Melanin Rich Skin + Ombre Brows

I get asked a lot if microblading is good for darker skinned clients. The short answer is… it depends.

What I don’t offer in my studio is Microblading. Everything you see here is a technique called Powder Brows or Ombre Powder Brows.

Melanin-rich skin tends to blur microbladed hair strokes.

It’s safer to add shading for the best healed results. BUT if you INSIST on having hairstrokes, find artists who specialize in Nano Brows. The Nano technique uses a machine to create hyper realistic hairstrokes that, if done well, are more likely to heal crisp. I plan to train in this in the future but I'm not there yet.

What about Ombre Powder? Ombre works GREAT on melanated skin. Here are some examples of my work:

Make GOOD Art

When I got into PMU I was so excited to create. I was excited to transform faces.

I still am!

I love meeting new people.

I love creating.

I love creating ART.

But what makes “good” art?

Art with integrity.

Let’s be real, spending a few hundred dollars on your face is a big deal.

Booking that appointment. BIG DEAL.

Waiting for weeks, months, for the big day...

Skipping your morning coffee/Monster/Red Bull in preparation for a session of getting poked by a needle over and over again.

ON YOUR FACE.

I can think of a MILLION other things I’d rather be doing for 2.5 hours (or more).

It’s a big deal for me that you’re at my table.

Find an artist that makes you feel like you are their priority.

And together, you’re gonna make the BEST art.

Make sure you get all your questions answered before you book, after you book, during the appointment.

AFTER the appointment.

You can never ask your artist too many questions.

Making good art is making sure your entire experience is worth every single dollar you saved up to see me.

Any questions I can answer for you below?

"I found it cheaper"

“I found it cheaper”

Look, I’m a HUGE bargain shopper and I will shop around until I can save every. last. penny. Ask my friends and they will ALL tell you that I am THE QUEEN of ROSS. I AM A MAXXINISTA. TAR-GéT is MY FORTé. But when it comes to MY FACE. Hold up. That’s a different story.

A lot of people have asked me why I haven’t done my own brows. Well, I have a lot of brow hairs already (thanks mom & dad) but also I have trust issues with my face. I’m serious! I did my own makeup for my wedding. The one time I had my makeup done “professionally”, I hated it. It is this very reason why I appreciate the heck out of all the clients who have trusted me, and refer me to those they love and care about. THAT MEANS EVERYTHING.

When looking for a PMU artist for your brows, there is so much more than pricing to consider. Look at their portfolio, their reviews, their HEALED work. How thorough are they with your consultation? Where is the studio? How does that look like? Are they certified? Registered with the county to practice? How long have they been doing this? Does this artist fit into my style/brow goals?

The example photos above are actual brows that I have been working on removing. Each lightening/removal session is $100 and most times, it takes more than 1 session. It’s time-consuming and costly. Not all of them were necessarily CHEAPER than me either. 

My point is that when you approach an artist about their price, keep in mind what else you’re paying for as well. All the hours they spent training, practicing, perfecting their craft. Their artistic capabilities and style. Their overhead. Their dreams. We’re all small businesses and we’re all trying to pay our bills too. 

Thanks for reading my thoughts! :)

Thin Round Shaped Brows

Thin, round, shape? Youthen your face with a better frame.

𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐎𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐬⠀- High Arch

Deanna has a special place in my heart because she was one of the very first supporters of Selley's. Deanna asked for mixed nuts added to chocolate chip cookies. From there, we got more suggestions from other #Selleysclub members and now months later we have over 17 different flavors and special monthly flavors to choose from. Thank you to our OG #selleysclub member.⠀⠀

Deanna has high arches she wanted to keep high. We didn't stray too far from how her hairs grow naturally, just filled them in a bit. ⠀
⠀
Deanna's first question to me was whether it was going to hurt. The funny thing is, she's been SHOT. Like SERIOUSLY. She was 21 and was in the wrong place at the wrong time. At the end of her appointment, she agreed that THIS was virtually painless.

💧Pigment: @permablend_pigments @tinadaviesprofessional Brunette & Blackish Brown
⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
✒Machine & Supplies by: @zenuspermanentbeauty @inkboxartistry⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
💉𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐫𝐞: Ombre Powder ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣New Brows
⏳𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞: 2-3hrs
🗓𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞: 4-6 weeks⁣⁣,redness and swelling will subside in 24-48 hours, color will soften as well.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
Minimal pain/discomfort. Topical anesthetic applied.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝟏-𝟑 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬⁣⁣⁣ depending on skin type, after care, and lifestyle. 

Annual Touchups

I get asked a lot whether an annual touch up is “needed”. It’s actually case by case and depends on YOUR personal preference. Some questions to ask yourself…

How light has it faded?

Do you need to put a lot of makeup on them before you leave the house?

Is the shape hard to see?

How’s the color?

Is it ashing out/warming up too much? If so, a touch up would be a great idea.

Some people retain color better than others because of their skin type and lifestyle. So after a year, they may still look immaculate, so I would advise to hold off. I’ve said it before: The more work on your skin, the more trauma. If you can hold off on your touch up after a year, you should. A lot of clients use the shape as a template for their makeup, understanding that Ombre Brows don’t mean NO maintenance but LOW maintenance. 

You can always text me photos of your brows to see if a touch up is a good idea before you book it with me. I would love to see you!

Disclaimer: If you’ve gotten your brows done elsewhere, it would not be a touch up here. It would be considered either a Cover-up or Correction depending on your situation.

Poet Social Series: Beauty & Confidence During Quarantine

Wow, I almost forgot about this whole thing getting saved and shared! And a whopping three views as of today! haha

I was so excited about doing this live tutorial but man was I SUPER nervous. And now, here’s record of it all!

This was the first month or so of the COVID-19 Safer at Home measures in LA. I moved in with my parents, my brother, and his girlfriend when everything happened. I was so nervous to leave my parents to their own devices. Would they social distance? Would they refuse to quit their jobs? Living there was the only way I could make sure they were absolutely safe. When we learned more about COVID-19, transmission risks, and felt my parents truly understood the gravity of situation, I moved back home with my husband.

Rewatching this video now, I could see how nervous I was. , I can’t guarantee I didn’t switch up or miss certain brow mapping details…

One day, I hope I can get on camera with so much confidence I don’t forget or stumble over my words.

Ley showed Poets a full brow tutorial - from framing, to cleaning up extra hairs, trimming, and filling - with examples on both a female and male model. She also gave participants helpful information on the permanent forms of brow care like micro blading and her specialty, Ombre Powder.

Ley currently works in the small business financing sector full-time, but after hours she is a licensed certified permanent makeup artist at the Browink Studio and Academy. Ley specializes in Ombre Powder, an alternative to micro blading, and has worked on over 100 faces. Brow mapping is an essential part of the process where you take your natural features and proportions into account in order to draw the perfect brows to frame your face.

Fellow Poets can follow Ley on Instagram at @jadebrows. Visit her website, www.jadebrows.com, for more information or to book an appointment with her (post-quarantine). For information on the items used and suggested in the video, download the product list.

Happy Anniversary to Jade Brows

A year ago today, I worked on my very first face. Actually, I had one model to myself and the other was shared with my classmate, so first face and a half, hah. It was day 3 of Browink’s Beginner Ombre Powder Brow Class.

I was so nervous to be working on an actual person. It was only 2 days prior that I first touched a machine. And today, I was going to have REAL SKIN a REAL FACE to map and tattoo! I stayed up till 2am the night before practicing on the skin pad. I did NOT want to mess up someone’s face. You can see the results in my previous post here. I was so thankful to have Tiffany watching me every step of the way.

My mom was my very first 100% solo procedure followed by 2 of my sorority sisters/best friends. And then I continued taking on clients at a discounted rate, spending $100/day to rent a bed in Tiffany’s studio. Sometimes, I lost money but most times I just about broke even. I needed to see my healed work, so I offered free touch ups. Free touchups were mostly where I “lost money” but my goal was to get as much practice on skin as I could. That’s the only way to get better. Practice. Practice on the skin pad AND practice on live models.

After a few weeks of renting daily, Tiff trusted me with the keys and provided a monthly rental rate. I was using the beds so often, so it made sense. A few months after that, we worked out a better structure.

I am now officially part of the Browink team.

The number one thing I want new artists to know, after I’ve done this for a year is this: there is NO WAY you could “make six figures” after taking one microblading/ombre/pmu class. NO WAY. And if you disagree with me, well then good for you with your money and glory. I’ve been seeing so many trainers advertising courses this way and I think it does nobody any good to keep this false narrative going.

I found way more artists, like me, who were far from that six figure mark and you know what? That’s the reality. Getting rich quick shouldn’t be the goal in getting into PMU. Getting GOOD, REAL GOOD is what I want to be and I am so thankful for all the support I’ve had to get where I am today.

Thank you to the over 80 faces and counting, who’ve trusted me and continue refer me to their friends and family. Love you all.

Cheers!

Color Theory

Here's a handy tool to use to get familiar with color theory. ⁣ ⁣

I took drawing and painting classes in high school and college where this would have been SUPER useful to use. ⁣ ⁣

In the Permanent Makeup world, we as artists need to keep in mind the pigment color and it's interaction with your skin's undertone, overtone, hair color, and eye color. When healed, certain skin types are more likely to warm up or cool down certain colors. ⁣ ⁣

And when you come in with previous work that's discolored, we have to neutralize that color before we can cover it up, which is why we charge extra for a correction. For red brows, we correct it with green, because red and green are complementary colors. For blue, cool brows, we warm it up with a golden corrector. That's the most basic sense of how color theory is important. ⁣ ⁣

Key take aways:

1. Know the color wheel to better predict healed results on different skin types.⁣

2. Know the color wheel to correct previous work⁣.⁣

PMU School Podcast

This is my mentor!!! So proud of you Tiff (@browink.co)!!! She's sharing her knowledge about Saline removal on the PMU School podcast.

Interested in lightening/ removing old work? She also offers training too, which was a great class I took last year.

I've been listening to the PMU School podcast for a while now. If you're an artist, DEFINITELY check it out. I turn it on when I'm practicing or when I'm on my way to the studio. They're short 6 minute clips of tips/advice/lessons from renowned PMU artists. From "How to build your brand" to "How do I choose a PMU class?" , I highly recommend it.

The Outline

This is the outline. We want it crisp, clear, and precise to the brows mapped. We also want it light enough to blend into the shading. No harsh lines.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

At this point of the procedure, the skin is broken and ready to soak up all that numbing ointment. I do apply a thin layer of numbing before we outline but on unbroken skin, you’re still going to feel the scratches of the outlining a bit.⁣⁣ Once you’re fully numb, we start with the shading process. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

When I first started, I really struggled with this. Full disclosure, I would often redraw and redraw because I wasn’t getting the line after I’d wipe. My best advice here is to take your time. TAKE YOUR TIME. And TAKE YOUR TIME. At least that was what changed everything for me, along with a good three point stretch. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

Here’s a little “hack” for new artists. Take a Qtip and wipe a small section before you wipe it ALL to check if the line is there. If it’s gone, go over it again. If it’s there, go on ahead with your bad self! You’re doing great! ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣

You Booked Your Appointment. Now What?

The best results come from prep on my end AND YOURS.

Whether you booked New Ombre Brows, a Touch Up, or a Cover Up/Correction, it’s super important to prepare for your procedure.

I promise to be prepared, too.

Deal?

Here are some tips:

1. Review the Contraindications & Before Care list. You should have read through the Health Checklist before booking, but it doesn’t hurt to double check.

2. Be sure to drink lots of water. Water is so important for basic skincare. The better condition your skin is in, the better the needle will implant the pigment into your skin and do it’s magic.

3. Stay out of the sun and avoid sun damage. If you arrive with a sunburned face, we might have to turn you away.

4. The day of your appointment, skip your workout. When you sweat, your pores are more open and a layer of sweat on your skin can affect retention.

5. Don’t take aspirin, fish oil, Vitamin E or ibruprofen 24 hours before. All of this is to limit bleeding and skin sensitivity.

6. No alcohol or caffeine 48 hours before your procedure. Again, to limit bleeding because these are blood thinners.

7. No waxing, plucking, or tinting 7 days before the procedure. I want to see your natural hair growth and these procedures can make the skin more sensitive as well.

8. Try to schedule your appointment outside of your menstrual cycle if you can. The skin is more sensitive during it.

I will numb you and apply an anesthetic that helps stop bleeding but if we work together, we can ensure the most comfortable experience for you and the best possible healed brows.

“I have botox, is that ok?”

"I have botox, is that ok?"

I've had several clients ask, so I thought this might be helpful for future clients.

First off, no judgment here. Botox is much more common than people realize and it's YOUR face so 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨. #MeanGirls

If you can hold off on botox till AFTER your Ombre session, that's best. If you've already gotten your injection it's best to wait 2-4 weeks for your brow appointment. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣Why? If you have fresh injections and we map your brows, they can become uneven when the botox fades away. If your brows are already 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦, a skilled technician would be able to inject the botox while keeping your brows in mind.⠀And if you decide not to continue with botox, your brows would still be ok.

Just something to think about when booking new brows or touch ups.

Photography

In February of 2019, I took Browink's Ombre course. Three intense days of training ended with working on two live models. THAT was the most nerves I've had in my entire life. I was so scared of messing up a stranger's face. I was barely making a straight line on day 1…just a day prior. I went home that second night and practiced till 3 in the morning. Probably wasn't a great idea being sleep deprived the next day but I couldn't sleep that night any way. Might as well get more time with the machine in my hands.

I took over an hour with brow mapping and I fumbled my way through the rest of the day. Well, that’s how I felt. Tiffany was there helping every step of the way of course. Bless your soul, Linda. She was so patient as my very first model that day. My second model, Jeanet was also an angel. The brows themselves were fine but there was something obvious. My photos.

Model 1: Linda

Model 2: Jeanet

I’ve learned so much since then. The most obvious is HOW to take a dang photo of my work! It really does matter how good your pictures are because that’s what prospects see before ever stepping foot in your studio.

I used to rush through photos because I felt super awkward taking them. I grew up with this mindset to work with a sense of urgency. If you take too long, you’re wasting the other person’s time. Time is money. But here’s the thing, you can’t rush art. We just spent the last few hours making sure to get the perfect eyebrows for your face. It makes sense to document all of that work.

You can’t expect quality work without time. Whether it’s in grasping the fundamentals or perfecting technique, or taking perfect photos, you have to have the patience to embrace the journey. Take your time. You have to slow down, look at the bigger picture. You have to be meticulous and look at every detail.

That’s probably the most noticeable change over this past year when looking at my portfolio. It’s so crazy how being a permanent makeup artist, a successful one at least, means you have to wear so many different hats. It’s not just about honing in on your craft. You have to know marketing, social media, website building, bookkeeping, photography, and more. I love how much I’ve been forced to learn and continue to learn about myself.

Here’s how far my photos have come:

Recent client photo with much better lighting and focus.

Thank you #iphone7 as well. There’s just something about it that makes faces look more flattering than my Samsung Note.

Brow Mapping

What the heck are all these lines I’m drawing across your face?

Brow mapping is both an art and a science. YES. SCIENCE. Have you ever heard of the “Golden Ratio”? “Divine proportion”? Phi? 1.618….”

Phi was first mentioned in Euclid’s Elements around 300 BC. It was believed that the relationships between shapes were more aesthetically pleasing when they reached the divine proportion. For example,

“a ‘perfect’ face would display Golden Ratio proportions such as these: Distance from Top-of-the-head to Chin divided by Width-of-head equals .phi.; Length-of-Lips divided by Width-of-Nose equals .phi.; Outside distance between Eyes divided by Length-of-Lips equals .phi.; etc. “

(https://gizmodo.com/this-patented-method-for-eyebrow-shaping-uses-the-golde-1753297143)

When it comes to your brows, I strive for that proportion as well. The 3 points we are focused on when drawing your brows are the start of the brows (bulb), the highest point (arch), and the end of the brow (tail). From your nostrils straight up is where your brows should start, from your nostrils through your pupils, that’s your arch, and from your nostrils to the outside corner of your eyes are where your brows should end, the tail. If you were to divide the length of the tail to the bulb by the tail to the arch, the PERFECT brows would be close to 1.618.

https://www.beautykiss.co.nz/blogs/beauty-blog/how-to-brow-map

I also make lines across your face where the highest points are, the middle of your face, and the lowest points. There are a lot of lines going on to guide me in my drawing.

Try it out on yourself with some makeup and a mirror. Do one brow, then copy that brow on over to the other side. It’s not easy right? It’s pretty friggin’ hard.

A couple of things, your face is NOT symmetrical. It’s NOT. Fight me. Just kidding! But really, most faces are not symmetrical and I’ve yet to meet anyone with a face that is. Even models! One side temple may be flatter than the other, one half of the face may be more round, one eye opens a bit more, etc. However, with more practice and experience in drawing brows, it gets easier to get as close to perfect symmetry as possible. That’s the art of it all. You have to take all these natural “imperfections” and create as close to perfect brows as possible.

When you visit, keep that all in mind when I’m drawing your brows. Just because a shape looks good on someone else, it may not fit on yours. Don’t be afraid to speak up. If something doesn’t seem even on one side, speak up. We could probably tweak it or there is probably a reason why you’re seeing it that way. Let’s talk about it. You’re going to stare at your face for the rest of your life, not me. There’s no way I can possibly see everything that you see. You and your face have a MUCH longer relationship than your face & me, after all.