Beauty Picks & Tricks // Micro-bladed Eyebrows with Alluring Permanent Make-Up
Microblading has been the latest phenomenon in the beauty industry. For a few years now, I’ve been curious of the procedure and was so impressed by the before and after results I’d find on Instagram while scrolling through my feed. But a few things came to mind when on the brink of deciding to get the procedure done:
What if it hurts?!
What if my eye brows end up messed up?
What is if it hurts?!
Is it safe to do?
Finally, I had the guts to dive into the the procedure. I found Mimi on Instagram at @AlluringPermanentMakeUp fell in love with her craftsmanship. Before the procedure, Mimi was kind enough to talk with me and answer any questions I had. Mimi was very thorough and explained the process and the after care precisely. I felt comfortable and gained more knowledgable about what I was about to do. It made me feel more at ease to know the step by step procedure because what I was doing was face altering. But Mimi kept me at ease and I felt more at peace with the decision I made to move forward with the procedure.
I also had the chance to get to know Mimi, learn more about her craft and her passion for what she does.
1. What’s your name and where are you from?
My name is Mimi and I was born in Hong Kong.
2. Tell us about your artistry and how you got into it.
Permanent makeup was a family business. I learned to help my mom when she got too busy. When I was attending college, I worked part time and full time during the summer. After college, I opened a marketing company but was still working as a permanent makeup artist on the weekend at my mom’s shop. I slowly moved to full time because I found that doing permanent make-up is where my passion lies.
3. What’s your favorite thing about your craft? Why are you passionate about what you do?
Creating beautiful eyebrows , eyeliner and lip. When I create eyebrows shapes, it is truly different for each client. Each shape is different to fit the client’s face structure/features along with picking the color of the hair to go with the client’s skin tones. As for eyeliner, I love customizing the color creating colors to help give the client more depth and a more youthful appearance. I love tattooing lips for clients because I love seeing the difference and the pop of color on the client’s face, especially nude pink. Is just so soft and natural. It never looks pale or washed out.
4. What are some misconceptions about microblading and tattooing make-up?
That it last forever; it doesn't because it is a semi-permanent procedure. It will fade over time and how long it lasts depends on your skin type. Clients who have oilier skin may need a touch-up faster than a client with dry skin.
5. What are some tips to ensure longevity after microblading or tattooing?
I suggest that my clients wear hats if they are in direct sunlight, or to avoid it. If my clients have contact with the sun, I recommend they are not in the sun for too long. I advise to steer clear from products that have a lot of chemicals and to avoid chemicals peels near the brow area.
6. What’s the oddest request you’ve received from a client?
Purple glitter eyeshadow tattoos.
7. As a business owner, what are 3 pieces of advice you can give to people who are just building their brand?
The quality of your work has to be the most crucial piece to building any business.
I always try to make sure my clients are happy and feel comfortable to come back to me to ask for any changes at all. Happy clients are the best and mostly likely to refer your business to others.
Hiring a good marketing company so people can find your services.
8. How can people book an appointment with you and connect with you on social media?
Before
As you can see in my “before”photo, my hairs are very light and I have a little shape to my brows. Growing up, I always noticed that my right eyebrow drooped lower than my left eyebrow. Not going to life, I just thought I had a bit of a lazy eye. Mimi then recommended removing of the hairs from the lower half of my eyebrow and microblading the higher part of my brow so both my brows would look even. To my surprise, the small trick made all the difference in the world!
I was expecting to bleed a bit more because of the cuts Mimi would be making, but I had minimal bleeding (thank goodness!). Mimi had really great numbing gel and it worked wonders during the process. I felt pain during the initial application of the first layer of cuts. By the second layer, I felt nothing and laid down with ease. The whole process took about 2-3 hours.
After (1st Session)
The healing process was fairly simple. I had to get used to avoiding my eyebrow area when cleaning my make-up off because in essence, my eyebrows needed to heal and scab. Adding any type of product could have potentially led to an infection, so Mimi recommended I use A&D Ointment, which would help moisturize my brows and protect it during this phase. I was advised to apply the product on before showering and at night before going to bed.
After (2nd Session)
I waited four to five weeks before seeing Mimi again for my touch-up session. There were just a few spaces in my eyebrows that I needed touched-up to really make both brows even. With a careful hand and lots of detail work, Mimi added two more layers of ink on my left eye and three more layers on my right.
This time around, I bled more and I could feel the pressure of the cuts with every stroke. No matter how much numbing gel Mimi used (and she used two different kinds), I could still feel the pain. I have a moderate tolerance to pain, so it was bare-able. However, I would sigh with relief after every layer was finished. The reason for the bleeding was most likely because I waiting 4 weeks instead of the maximum 6 weeks for my touch appointment. I was advised that my brows probably needed to heal a bit more before the second procedure, however, it still ended well.
Left eye
Right eye
Life After Microblading
It’s been about 2 months since my second session. With my brows healed, I can now reap the benefits of micro-bladed brows, which means, I don’t have to worry about applying make-up to my brows. It cuts down my make-up application time and I can now rock a natural set of looking brows as if they were my own, but instead they are semi permanently inked on for the next couple years. I absolutely love them and can confidently say they were a great investment!
Book a session with Mimi by following her on Instagram at @alluringpermanentmakeup. Thanks to Mimi for the wonderful job!
Xo