Celebrity Brow Guru René de la Garza on His Top Beauty Items

Some of the entertainment industry’s boldest brows — think Cardi B and Lizzo — have been plucked and shaped by Los Angeles–based brow guru René de la Garza. “My favorite part about what I do is gaining trust from my clients,” the Brow Down Studio owner tells the Cut. “Facials and brows are two services that require an immense amount of trust from a client, and I truly feel honored that my clients trust me.”

And de la Garza had an immense amount of trust in his own journey to get where he is today. After studying vocal opera performance at the University of the Pacific, he realized that he loved the world of beauty more, so he decided to pursue his aesthetics license while climbing the corporate ladder at his beauty sales-associate job postgrad. “Once I completed school and became licensed, I hit the ground running as a working esthetician, facialist, and brow artist,” he says, ultimately launching the Brow Down Studio in 2016.

He credits his Los Angeles upbringing for his passion for beauty. “Being an L.A. native, I’ve lived through every beauty trend imaginable that originated in L.A.,” he explains. “I grew up around super-savvy beauty friends who have always known the latest and greatest products and services.” Amid the hustle and bustle of serving A-list clients and running his own business, he makes time to slow down.

“Self-care is important because it means sustainability and vitality,” he says. “As somebody super ambitious, there is so much that I want to do in life, and I know that if I don’t prioritize my physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional well-being, it’s impossible.”

I typically start my mornings at 6 a.m. I’ve made it a habit to drink a full Nalgene bottle (32 ounces) of water right when I wake up. I’ll typically quickly touch base with my partners in Italy who manufacture my product line, then head to the shower before hot yoga, which I do five times a week.

My pre-yoga routine includes ensuring I smell good while I sweat, so I shower with Salt + Stone’s Hydrating Gel Cleanser. I typically wash my face with water only and use iS Clinical Hydra-Cool Serum, a lightweight gel moisturizer that doesn’t get into my eyes when I sweat.

I know you’re not supposed to wear fragrance to hot yoga, but I’m a huge fragrance person and smelling good enhances my hot-yoga experience, so I use Kiehl’s Musk Oil (just one spritz). On my way to yoga, I drink a Celsius (strawberry guava is my favorite).

Immediately after yoga, I spray Heritage Store’s Rosewater Facial Spray. I take another quick shower before work, and out of the shower is when I do my full skin routine. For cleanser, I use iS Clinical’s Cleansing complex, Vitamin C iS Clinical’s Pro Heal Serum, Element Eight o2 Peptide Moisturizer for hydration, Leland Francis Eye Balm, and, lastly, Supergoop’s Unseen Sunscreen. 

Photo: Courtesy of Rene de la Garza

I always do my evening skin-care routine once I walk through the door because as soon as I hit the couch, it becomes so much harder to get motivated after a long day, and skipping the p.m. routine is not an option! I double-cleanse with Cleansing Balm and the iS Clinical’s Cleansing Complex. For retinol, I use Skinbetter’s AlphaRet, and for moisturizer, Code of Harmony’s Collagen Cream.

I was on vacation with one of my good friends and totally forgot my vitamin C, so I tried hers and got so many instant compliments on my skin. iS Clinical’s Pro-Heal Serum has some of the highest amount of stabilized vitamin C, brightens my skin, is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, and feels so good going on.

Having a routine definitely helps. As the founder of two growing brands, as well as managing my clientele and house calls, I would never be able to accomplish everything by not having a structured routine. I wake up around the same time, work out, eat healthy whole food, time-block my work schedule, preplan social events, and sleep at least eight hours a night.

I practice yoga six times a week by switching between Vinyasa flow and Yoga Sculpt. I love that yoga is as easy or as challenging as you would like it to be because of how personal the practice is. I also make it a point to walk every night after dinner for at least 30 minutes, which helps with digestion. Aside from physical workout, singing opera feels good in my body, and I have been training off and on for almost 20 years. For the past five years, I have seen my vocal coach once a week for training. It’s important for me to have a creative outlet outside of my professional work because it keeps my mind sharp with how challenging it is.