Recently I took the plunge and had my brows micro-bladed (aka feathering). To all of those of you who think this is no big deal … its pretty much a tattoo on your face!
That was a little overly dramatic, it actually isn’t a tattoo, instead the ink is semi-permanent which your body ends up metabolising – the results last 18 months to 3 years. Thankfully there’s no scary tattoo needle, instead a small hand held blade is used to scratch in individual hairs which the pigment is then deposited into.
This is where the magic happens, in the artist’s ability to create natural fluffy strokes, giving the appearance of volume whilst also doing some clever shape correcting. Not only is Micro-blading damn popular but it ain’t cheap either. In Sydney costs can range from $300 to over $1500 +
Like tattoos in general I’ve often flirted with the idea, telling myself I could do it but when it came to it, the fear of the permanence just scares the shit out of me. As a Hair and Makeup artist everything I do washes off, and thats just the way I like it. But micro-blading is kinda permanent, you can’t wash that shit off. I can’t turn up to work to do someone’s makeup with busted brows, that definitely would not be on-brand.
But here’s the thing, my brows needed resuscitating. They barely survived the 90’s they’re so sparse I barely need to pluck. So when my friend came round with brows that looked so good I wanted to steal them off her face I knew it was time to put my big girl pants on.
I instantly felt apologetic when Nancy and I started texting to discuss appointments. I knew I’m a nightmare client yet tried to project a cool air of calmness so as not to add unfair pressure. Not only am I nervous but I’ve always been obsessed with brows in general and if that wasn’t bad enough I’m a makeup artist who literally draws on brows for a living!
When the day came I was unexpectedly excited. I could feel myself anticipating the joy of waking up with lustrous brows and not having to do a thing. In this fantasy not only were my brows envy-inducing, but my whole life had taken on a serenity in which I meditated on the reg and swanned around in killer outfits with an air of sartorial coolness.
Nancy put me at ease immediately, I surrendered to her gentle demeanour which began with mapping out my brows. This in itself was reassuring, I could tell she shared my brow obsession, eye for detail and symmetry. I was told me that due to my fine skin (which I strongly suspect is a euphemism for mature skin) she wouldn’t be able to numb the area. It wasn’t what I’d call painful but it was damn uncomfortable and I was totally ready for it to end when it did.
The healing process or downtime is a royal pain in the arse especially if you’re a face-toucher like me. My brows were hella dark for 3 – 5 days and although I did go out to dinner, I would have preferred to stay home sitting on my hands to avoid the non-sanctioned brow touching. It’s recommended not to wash or get sweat on your brows for the first week. This ritual became a ridiculous jigsaw approach of dividing my face into sections. Last came the glamorous itchy and flaky stage which for a picker like myself required huge amounts of self-control. I was given a cream to apply to keep the area from drying out which I apply 2 or 3 times per day.
I’m not going to lie it’s pretty hard to wear any base whilst the skin is healing around the brows, I probably could have worked something out but instead I used the opportunity to simplify my makeup routine (aka lazy approach). Bronzer, mascara, sometimes a lip if I was feeling fancy and ‘voila’ I was ready. Was this a sign of things to come????
That was a month ago and during that time I’ve recommended Nancy more times than I can count. Nancy matched the colour like the Brow Boss she is. Being blonde is trickier to colour match when it comes to brows. We’ve all seen a blonde with a brow thats too dark (ageing and heavy) or slightly reddish (just wrong). Nancy did neither, she nailed the brief.
I’m due to go back this week for my top up which Nancy books in after 4 to 6 weeks when you are fully healed. After that an annual top up should keep them looking as fresh as the day Nancy and I met.
The end result hasn’t quite lived up to my sartorial fantasy but it has given me more confidence about going makeup free and I wake up with good brows 24/7. It’s saved a ludicrous amount of time (did I mention I was brow obsessed)? When the urge takes me I sometimes darken them a little and for this I use Mac Shape and Shade so I can just add a few little fluffy strokes and thats literally all I do.
Micro-blading has left me somewhat smug about my soft and symmetrical brows which are oh so low maintenance. I love them way more than I should, Nancy must be some sort of brow witch and deserves a brow Oscar. So to all of you who are sitting on that splinter-ridden fence, I’m glad I jumped off . Be smart, first do your research to find someone really really good, check out their previous work and ask all your questions. You can find Nancy on insta @myabeauty_Sydney
Danielle Butcher Makeup 