Aubrey Gordon, middle, poses with her staff at Brows by Bree in Warminster Township.
Longtime Montgomery Township resident Aubrey Gordon has been many things in her life; a student, a hair stylist, a bartender, a makeup artist and a medical spa manager among them. However, in 2015, Gordon took all that she had learned and forged a new path into the world of permanent cosmetics.
Six years later, she’s become one of the most in-demand artists in the region, with more than a year-long waiting list for services and a client base that includes reality TV celebrities, social media influencers and wives of NFL stars.
“It’s just been an awesome ride,” said Gordon, 38, now living in Warrington Township. “I am so grateful for the support I have received, the ability to be my own boss, and to have the life I have always wanted. I meet really cool people and I get to do something that I absolutely love every day.”
Gordon made her first venture into the beauty field in 2002, when she began cosmetology school. Afterwards, she received her bachelor’s degree in communications and marketing in 2008 from Temple University, and she would go on to provide myriad beauty services including wedding makeup, skin care and hair styling.
After working for four years as the manager of a local medical spa, Gordon discovered microblading when a friend at a tattoo shop suggested she look into a career in permanent makeup.
“It started off with classes in microblading in 2015, and eventually I ended up working in a couple of tattoo shops,” said Gordon.
Despite the increasing popularity of microblading, Gordon said she had soured on the art as she said she believes it is too traumatic and damaging to the skin. Instead, Gordon evolved to a less-painful form of permanent makeup called “ombre brows” or “powder brows.”
With her art perfected and ample experience under her belt, Gordon left the tattoo shops and opened her own shop — Brows by Bree — in Warminster in January 2020.
“My family really wanted me to go the safe route, to get a job with security and benefits, but I’ve always been drawn to the more creative side of things and I wanted to pursue my goals,” said Gordon. “When I set out to do this, I said I’m going to strive to be the best person in the area to do it, I’m going to do it different than everybody else and I’m going to educate my clients while doing so.”
Gordon’s existing clientele followed her to her new location, and word quickly spread through social media regarding the quality of the services she offered.
“Instagram is really what helped to jumpstart my business,” said Gordon. “I was frequently posting photos of my work, as well as educational videos for those looking for information, and it took off from there.”
By March 2020, Gordon had more than 400 clients that were eager for her services. However, the coronavirus pandemic made its way through the commonwealth and forced the shutdown of thousands of businesses — Brows by Bree included.
“I can’t lie and say that I wasn’t worried,” said Gordon. “We had only been open for a few months, things were going great, and then we got shutdown like everyone else.”
Unlike everyone else, however, Gordon said that as homebound people flocked to online shopping during the quarantine and red-phase shutdown, requests for appointments at Brows by Bree actually increased.
“That’s honestly when I realized how in-demand my brand was, as I was worried that these 400 customers or so were going to lose interest or not be able to afford the work due to the toll the pandemic was taking on everyone,” Gordon said. “But no one cancelled. Not one. Everyone rescheduled, and that was amazing. That’s when I realized I was on my way.”
“The pandemic actually helped my business,” Gordon said. “I know it’s weird to say, but it’s the truth.”
In the three months that followed the shutdown, Gordon said her business continued to pick up new clients at a rapid rate, eventually forcing her to take on two apprentices — Christy Fox and Lori DePinto — to help with her backlog of appointments.
Fox, who previously worked as an esthetician for six years, and DePinto, who brought five years of prior experience in permanent makeup, are now Gordon’s go-to artists, both working in the shop daily and capable of providing the same array of services, including powder brows, lip blushing (once the mask restriction is lifted), eye liner, lash-line enhancement and 3D areola restoration.
Gordon also had to hire on an office manager, as well as a social media manager to keep her accounts fresh and active. And as the business continues to grow, the customers — ranging from 20-year-olds to an 86-year-old woman — continue to pour in.
One customer of notable fame was Aneesa Ferreira, star of The Real World: Chicago and frequent competitor on MTV’s The Challenge series. Other customers include two wives of Philadelphia Eagles players, the mother of a star NFL player and a number of popular social media influencers.
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Brows
by Bree owner Aubrey Gordon, left, with Aneesa Ferreira, right. (Credit: Aubrey
Gordon) |
“It feels surreal,” Gordon said. “When this journey began, there was a lot of doubt from people I knew, but I had to make it work as I had given up almost everything and committed all that I had left to making this business succeed. I’m happy to have made it this far, and I’m excited to see where the future takes us.”
Gordon said she currently has a 14-month waiting list for her services, however she noted potential customers may still be able to occasionally sneak in.
“It is possible to get in before the wait list,” said Gordon. “There are always times where we have a no show, someone can’t make their appointment, etc. At that point, we can always fit someone else in if they’re available.”
Fox and DePinto both have growing wait lists as well, carrying them into May at their current pace. Gordon added, however, that the waiting list shouldn’t deter customers from reaching out.
Brows by Bree is located at 600 Louis Drive Suite 206, Warminster, PA 18974. For information on services provided, pricing and booking, click here. To follow Brows by Bree on Facebook, click here. To follow Brows by Bree on Instagram, click here.
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