Every November we have the same conversation at all three studios. Someone sits down in the chair, looks at the calendar on their phone, and asks some version of this: “If I come in now, will it still look good at Thanksgiving? And what about New Year’s?”
It’s a good question, and the answer is more precise than most people expect. Every service we do has its own clock. Brow lamination needs a few days to relax into its best shape. A lash lift looks a little too crisp for the first couple of days. A fresh wax leaves a hint of pink for an afternoon. Line those clocks up with the holiday calendar and you can look your best for every gathering from Thanksgiving dinner to the New Year’s Eve photo, usually with just two visits.
Here’s the plan we give our own clients this year, with real dates.
The short answer: two visits carry you from Thanksgiving to New Year’s
Visit one, the week of November 9: your lash lift and tint, your brow lamination, or both. These last six to eight weeks, so a visit around Thursday, November 12 is settled and soft by Thanksgiving and still holding at Christmas.
Visit two, around November 19: brow shaping and tint, timed for Thanksgiving week. Then one more shaping visit around December 18 takes you through Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
That’s the whole idea. The chart below shows each service as a bar: the dark part is when to book, the light part is how long it looks its best.
Your holiday booking windows
November 1, 2026 to January 10, 2027. Dark = when to book. Light = when it looks its best.
Dotted lines mark Thanksgiving (November 26), Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
When should I get a lash lift before Thanksgiving in Santa Monica, Brentwood or Austin?
Two to three weeks before, which this year means Thursday, November 5 to Thursday, November 12. Thanksgiving falls on November 26.
We say two to three weeks for a reason. For the first day or two after a lash lift and tint, the curl is at its most dramatic and you can’t get your lashes wet. By the end of the first week the lift relaxes into a natural, open curl that looks like your own lashes on their best day. That’s the version you want at the dinner table.
A lift lasts six to eight weeks. Come in on November 12 and you’re at week six on Christmas Eve and week seven on New Year’s Eve. For most of our clients that’s still a lovely curl. The one thing that fades sooner is the tint, which gives about two to three weeks of extra depth. If New Year’s Eve is your big photo night, a quick lash tint refresh the week before takes fifteen to twenty minutes and brings the color right back.
A lash lift and tint is $150 at our Santa Monica and Brentwood studios and $120 in Austin.
Brow lamination: November 12 to 16 is the sweet spot
For brow lamination, aim for ten to fourteen days before the event. For Thanksgiving that’s Thursday, November 12 to Monday, November 16.
Right after lamination your brows are at their most brushed up and set, which some people love and some find a bit much for a family dinner. Over the next week they soften into that full, fluffy shape everyone asks about. Lamination lasts six to eight weeks, so a November 16 appointment carries you to somewhere between December 28 and January 11. Keep them dry for the first 24 hours, brush them up each morning, and they’ll hold well through the parties.
Brow lamination is $90 in Santa Monica and Brentwood and $75 in Austin. Shaping isn’t included, so if your brows also need a cleanup, add a wax or thread in the same visit.
Planning both? Thursday, November 12 sits inside both windows, so one trip to the studio can cover your lashes and your brows.
How far before Thanksgiving should I get my brows waxed or threaded?
Waxing and threading are the opposite of lamination: you want them close to the date, but never too close. Five to seven days before is ideal, so for Thanksgiving book Thursday, November 19 to Saturday, November 21.
Brow tint likes seven to ten days, which means November 16 to 19. Put the two together and Thursday, November 19 covers both in one sitting, so you walk out ready. A brow wax or thread lasts three to four weeks, so a November 19 shape starts to grow out around December 10 to 17. That’s exactly why the second visit exists.
A brow wax or thread is $40 in Santa Monica and Brentwood and $30 in Austin. With tint added it’s $55 and $45.
Two small things make a big difference here. Let your brows grow for at least two to three weeks before the appointment, so there’s enough hair for us to shape properly. And please don’t book the day before. We see it every year: someone comes in on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and their skin is still a little pink when the turkey comes out. Give your skin a few days.
The December visit: holiday parties, Christmas and New Year’s Eve
Book your second shaping visit for Friday, December 18 to Sunday, December 20. That’s five to seven days before Christmas, and New Year’s Eve is only thirteen days later, well inside the three to four weeks a shape lasts. One appointment covers office parties, Christmas morning and the countdown.
If New Year’s Eve is the night that matters most to you, shift it later: shape between December 24 and 26 and tint between December 21 and 24. Those days around Christmas go quickly, so if you want them, book them early.
Traveling for the holidays? Plan your body waxing
Body waxing follows a shorter clock. Three to five days before you leave gives your skin time to calm down and still feels fresh. For a Thanksgiving trip that’s November 21 to 23. For New Year’s plans it’s December 26 to 28. Let the hair grow about two weeks before the appointment, and avoid heavy sweating and hot tubs for the first 24 hours.
Winter skin, retinol and your holiday appointments
Even in Santa Monica and Austin, the heaters come on in December and skin gets drier. Dry, tight skin is more sensitive to wax, so a little care in the week before your visit pays off. The American Academy of Dermatology has a short, practical list of dermatologists’ tips for relieving dry skin, and the basics apply to your brows too: lukewarm water, a fragrance free moisturizer, and gentle cleansing.
The other thing we ask about every time is retinol. Pause retinoids and exfoliating acids around your brows for 48 hours before waxing or threading, and for 48 to 72 hours around a lamination appointment. If you started a new skincare product as a holiday treat, tell your artist before we begin.
Booking in Santa Monica, Brentwood and Austin
Our Santa Monica studio on Second Street, our Brentwood studio on Barrington Walk and our Austin studio all follow the same plan. Weekend appointments close to the holidays tend to go first, so our best advice is simple. Book both visits at the same time, today, while you can still choose the day and the artist you want.
If someone on your list would love this kind of treat, our eGift cards arrive instantly by email, come in any amount up to $300, work at all three studios and never expire. A lamination or a lash lift makes a very easy gift for the person who has everything. In Santa Monica or Brentwood, a $90 card covers a brow lamination and $150 covers a lash lift and tint.
Prices are from our studio booking pages as of November 2026.
Holiday booking questions we hear every year
How long before Thanksgiving should I get my eyebrows waxed?
Five to seven days before. This year Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, so book your wax or threading between Thursday, November 19 and Saturday, November 21. Add a brow tint in the same visit if you want extra depth.
Will a lash lift from mid November still look good on New Year's Eve?
Usually, yes. A lash lift lasts six to eight weeks, so a lift on November 12 is about seven weeks old on New Year's Eve. The tint fades sooner, after two to three weeks, so a quick lash tint the week before brings the color back.
When should I get brow lamination before the holidays?
Ten to fourteen days before your first big event. For Thanksgiving that is November 12 to 16. Lamination lasts six to eight weeks, so the same appointment usually carries you into the new year.
Can I get my brows done the day before a holiday party?
We don't recommend it. Skin can stay a little pink after waxing or threading, so we suggest five to seven days before for shaping and seven to ten days before for tint.
How much do a lash lift and brow lamination cost at The Brow Fixx?
A lash lift and tint is $150 in Santa Monica and Brentwood and $120 in Austin. Brow lamination is $90 in Santa Monica and Brentwood and $75 in Austin. A brow wax or thread is $40 and $30. Prices are from our studio booking pages as of November 2026.
Do your gift cards work at every studio?
Yes. Our eGift cards arrive instantly by email, come in any amount up to $300, work at our Santa Monica, Brentwood and Austin studios, and never expire.
Book your holiday visits
Pick your studio and grab both appointments now: one the week of November 9, one around November 19, and your December shape.
