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.

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:

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