The Case for Semi-Permanent Makeup: My Ombré Brows experience

My life has been a constant quest of streamlining everything. I’m the first person to sign up for anything that can help get things done in a more efficient manner. Even my daily makeup routine is not exempted from this. I love putting on makeup and experimenting with it but on some days, those 24 hours just seem to be going way too fast. So when I got the opportunity to eliminate one step from my routine by getting my eye brows tattooed, I was all for it.

“It’s not like you’re lacking eyebrows,” a friend told me when I mentioned my plan. She’s right, though. I have enough eyebrow hair to frame my face and lack of hair in general has never been a problem for me. But as someone who loves perfectly arched, powdery brows with not enough time in the mornings, this would be a life saver.  

What are Ombré Brows?

I went to Bianca Festejo who has garnered quite an impressive reputation when it comes to permanent makeup. She has studied abroad and took years to improve her craft. After perfecting eyebrows, she has since moved on to camouflage makeup, tattooing stretch marks and scars away. She recommended that we do Ombré Brows instead of Microblading.

“With microblading, it’s about tattooing each strand of hair on your brows. This is perfect for people who want to make their brows look fuller in a more natural way,” she explained to me before our session. “Ombré Brows, on the other hand, can give you that fuller and powdery look.”

Is it painful?

I went for ombré brows since it sounded ideal for my needs. I braced myself, preparing for pain similar to what I experienced when I got tattoos elsewhere in my body. However, you do get topical anesthesia so my worries immediately went away. Another thing to make you less afraid: permanent makeup only goes up to the upper dermis – a lot less deeper than your normal tattoos.

I won’t call the sensation painful. Rather, it just feels like someone is doing some heavy shading work on your brows. 

The application and healing process

The whole process takes less than an hour – from Bianca tracing my brows to doing the tattoo, it felt rather quick. What’s tricky about it is the healing process. As with any other tattoo, it would look darker and thicker the first few days in. I personally didn’t find this to be too much of a bother and was able to go to my appointments and show myself in public. I had to gently clean my brows every few hours with mild baby soap and apply a vitamin A derivative that Bianca provided.

As it heals, it will scab and get a tad itchy. This is the point where you must call on your ancestors and ask them to grace you with patience and discipline. The after care takes about a week and once the scabs have fallen off in their own pace, your brows are ready. After twenty days, you’ll even see a better color pay off once your skin has gone through a full turn over.

While the after care seems like a lot of work as you’re reading this, it actually didn’t feel like it was. Before I knew it, a week has passed and I was just walking around at home with no makeup on but with perfect, Instagram-ready brows.

AFTER

What you need to know before getting it done

Bianca says that there are a few things you should take note of when getting your eyebrows tattooed. First, the cleanliness of the salon or beauty clinic. You want to go to a place that will not give you infections and ruin the whole experience for you. You should also check the artist’s previous work to make sure that the style is something you want for yourself. Eyebrow tattoos are semi-permanent and will fade in a year. However, you don’t want to live with brows you don’t love for 365 days of your life.

Will I do it again after a year? Yes, definitely. I think the investment is worth it, especially on days when I plan to go makeup free. In the new normal where we’re all wearing masks, maintaining the upper half of the face is imperative. Even if you’re just going out to walk your dog.

It definitely shaved off time from my morning makeup routine on days when I want to do a full routine, making me hurry a little less. And hey, I now have more time to blend my eyeshadows.