Dear Cathy, My eyebrows have gotten thinner and thinner as I’ve gotten older. So I have to draw them on every day, which takes me time because they never turn out the same. I’ve been thinking more about permanent makeup, but I’m a little nervous. What if I don’t like it or I want a different color as my hair color changes? A friend of mine had permanent brows and eyeliner done by you and it looks really good and very natural, she keeps bragging about the extra 20 minutes she can sleep! What can you tell me that might make me less nervous? – Justine in Saugus
Dear Justine, permanent makeup is wonderful for those like yourself who don’t have much brow hair. Also great for anyone who’s eyesight is getting worse, has unsteady hands, swims or exercises regularly, or just busy. Like you said what a time saver! Not to mention you can wake up with the same fabulous brows each morning and not have to wonder what shape they will take on that day! To help put your mind at ease, the way I work is you will see it before we actually do it, so there is no guessing whether you will like it or not. If we are doing permanent eyebrows, for example, I numb the brow area with an effective topical numbing technique that makes any pain minimal. Then draw on to fill in your brows, measuring them and getting them looking technically as close to perfect as we can, and in the shape that flatters you and you are comfortable with. It is not until we have them just the way we both want the brows to look, that we move into the permanent makeup room. I go over color and use my expertise to guide you to the most complimentary color for your skin tone, hair and eye color, etc. Once we start the actual procedure, it takes usually under 30 minutes, for brows or eyeliner. Lips take a little longer. You will be happy to know, that we can change, lighten or darken the color of the brows, eyeliner or lips at anytime, to suit your needs or desires. Permanent makeup will get softer in time. I recommend having a color boost every few years to keep it looking fresh. Do not let anyone tell you it will last forever! Permanent makeup is the perfect solution to enhance the appearance of sparse brows using hair strokes for a super natural, fabulous brow. Eyeliner to accentuate your eyes and make your lashes look fuller. I can also give color and definition to your lips, while making them look naturally fuller, sexier and more youthful! Without injections! It gives you definition without making you look too made-up. When clients see the results they say, they wish they had done it sooner! As you may have read in my previous articles, there has been no training or licensing required to do permanent makeup, anyone who feels like it can do it, all they had to do is get some needles, colors and put a sign on their door. In 2013 there was finally a law that Permanent Makeup Artists need to be registered and licensed with the Health Department. If they are not licensed by the Health Department, it is illegal for them to do permanent makeup, so be sure to ask if they have one. With that said, the only thing that means is that they know sanitation, there is still no training required or anyone that governs the quality of permanent makeup. That is why you see such a difference in prices and results. And this is the time when that old saying “you get what you pay for” really applies. So please, choose someone with a lot of experience, who is trained in and knows makeup, facial features and sanitation! Also make sure you can communicate well with the technician you let do your permanent makeup. Another tip in choosing a technician, which is a good clue is: do you think the technician looks good in the way they wear their own makeup or is it too harsh?
For a complimentary permanent makeup consultation call Cathy Isaacs, 661-259-6117 at Cosmetic Concepts. Cathy is a licensed esthetician for over 29 years, is licensed by the Health Department and voted number one in SCV for Permanent Makeup.