You know that teenage phase when all of your friends are suddenly getting tattoos and it makes you want one too? Yeah... I never went through that at all. I never liked tattoos.
So two years ago when Tiffany from Brow Beauté contacted me and offered to do my brows, I was a bit hesitant. After all, this was going to be my first tattoo and it's on my face! I've also heard so many horror stories about bad experiences from people I know. I was pregnant and then breastfeeding for a year, so I had a lot of time to do my research and think about it before deciding to move forward.
As you can see, Tiffany exceeded my expectations and did an amazing job. I am in love with them! Now, I wake up with perfect brows every morning. And with my busy mom schedule and working out daily, this just makes getting ready even faster in the morning! To top it off, I've only received endless compliments on my brows so far! So I wanted to share my personal experience with you and the entire healing process. I also included some tips on what to look for if you are considering getting yours done below.
The Procedure:
1) "Consultation and After-Care"
Sat down, talked about what shape I wanted. Showed her examples of what I like and what I didn't like. Then Tiffany put a numbing cream on my eyebrows and explained thoroughly the post-treatment care and what I could and couldn’t do. She also showed examples in photos of what the healing process may look like in next 7-10 days so I would know what to expect and not freak out.
2) "Brow Mapping"
She used a wax pencil and started designing and filling in one brow. After she was finished, she showed it to me and made sure I was happy with it When I confirmed, she then used the string method to measure and replicate the eyebrow on the opposite side so they were perfectly symmetrical.
3) "The Shading"
Then, I was asked to relax, lay down and close my eyes (the lights were bright) and she got to work! She worked on one side at a time, and kept putting on numbing cream after every round of shading. This entire process took around 30-40 minutes. Pain level on a scale of 1-10 was like a 2. I have pretty high pain tolerance and with the numbing cream, it didn't hurt that much at all. After she was finished, Tiffany tweezed out the brow hairs that weren’t in the new shape.
FAQ'S:
1. How much did this cost?
This can vary depending on your brow artist's experience and reputation. Tiffany is very experienced and has an amazing following and brand, so she is on the higher end. I would recommend that you not find the cheapest option since this is a semi-permanent tattoo on your face! You can also go to another artist on her team that are also very good but on a more economical price point. Here is the price list for Brow Beauté.
2. Did it hurt?
If you've birth a kid, this is a walk in the park LOL. It just felt like a mosquito biting you over and over again. But the numbing cream helped a lot. Once the numbing cream wore off, my brows felt very raw for about 2-3 hours after the procedure and then it was ok.
3. Isn't this microblading?
Tiffany explained to me that microblading and ombre shading are different. You usually pick the type of procedure depending on your skin type. My skin (combination and more oily around my T-zone) fit ombre shading better. Ombré powder brows are achieved using a hand-held machine with a single-point needle, which disperses extremely fine dots of pigments evenly onto and across the skin in an airbrush or shading technique. Once healed, it will look like a filled-in make-up look. On the other hand, microblading uses a manual pen-like tool that creates incisions or small cuts into the skin. These cuts mimic hair-like strokes to match your natural brow hairs.
4. How long does it last?
It can last 1-2 years depending on your skin routines and sun exposure. If you do a lot of face/brow scrubs, it will fade faster. The sun can also make it fade faster as well. Touch-ups are usually recommended annually.
5. How long did they take to heal?
Mine were healed in 7 days but it can range anywhere from 7-10 days depending on how quickly your scabs heal. During the first few days, you cannot get your brows wet or sweat excessively. (This was hard but worth it. I stayed away from cardio and did mostly low intensity workouts for the first week).
6. Would I recommend it?
After my experience and results with Tiffany. I would highly recommend it. What is more perfect than waking up with perfect brows daily?! I could also never draw such perfectly symmetrical brows daily, who has the time for that?! It saves time, looks natural and super low maintenance.
7. Can you do it if you're pregnant or breastfeeding?
NO. The right artist will not recommend that you do this while pregnant or breastfeeding.
TIPS ON WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN LOOKING FOR A BROW ARTIST:
1. Look for consistency in their work (through photos, on their website or Instagram)
2. Read their reviews on google, facebook, YELP, or where-ever you can find them.
3. Your friends or family referrals are usually the best. You can ask about their personal experience and see the healed results in person.
4. Look to see if the artist post a lot of "healed work" because that's the final result/look.
5. Don't go for the cheapest option or Groupon!6. If you like an artist that is more expensive than your budget, save up! Don't find a cheaper artist to replicate their work. It usually never works out. Save $100 a month for several months and you will have enough funds to get brows from whom you like!