New Specialty Salon Offering Microblading Calls Downtown Albany Home
ALBANY, NY - The City of Albany and the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District (BID) held the official grand opening for Urbane Brows and Beauty on Friday, November 3, 2017. Mayor Kathy M. Sheehan, Urbane Brows and Beauty owner Ashley Austin, and Downtown Albany BID Executive Director Georgette Steffens delivered remarks followed by a ceremonial ribbon cutting.
“My administration works each day to ensure we are strengthening our existing small businesses and attracting new establishments,” said Mayor Kathy Sheehan. “I am thankful Urbane Brows and Beauty has joined our vibrant downtown Albany neighborhood, and wish Ashley Austin the best of luck.”
A Registered Nurse by trade, Urbane Brows and Beauty owner Ashley Austin discovered her true passion for microblading, an extremely meticulous process of tattooing individual eyebrow hairs that lasts 1-3 years, while she was still in nursing school. “I did the market research and realized there was a desperate need for this increasingly popular beauty trend in downtown Albany,” said Austin. “Plus, I was drawn to the historic architecture and energy of my shop’s location on Steuben Street. I love what I do and am so proud to be able to add to the revitalization of Albany’s shopping district.”
Austin is also certified in the Ksenija Karabegovic 3D Extreme Natural Technique of microblading and has obtained certifications from the Lia Schorr Institute of Cosmetic Skin Care Training in New York City. In addition to eyebrow microblading, Austin offers services such as brow shaping and waxing and the Yumi Lash Lift; another specialized and rare beauty service that chemically lifts a client’s lashes to appear longer and fuller for 8-12 weeks.
“I am beyond thrilled to be welcoming Urbane Brows and Beauty to downtown Albany,” said BID Executive Director Georgette Steffens. “It’s niche businesses like Austin’s that add to the eclectic charm of our City and join our ever-growing destination retail landscape that is serving the rapidly increasing residential population as well as our visitors.”
Urbane Brows and Beauty Studio is open 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM Monday through Friday and 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM on Saturdays. To see the eyebrow and eyelash transformations Austin performs on a regular basis, visit her social media accounts and check out her before and after photos: Instagram - @urbanebrowsandbeauty and Facebook.
For a list of all the vibrant retail destinations Downtown has to offer, visit http://downtownalbany.org/shopping
About the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District (BID)
From international corporations, regional giants and locally owned proprietors, downtown Albany is more than business as usual. Accented by the powerful currents of the Hudson River to the motivating forces in the State Capitol, downtown Albany stands in good company with some of the greatest names in business today. Over 250 companies call downtown Albany home and signs like IBM, Microsoft and Windstream are seen throughout our historic streets. Since 1996, the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District (BID) has worked to restore, promote and maintain the character and vitality of improve the quality of life and overall image of downtown for those who work in, live in and visit the Capital City of the most famous state in the world. The Downtown Albany BID is a private, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. For more information about the Downtown Albany BID please visit downtownalbany.org | @AlbanyBID or call 518.465.2143.
