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Today’s post is all about the latest beauty trend that will enhance your natural beauty and cut your getting ready time in half.
Microblading is all the rage right now, it seems like everyone is talking about it in the blogging and beauty industry, so I wanted to share my experience with you.
What is microblading?
Microblading, brow feathering, microstroking, 3D or 6D brows, is an advanced brow technique whereby a row of superfine needles is used with a manual hand tool and pigments to create thin, hair-like strokes on the skin. These precisely placed hairstrokes are a semi-permanent tattoo and will create the perfect defined, natural enhanced brow for you.
The one thing to know before booking an artist
First things first, this is not a procedure that I would have done without extensively researching the artist and their past work. That being said, I had my microblading done with Julia, owner of Nik’d Beauty Studio, whose work speaks for itself. She posts before and after photos of her clients brows on her Instagram account, so when I contacted her, I was familiar with her huge portfolio of beautiful work.
I highly recommend selecting someone with an extensive portfolio of work, be it on Instagram or a website; this is essentially a tattoo so you’re committing to this for up to a year.
What to expect during the process
Julia sent me an awesome video of the whole experience, which I’ve shared below. It was really neat for me to watch the video, and I think it will help anyone who is on the fence or unsure of what this service is all about.
The two most-asked questions I received were: did it hurt? and how long does it last?
Did it hurt?
On a scale of 1 to 10, I rate the pain a 1. To me, it was minimal. It only starts to feel sore around the second and third passes, simply because you’re going over the same area multiple times.
How long does it last?
This answer will be different for everyone because everyone has different skin. Generally speaking though, someone with oily skin (like me) can expect results to last 6-12 months. Those with normal to dry skin can expect results to last over a year, possibly up to two years.
A high-level overview of the process:
- Consultation with microblading artist: discuss expectations and post-service healing process
- Outline the shape (when I came in, I had my brows filled in so Julia could see how I typically wear them).
- Approximately three passes of microblading (first to outline the shape, then to fill in more sparse areas).
The fading process
Something I didn’t initially know about microblading was that you lose a lot of pigment within the first month, so a complimentary touch up is required four weeks post-service. The other important thing to note is that your brows will be the darkest during the first 1-2 days.
It can be a little bit surprising for you if you aren’t used to seeing your brows filled in, but the important thing is not to try to scrub them off, or color correct them on your own–they will fade. Julia was really great at reassuring me of what to expect, which alleviated any nervousness I may have had over the following weeks. I posted my [horrible] cell phone pictures of the first week so that you could see the progression of them fading.
My experience with Nik’d Beauty Studio
For those of you in the Pittsburgh or surrounding areas, I give Nik’d Beauty Studio my utmost recommendation. Julia is a perfectionist through and through (something I can totally relate to), which is a quality that I want with a lasting service like microblading.
In addition to the quality of her work, the ease of booking and receiving reminders leading up to the appointment was incredible. You can book your appointment directly from her website and will receive an email confirmation once she confirms the date/time on her end. Going back and forth on availability is a huge pet peeve of mine, so the fact that I was able to schedule in about 30 seconds was something I really appreciated.
With Julia, the initial microblading service is priced at $395, with touch ups at the 9-12 month point starting at $125. Now that I am one month past my initial microblading, I can say without doubt that it is worth every penny.
Key takeaways
- It does not hurt. I get my brows waxed every month, and it’s about the same amount of pain.
- The process takes about two hours, plus another two hours for the touch up four weeks out.
- You will likely experience redness and peeling within the first week, but that’s part of the normal healing process.
- Your brows will look much darker during the first few days until they heal completely.
- Most microblading services are in the $400 range
- Nik’d Beauty Studio is my studio of choice for anyone in the Pittsburgh area.