Throughout my many years of seeing thousands of clients, I have come across a wide variety of permanent (tattoo) makeup results. Many Makeup Gourmet clients want to know: Is permanent makeup a good idea?
Here are the facts.
There are now two types of tattoo makeup, permanent and semi-permanent.
Permanent makeup is applied much like a body tattoo. Pigment is injected into the second (middle) and sometimes third layer of skin where the pigment lives eternally.
Semi-permanent is injected mostly into the first (outermost) layer of skin and a little into the second
layer of skin. Here the pigment lives anywhere from 6 months to three years.
Regardless of which method you may use, here is useful info to know:
It is essential that the service is not done in one visit.
The application needs to be done in layers. Pigments react to the different skin it is injected. You and your technician need to see how the pigment reacts before adding a second layer. This provides for the opportunity to color correct/balance so the result is what you intend.
Know thy pigment.
Although the machines used to inject the pigment are required to be FDA approved, the pigments are not. Sub par pigment can color mutate drastically, and worse, may cause painful skin irritation. Permanent makeup uses more classic tattoo pigment where semi-permanent makeup may use much more skin friendly mineral pigment. Ask your technician what pigment they use and research it before you have it injected in your skin.
Will the color change over time?
Yes. Even the very best permanent makeup will color change over time. It is inevitable and unavoidable. Be prepared for some maintenance down the road. Semi permanent makeup is supposed to fade, thus its name. While it fades the color will obviously change.
Why do it?
There are so many reasons why people choose permanent and semi permanent makeup
Time.
Busy lifestyles are enhanced with less prep time in the morning.
Appearance.
Many have lost or over-tweezed their brows. Others feel washed out without a little makeup. They feel who they see in the mirror is not the ‘them’ they remember. Permanent and semi permanent makeup provide that subtle adjustment to waking up and feeling ‘normal’ with that first morning look in the mirror.
Technique.
For many, the ability to apply makeup to their satisfaction is not entirely possible. Disabling factors include poor eyesight and shaky hands amongst others. If this is you and makeup is important to you, permanent and semi permanent makeup may be a good alternative.
Head start.
Many permanent and semi permanent makeup clients still apply makeup over their permanent and semi permanent makeup. Having the tattoo as a guide helps make application easier. It is also a method for a more dramatic makeup by intensifying the tattoo.
Due diligence
if it were me, I would research the heck out of my permanent and semi permanent makeup technician options. My checklist would include:
Referrals. Ask people who they know and who they like.
Reviews. Business cannot hide from the internet anymore. Do not take the technician’s word for it, see what others have to say.
Before and After.
Ask to see many (50 at least) before and after photos. Although anything can be altered in photoshop, knowing that the technician has done this procedure countless times before raises your success rate.
Images. Collect images of makeup you like on models with similar coloring and features to yours. Show them to the technician to better communicate your needs and expected outcome.
Draw it first. Make sure the technician draws in exactly where the injected pigment is going before you begin the procedure. This way you may visualize what the result will be and guide it to your upmost satisfaction.
It may seem funny that I talk about a makeup option that is not a service or product I provide. In fact, I may sell a few less brow colors or eye liners because of it. Doesn’t matter. As always, my mission is to give away my makeup expertise in all its manifestations. Personal appearance is a huge priority for so many. In any way that I may assist, I will.
Many of these blogs are the result of my clients telling me their challenges and concerns with anything to do with makeup.
Please send me your concerns so I may feature them with my blogs.
Experience the Gourmet Collection: Eye Shadow Quintets
Warmly,
Chris Scott
3rd of March, 2016
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Makeup Gourmet’s Face with a Heart Authentic Beauty Makeup® products are developed alongside the Face with a Heart Authentic Beauty Makeup® method of application. They are customized to give you the best results when applying your makeup.
Please let me know if this blog was of value to you and share your own Authentic Beauty Makeup tips in the comments box below. I would love to hear how you get on trying this new method of makeup application – tell me how useful you find the tutorials and how you found the results. You can also use the comments box to tell me what interests and concerns you when it comes to which makeup colors to choose. Please let me know so I can fashion future blogs that are relevant and interesting to you.
Want to know more? My new best selling book, Face with a Heart: Mastering Authentic Beauty Makeup is available on Amazon now.
CHRIS SCOTT, M.A. is the creator of San Francisco-based Makeup Gourmet®. Over his nearly 30-year career, in addition to doing makeup for top models from every corner of the planet, he also had the honor of working for legends like Paul McCartney, US Vice President Al Gore, Shirley Temple Black, Maya Angelou and Olympic Gold medalists Oksana Baiul and Kristi Yamaguchi. He was the creator and host of the TV show ‘Makeup Gourmet’ from 2008 – 2010. He was a leading Chanel Beauté national artist for over two decades, and is also the creator and guest teacher of Fashion Makeup at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. He created his unique Makeup Gourmet line to ensure his clients and the public could have access to high-quality, ethically produced, ‘green’ makeup and skincare with a low-carbon footprint. Chris is also the author of Cosmetic Counter Survival Guide: How to Buy the Right Skin Care and Makeup and the international #1 bestseller Face with a Heart: Mastering Authentic Beauty Makeup.
‘The grass is always greener where you water it.’
CS
