The last decade has seen Asia’s beauty sector grow exponentially. The region’s biggest beauty obsession? Bigger, wide-awake eyes.
But what if you don’t want to spend half an hour everyday applying all that eye shadow, false eyelashes, eyeliner and contact lenses? Nigar Qureshi of Spa BPZ, one of Hong Kong’s longest running beauty establishments, thinks she has the answer. And no, it doesn’t involve surgery.
“Getting bigger eyes isn’t solved by getting just one treatment,” she says. “It’s a culmination of several effects: properly arched and defined eyebrows, curled or extended lashes, and even what we call ‘permanent makeup’ for those who want to go all the way.”
After working with Hong Kong clients for four decades, Nigar realised that what the market really needed was a comprehensive product that enhanced eyes semi-permanently without the need for makeup. She then decided to launch Eye Studio, an up to 7-in-1 full service, covering a combination of the following:
- Eyebrow shaping, threading
- Eyebrow 3D microblading tattoo
- Eyelash perm
- Eyelash extension
- Eyelash / eyebrow tinting
- Moxa Bustion for dark circles & fine lines (Traditional Chinese medicine therapy using moxa made from dried mugwort)
- Caci Ultra eye treatment which works to lift and firm the muscles around the eye area and smoothens the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
“The results are remarkable,” she says. “People always underestimate the little details, but they add up.”
“There’s no one solution fits all,” Nigar qualifies. “That’s why we have an initial consultation to see what look would suit your face.” Being primarily a makeup artist, Nigar uses the “face card” to determine and customise each service.
When your faithful writer came in to try the eyelash perm, Nigar immediately spotted a downward angle on the outer edges of her eyes and recommended to add an exaggerated curl in the ends. She had been meaning to ask for it, but Nigar identified the problem before she could even broach the request. Clearly, the woman knows what she is doing.
There was only time to do one treatment that day, but your writer wished she had more to do the whole Eye Studio package at Spa BPZ. Her previously existing eyebrow tattoos definitely needed a touch up, while her eyelashes are sadly still short as ever. Thankfully, the perming alone already made a dramatic difference.
What makes the eyelash perm at Spa BPZ different from those at other salons? According to Nigar, others normally use hair perm for clients’ eyelashes, which is too strong for such a delicate area. “That’s why you get swelling, and if you do it often, your eyelashes get burned by the chemicals,” she says. “We use a very mild but effective plant-based solution from Germany.”
Additionally, while other salons also use standard cotton pads to cushion your skin, Nigar’s team uses collagen under-eye patches, dabbing in even more cream for added measure. “I make a lot of these organic products myself,” says Nigar. “I typically use aromatherapy oils and natural ingredients.”
When asked whether she intended to commercially produce them, Nigar said no. “It makes more sense for me to keep them exclusively for Spa BPZ customers.”
Try it for yourself at Spa BPZ. 12/F Sea Bird House, 22-28 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong. (852) 2524 1272 / 2522 5945 / 9364 5271. www.spabpz.com
Written by: Julienne C. Raboca