot of European, Asian and Caucasian.

What IS the newest trend in brows right now?

The more brow hair the better! The “it brow” at present is less about a tailored shape and ALL about fullness!

A straight full brow, with less arch but more fullness is being requested the most, particularly with my Asian clients.

Tell me about your devoted clients… how far do they travel?

I think I do most of the travelling! Haha… I travel between my four salons in Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast and Brisbane. I have more stores opening in Perth and Adelaide in the coming months. I also do “pop up parlours” in New York, Paris and London.

I have had loyal clients that I’ve been seeing for 10 years every month. That means so much to me. Some women will fly interstate to see me for tattooing.  I love that women are willing to travel great distances for a good set of brows!

Which celebs' brows do you love most right now?

My very own client, Dannii Minogue, she is too stunning for words! We have worked on her brows becoming thicker over the past few years and I just love her look. I’m also a massive fan of Camilla Belle and Jessica Alba. Cara Delevinge’s arches are getting loads of attention but it’s interesting that I never get clients actually request her type of brow. Beware of “model brows” VS “street brows”; models are always trying to trademark their look by making a statement with a particular feature.

Amy Jean Eye Couture is located in:

Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, New Zealand, New York.

Follow Amy Jean on Instagram here:  http://instagram.com/amyjeaneyecouture

And on Facebook by searching:  Amy-Jean Eye Styling