Community Highlights: Meet Eleonora Mailian of Brow Ink LA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eleonora Mailian.

Hi Eleonora, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
It is so interesting how life prepares you with every step and with every journey to get you to where you are meant to be. I have been shaping brows since I was about 15 years old, starting with my own. Soon after, I ended up being the brow guru for my sister, mom, aunts, friends, etc. At the time, there was no social media and I had very little exposure to the possibilities in the beauty industry.

All I knew was that this industry was frowned upon because it was not going to get you to be “CEO”, which is what I’ve always said I wanted. I took what I considered a “safe path” and went to school, worked in finance, but was never satisfied. I wanted freedom. I’ve always envisioned being my own boss, owning a gorgeous location, and doing something I love and spreading the joy. When Microblading first came out around 2015, I wasn’t too crazy about it, as it looked more harsh and not really natural. I am very picky when it comes to brows looking as natural as possible. In 2019, I felt like I hit rock bottom. I was extremely lost. I didn’t want to work a 9-5 anymore. I wanted to find my passion and live the life I dreamt of and I knew that it was right at my fingertips, and yet I couldn’t grasp it. I couldn’t figure out what it was, and so I spent months feeling frustrated, trying to manifest my dreams, sometimes crying, sometimes calm, but mostly just yearning to find inner peace. And then in September of 2019 it hit me – my passion for brows has always been strong and I looked up Microblading again and was shocked at how much the techniques had advanced since it first came out. The possibility to have naturally looking full brows was there and suddenly, I saw my paved road so clearly. I grasped what I was yearning for. I was going to change the game of natural Microblading.

I spent days and nights researching artists and found a course in November of 2019. I was beyond excited but also very scared. I realized how important it is to have family and loved ones who believe in you and support you before you can even believe in yourself. Not only was my family the greatest support, I was blessed with an amazing boyfriend that didn’t let me doubt myself for one second throughout my entire journey. Every time I felt afraid or uncertain, he would remind me of my power and I would keep going. The worldwide pandemic may have given me a moment’s pause, but I wasn’t going to let it stop me. I worked extremely hard, built my clientele, and got my first set of keys to Brow Ink LA’s official first location on my favorite street on Kenneth Rd in Glendale. The same street that I spent years sitting at the Commissary Coffee Shop writing papers for school, searching for jobs, and even creating Brow Ink LA. Now, I am their neighbor. I spent over three months remodeling it to match my vision, and here we are about to give our first Masterclass on May 26th!

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Being a business owner, you are guaranteed to have many, many struggles along the way. That’s what makes you strong and resilient. On the fourth month of my new career, a worldwide pandemic occurred. Leaving us all scared, shocked, and many jobless. At the time, I was working out of a small suite I rented at the Salon Republic, and suddenly their doors were shut. Our world came to a stop. I used the time off to self-reflect, manifest, and work harder then I ever have in my life. I’ve become the artist, the social media manager, the receptionist, the accountant, the EVERYTHING. Not only am I responsible to give each client their dream brows, I have to make sure I am showcasing my work through social media, responding to messages, texts, phone calls, emails, etc. It has definitely been a challenging road, but the reward is much, MUCH greater.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Brow Ink LA is a luxury PMU salon renowned for giving clients the most natural brows in the industry. We have clients from all over the world, flying and driving for hours at a time to get their brows done with us. When you come to Brow Ink LA, you don’t just come for your brows, you come for an experience. You walk out with a new sense of self-confidence. There is no single shape/style that fits all when it comes to brows. In almost all cases, our left brow is very different from our right one. If you take a close look in the mirror, you’ll notice that your facial symmetry and brow shape/hairs are never identical. As an artist, it is crucial that we see and create brows that will match the client’s face as a whole, all while being able to stabilize our hand pressure with each stroke for proper retention and healing. Not only have I been shaping brows since I was fifteen, I had a talent for drawing since I was a little kid and played the piano since I was four years old.

You may wonder, what on earth does drawing or playing the piano have to do with Microblading?! Well, being able to have a steady hand where you can control your pressure- this is where the true magic of Microblading comes in and why it is superficial on the skin. You DO NOT want permanent brows EVER. Traditional brow tattoos generally go deeper into the dermis layer of our skin, whereas Microblading should be placed at the bottom layer of the epidermis. As we age, our skin changes. Brow trends also change with time. Having permanently tattooed brows leave many clients unhappy, hating the color the ink turned into and wishing they didn’t have to go through laser tattoo removal to change their brows. So trust us artists when we say you WANT your brows to fade. You would rather maintain them then not be able to ever change them. We are beyond proud to be able to give clients natural-looking brows and even more excited and proud to be able to share our technique and teach our students to do the same.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
That my love for this job is so much more than creating brows. Nothing is more rewarding then that feeling of giving another woman confidence, motivation and reminding her of her power. We are about to take Brow Ink LA and make it all about empowering, inspiring, and building each other up. Through brows, through events, through candles and products, and this is JUST the beginning.

Pricing:

• Microblading: $700
• Microshading (Combo Brows): $750
• Ombré/Powder Brows: $700

Contact Info:

• Email: Browinkla@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/browink.la?igshid=1xwen9d9v5hph
• Other: https://square.site/book/73A8F3APVSDQ7/brow-ink-la-glendale-ca

Image Credits
Madina Kanzitdinova