The Gleaux Studio

The Gleaux Studio is an eyebrow-focused semi-permanent makeup studio on Richmond Avenue in Houston. It is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm and closed on Sundays and Mondays. The studio says it brings together top talent in the industry and uses brow products it describes as the most effective and specialized available today.

Microshading, also called ombre brows, is a semi-permanent technique in which a hand-held machine places pigment in the top layer of the skin. The brow shape is mapped with measuring tools, using more than 50 measurements for placement. Pigment is chosen to suit each client's undertone, skin tone and hair color, and black is never used on its own. Results have a powdery or pomade finish and last roughly 1.5 to 3 years, depending on skin type, condition, lifestyle and aftercare. A topical numbing agent is applied first, and the single-use sterile needles are opened in front of each client. A touch-up is booked 6 to 8 weeks after the first session, and after that clients typically return about 1.5 to 2 years later. Microshading is recommended for oily skin. It is not offered to clients who are pregnant or nursing, and it is not recommended for clients with uncontrolled medical conditions or who take prescription Accutane or retinoids. Clients who use Accutane or prescription retinol must wait 6 months after treatment ends before booking microshading.

Hybrid henna brows are a lower-commitment option, often booked for occasions. The service combines henna and tint to stain the skin under the brow hairs and tint the hairs themselves, and it can cover grey and coarse white hairs. The average appointment takes no more than 45 minutes, and the color lasts up to 3 weeks. The studio says the service is painless. It is not recommended for clients allergic to dye or henna, for clients with broken skin near the area, or for clients with uncontrolled skin disorders.

Before a brow appointment, clients should avoid caffeine, tea, aspirin and alcohol for 24 hours, and groom their brows by waxing 3 days before or threading on the day. After a microshading procedure, keep water off the brows for 10 days and avoid swimming and chlorine for 14 days. Clients must be 18 or older, and the studio does not accept parental consent, following Texas tattoo law as cited in its FAQ. Appointments are cancelled if a client is more than 10 minutes late, and clients get one courtesy reschedule, requested at least 72 hours ahead.

The studio also teaches. The Ombre Brow Master Class is a 3-day, one-on-one course priced at $2,200 covering beginner and advanced microshading, with skin anatomy, consent, machine and needle knowledge, color theory, shading, aftercare, and business and marketing topics. The deposit is non-refundable and applies to the total, with the balance due 7 days before class. The Precision Mapping Master Class is a 5-hour course priced at $500, open to anyone, that teaches string and freehand mapping using the golden ratio for facial proportions. It is also booked one-on-one, with a non-refundable deposit and the balance due 24 hours before class.

The studio concentrates on eyebrow design, with brow shape mapped by measurement and pigment matched to each client's coloring.