Kelley Baker Brow Products
After officially retiring as a hairstylist of 14 years, I could solely focus on eyebrow services in my new business, Ashley Jackson Beauty. In circa 2019, I took my certification and started to offer permanent makeup services, which was so fresh in my area; not many people had heard of this, let alone providers offering it. The service started to get my name out there in a small town filled with blank canvases. After a couple of months of providing this service, I realized I needed to offer additional eyebrow services because I wasn't meeting everyone's eyebrow needs, and not everyone needed permanent makeup. Some people just needed a brow wax and cleanup. Not long after that, the "Ulitmate Shape Up" was born. This service combines waxing and tweezing your brows and filling them in using brow makeup. But I must emphasize this is not just any brow makeup; however, it is brow makeup that the one and only Kelley Baker created.
To give you some background on the GOAT of brows, Kelley Baker is a world-renowned celebrity eyebrow artist, shaping and filling in the brows of A-list celebs like The Kardashians, HER, Shay Mitchell, and many more. She offers masterclasses worldwide to teach other artists her brow technique and extend her visionary influence. She has been featured in VOGUE, INSTYLE, and PEOPLE magazine. You can find her on television or podcasts and by scrolling through social media. Did I mention she also has a distinct and user-friendly product line (vegan and cruelty-free) made of the highest quality products for your brows?
I heard about Kelley Baker and wanted to explore her style, products, and artistic abilities further. Soon, I went down all the rabbit holes, watched all the videos, researched, and purchased all the products. I used it on myself, experimented with clients, watched more videos, and kept practicing. I knew that by switching channels in my career of 14 years from hair to brows, I needed to learn from the best.
I noticed a post about Kelley offering training classes. I wanted to train with this fantastic artist to the stars and decided if I wanted to be my best self, I had to learn from the best. That would mean making a decision and acting on it. So, I reached out, spoke to her assistant, signed up for the training, scheduled my days off work, and booked the flight. I was going to LA, baby!
Kelley Baker Brows since has a new location, but when I went for my training, I was going to the OG location in a darling house-turned-brow business in Venice, CA. Accented in pink, it was more than I could have imagined when walking in. It's so interesting that pictures can only paint so much of an idea for you, and it doesn't compare to being there in person. I discovered that my training was the last one held there before they moved to Beverly Hills. Gratefulness to have seen this iconic place!
I remember arriving in LA and preparing mentally for the training the following day. I thought about how unique this opportunity was, and I DID IT! I acted. And now I was here, like magic! So many vivid memories come to mind when I think about this day—walking up to and entering her space, which was transformed from a house into a brow lounge. Thinking about how the team greeted me with excitement and enthusiasm as I entered the doors. I told myself to be calm, act normal, don't cry. I accomplished all of the above ( I think) except the crying. But it was a very contained and controlled cry, not an ugly hyperventilating cry. Someone even said 'I love your outfit' and I believed them! I mean, they live in one of the trendiest cities in the US; who was I, a girl from a small midwestern town, being told my outfit was cute by LA babes? I soaked it up.
The morning progressed with a quick photo op of stills and boomerangs, and then Kelley doing a couple of models' eyebrows and showing me the 'KBB' way of waxing and filling them in. She made it look so effortless! We laughed, I asked questions, recorded tons, and retained all I could. I laughed as if I knew precisely what she was experiencing when describing her private house call to JLo's house to wax her and her sisters' eyebrows. I repeated in my mind, '"be cool...!"
I remember them being kind and genuine throughout the training, guiding, informing, and complimenting me as I filled in her assistants' brows. I got to see a personal side of Kelley, separate from the one experienced and translated through a screen. They bought lunch from this super delicious restaurant that they all loved with the best tacos and freshest guacamole. Eating out on the patio adorned with cacti and temperatures in the perfect upper 70s with salty air, we laughed and talked like old friends.
Over tacos, I remember her asking me what I charged and didn't want to tell her. At that time, her brow wax and fill-in, the equivalent of my ultimate shape-up, was a smooth $150. And at the time, I charged $20. See why I was nervous to mention how much? Not that I didn't think I was good, right, but this city where I come from can't support LA prices. However, she gave me the confidence to know that I am worth every bit of what I charge and should raise my prices immediately. (Sorry, not sorry, Kelley told me to!)
After lunch, I remember her doing my brows and the feel of her hands on my brows. These same hands that had touched all these beautiful people in California, celebrities, and the world were now on my brows; what a very surreal moment. I felt special. I could picture her videos that I meticulously studied as she filled in my brows. It was like living a dream, and I couldn't wait to offer it all to my clients.
When the day concluded, I was given additional products as part of my training and endless knowledge, not to mention a real boost in my confidence and skill level ( and a raise). I couldn't wait to show off my newly acquired skills and get these products into the hands of literally everyone!
So what makes these products so unique? To start, they are affordable, and they work! The other genius aspect of this line is that there aren't many color options. Why is that good? For example, the brow-defining pencil comes in Blonde, Brown, and Dark Brown. You will use the blonde pencil if you are a blonde, redhead, or grey. If your hair is dark blonde to light or medium brown, you will want to reach for the brown pencil. The Dark brown pencil will be perfect for dark brown or black-haired clients. Less choice equals less room for error and confusion. I love the simplicity of this concept. PRO TIP: Always go one shade lighter when selecting your color; that's with any product in her line and straight from Kelley!
Another popular product in her line and at my studio is the brow powder duo in blonde/brown or brown/dark brown. These pressed, highly pigmented powders pair best with her angled spoolie brush. Angled side to apply, spoolie side to distribute and soften. Using a powder versus a pencil will provide a more filled-in and dense look to the brow, whereas a pencil can help create a more textured look. The powder will also give more coverage and is suitable for oily skin clients.
If you want to create an even bolder brow, using the tinted gel in Blonde, Brown, or Dark brown will temporarily enhance your brow hair and cover any pesky grey or light hair (you know, those that may occur as we age)! PRO TIP, these tinted gels also work around your hairline between color services at the salon to cover any greys!
If you have great color and density in your brows but crave control, the clear gel is fantastic for holding hairs in place with a light hold. The clear gel goes over the top of my brows that I've filled in with the brown brow-defining pencil and are my "stranded on an island" must haves!
The camo highlighter pencil, or magic stick, as some call it, is the number one KBB brow product sold at Ashley Jackson Beauty. It comes in 2 colors, light, and tan. The camo highlighter pencil is a must-have in your brow tool kit for ultimate definition under the brow. The consistency is super creamy, in a stick form, and a little swipe on the highlighter brush will take your brows from "nice" to "noticed"! It also helps reduce the visibility of new growth in-between waxing.
Kelley Baker is an icon to many, especially in the beauty industry. She has changed the game when it comes to brows. Not only that, she has grown a talented team and empire by doing one thing really good. She inspires so many to do what they love and take chances doing what they love as long as they do their best.
My time in Venice that sunny June day, days after receiving my keys to my very own studio, was like nothing else. It was a culmination of so many thoughts, feelings, and emotions. I learned from the best. I would return it to my new studio and keep living my dream. I'm so grateful to share what I've learned with you, and for some, I'm thankful to have been the one that does your beautiful brows. I hope to inspire you to use these products to enhance your brows. Suppose you are unsure how to use the products. In that case, I will let you hold the mirror and watch as I fill them in (Pro Tip from Kelley herself), or if you aren't local, you can check out Kelley Baker Brows on social media, as she offers terrific tips and videos on using each product. Be encouraged; even better brows are in your future!