Boom Boom Brow Bar is NYC’s first walk-in brow bar that has been serving clients with vegan and cruelty-free looks since 2008. The NYC-based salon uses ethically-developed products in all of their services, which include brow, lip, chin, sideburn, hairline, and full face waxing, as well as brow and lash tints.
Why Clean Beauty?
When putting eye products on or near the eye orbital they absorb into the skin (the largest organ in the body), so Boom Boom Brow Bar places emphasis on eye health and the ingredients in the beauty products they use. Boom Boom products are formulated without parabens, gluten, phthalates, hormones, prostaglandins, oil, fragrance, sulfates, GMOs, silicone, corn, alcohol, barley, wheat, oat, spelt, and rye.
The Vision Behind the Concept
Malynda Vigliotti (aka Boom Boom), owner of Boom Boom Brow Bar, has a personal reason for promoting clean beauty. “In 2006 I was diagnosed with Graves’ Disease, and because of that, I developed Thyroid Eye Disease, a rare disease where your eyeballs pop out of your head. After five corrective surgeries and a supportive team of doctors and nurses, my eyes are now a custom set, and after all is said and done, I can see clearly,” Boom Boom told VegOut.
We spoke with Boom Boom on the inspiration behind opening her business, as well as the importance of using vegan and cruelty-free products on and around our eyes.
VegOut (VO): What inspired you to open Boom Boom Brow Bar?
Malynda Vigliotti (MV): I’ve always been obsessed with eyebrows. I was born with a unibrow, so my mom was tweezing me for my communion pictures. So funny. When I went to beauty school in my thirties, I finally figured out how to do brows and why everyone kept screwing mine up. Once it clicked it was all about symmetry and proportion, and I was like, I’m opening a brow bar.
VO: Why do you choose to use vegan and cruelty-free products at your salon?
MV: I have had health issues with my eyes resulting in several surgeries. I was using this popular store-bought eyebrow growth product and fine baby black hairs were growing under the eyes. It was then that I realized that whatever we put on our eyes [is] going into [both] our eyes [and our] skin. I freaked out. From then on, I was on a quest for something cleaner. It was then that I developed the brow products we have today.
VO: How are plant-based products received by clients differently now compared to when you first opened in 2008?
MV: People are still waking up, but those that are engaged and educated are thrilled! It’s like I’m part of something bigger—one brow product at a time. When people go vegan others perceive it as their loss, but really there is no loss because there are perfect replacements. And why would we not be conscious of our planet and all the creatures on it? Vegan and no animal cruelty is a no-brainer for me. We have such good options now.
VO: How has your salon adapted to the changes that this past year presented?
MV: It was heartbreaking for many reasons and a beautiful reset for me personally and [for] The Boom. My team scaled itself back organically. The new lighter hours created better work-life balance. People that come in are happy to be back. Brows are everything with the masks, so it makes the beauty business even more fun.
VO: What are some COVID-19 precautions you’ve taken to ensure clients experience a safe visit to your salon?
MV: It was easy to be COVID safe because The Boom always prided itself on cleanliness. We just upped our game by spraying everything down between clients and wearing masks. Truth be told, I love wearing a mask at work—I feel safer. In hindsight, I can’t believe we didn’t do it before, and we will continue to do so long after COVID is gone.
VO: Can you please share a few goals for your business with our readers?
MV: My business is my heart. I want to expand with new and exciting products through education. Educating is easy for me, it’s my gift. I feel the need to scale back the fearful rhetoric and to focus on the good. Change the approach, have fun, and I think [the brand] will grow organically. That’s the goal! I can’t wait.
Boom Boom Brow Bar is located at 30 Greenwich Ave (between 10th & Charles) in Manhattan. To view the full menu and pricing, visit boomboombrowbar.com or check them out on Instagram (@boomboombrowbar).