It was such a pleasure to speak with Damone Roberts. Known as the brow guru to A-Listers such as Madonna, Rihanna, Beyonce and Megan Fox, Oprah's coined him as a "beauty therapist," and with salons in Beverly Hills and NYC, he's unstoppable. I got the scoop on why he's the stars' go-to, DIY brow grooming tips and his latest project.
You've been called a “beauty thearapist,” what does that mean?
I’ve been doing a column for Oprah.com and we came up with this name because women like to feel good about themselves. Women hold back more psychologically than physically and I bring out the best version of themselves. Things change from fashions to our age and weight and sometimes you need to let things go and bring back the best thing about yourself.
What's it like to work with such iconic women?
You see these women and they’re all icons and I grew up with posters of Madonna on my wall and now her face is in my hands. I went to see Madonna in concert at her Blonde Ambition tour and now I’m sitting front row as her primper and friend. All of my famous clients are like everyone else. Once you gain their trust you're not just working for them, you become their friends.
Why is it important to have a relationship with your brow guru?
You need to find an artist you like and trust them. Don’t be adamant about not changing your look. You’re only hurting yourself. Find people you trust, make sure you like their work and hand it over at a certain point.
People come to me and give me a picture of Brooke Shields, but have two eyebrow hairs. I let them tell me what they want, but upon first look I already know what I’m going to do to them. They trust me, but I hear them out. The relationship I have with my clients is very important. I love the OMG moment, right after a service when they realize how much they love their look.
What are your pointers for women who are plucking their own brows?
Less is more. Take out one row at a time and step back to look at it. Then go to the other side and do the same. Never conquer your brows individually. Then use brow gel. It helps keep hairs in place and opens up the eye to make you look more alert and younger.
What's next for you?
I'm working with thelookbag.com, to curate deluxe sample sized beauty products for members that get delivered monthly to their homes. I find that there's a lot of product out there and walking into a Sephora can become very overwhelming. This is a great way to expose people to the latest and the greatest.
Typically, when filling in our brows, we choose a product – shadow or liner – and get the job done. However, we’re missing a huge step that makes all the difference. LA makeup artist, Gabbi Pascua, gave us a reason for using more than one formula.
