I have mentioned a few dozen (million) times here that i have been eyebrow challenged for as long as i can remember. Having over plucked my eyebrows to a thin dark line in the 90's they just never grew back. The thin dark arch of a line was just horrendous and unbelievably unflattering.
As time moved on and so did eyebrow trends, to bigger bushier, darker and fuller style brows i tried to grow them back. But nothing happened. A few stragglers, i managed to grow a shape of a hook but that was it.
I purchased every eyebrow growing serum and potion on the market in a bid for better brows. I spent hundreds in the hope they would stimulate growth. But nada.. Nothing more than a few wobbly hairs in pretty much the wrong place.
Having accepted my eyebrow fate i have then spent the past 11 years trialling every eyebrow product on the market. Pencils, powders, gels, creams, you name it i've tried it in every brand going. Some more successful than others ( FYI Eyelure is my favourite eyebrow pencil) but there's just no denying the fact that when at that glorious time of day when I wash my makeup off, it was depressing to see no brows looking back at me. Just a thin scraggly line.
Plus the times when you go swimming, wear a hat or accidentally scratch your brow and suddenly you have a smudged brow that's missing parts.
It may sound silly to some, but i never felt like me when i didn't have my bros drawn on. Every morning the first thing i'd do would be cleanse and then draw my brows in. I just couldn't stand my face without them. My face feels like me again as soon as brows are present.
Eyebrows really do emphasise the features and frame the face. Without them i just feel like a big potato head.
Semi permanent brows were really starting to take off a couple of years ago, but at £250+ it always seemed like something unobtainable for me.
Back in June a good friend of mine booked herself in after her sister had had her brows done at Beauty Within Caerphilly. She was blown away at how good they were and booked herself in immediately. After a cuppa and a chat and me unveiling my lack of brows to her (which i never do with anyone other than my husband and the kids) she called the salon and booked me in there and then and paid my deposit (i know.. how kind is she!!) My appointment was a few months away as i had summer to get through but it was booked. I was going to have my brows sorted.
As my appointment arrived I was excited to finally have brows.
Michelle and the ladies at Beauty Withing were wonderful, putting any worries (not that i had any, i was just excited for brows!) and my mind at ease. Michelle's expertise shone, she is an absolute pro and i happily put my brows in her hands.
The Procedure
So what is Semi-permenant makeup?
From Beauty Within's website
Pigment is implanted into the dermal layer of the skin using a state-of-the-art machine designed specifically for the cosmetic market. These digital systems are very different to conventional machines and inks used in conventional tattoo studios.
The treatment lasts around 1-2 years and is carried out in accordance with strict health and safety protocols using single use sterile needle cartridges. Your technician will offer you the very best treatment, which will be both subtle and effective.
So like a tattoo but semi permanent makeup doesn't penetrate as deep as a traditional tattoo, hence why it isn't forever.
The procedure can take about 2 hours from start to finish.
First up a numbing gel is applied to the brows and left to set in for half an hour.
Looking ever so attractive with my numbing gel and cling film
After the numbing gel has sunk in and eyebrows are comfortably numb Michelle gets to drawing out your perfect brow, working with what you have and adapting them to give you the perfect shape brow for your face. Michelle took a great deal of time and patience to get the shape sketched just right before setting to it with the needle.
Its worth noting here, as this was a major plus point for me, that they do not take away any brow hair you may have, they keep what you have as opposed to taking it all off and leaving just a drawn on line, which i was totally against as i'd seen with other semi permanent makeup artists do. Michelle doesn't do that. She shapes what you have and works with it instead of removing it, which was perfect and just what i wanted.
She also talked through the colours with me, and what she had decided would be best for me and explained the fade down period in the next 4 weeks.
We went for a 3/4 dark brown with a 1/4 golden in there for a natural look and also to make sure the fade out wasn't to beige.
By this point the numbing gel is applied again to see you through the next stage where Michelle sets to drawing your new brows with the needle application.
I wanted to mention as its the thing i've been asked the most, but it didn't hurt at all, i was comfortable and there was no pain at all. Just some light pressure on the brows and forehead ( i did have a headache afterwards but i'm super sensitive to headaches and i think it was just from all the excitement and having my head faffed with 😂 I'm often the same from the hairdressers)
The procedure took another hour or so of individual hair light strokes being drawn in, evaluated and then more done again. Michelle would sit be up and look at the brows and then carry on until she was completely happy.
The area stays numb through out so I didn't feel a thing. She will also only do as much as she feels the skin can take as, even though you can't feel a thing, the skin is still undergoing a bit of stress.
The results
I walked out feeling on cloud 9. I had eyebrows for the first time in years .
We went for a natural shape that can be made bolder in my next appointment(more about that in a mo). The arch and colour are natural and the shape is simple but such a huge improvement on before.
Before And After
This is straight after i got home on the day, no redness and no pain.
They cleared straight away just leaving great brows.
I was simply amazed at my brows and instantly loved them. For me waking up each day with brows is amazing, having them still there after a shower and not washing off again is just the best. I feel happy to go makeup free (like above) now i have my brows it just makes things so much easier. It also knocks about 5 minutes off my makeup routine as my brows were the one thing that always always took the longest (and never ever turned out the same each day)
Aftercare
Michelle talks you through everything and explains for the rest of the day you dab/bathe the brows every hour or so with sterile water and a cotton pad.
Then each morning and night for the next week you apply the provided barrier gel to keep the brows protected against the elements and any water/makeup etc. This helps them retrain their colour.
Fading is to be expected in the next four weeks and they can be known to fade a little patchy. This is all part of the process.
I have my appointment for Oct 12th where i will have round 2 of the procedure.
This will be where we decide if i want to go bolder or darker and filling of any patches.
So yes, its fair to say I am supremely pleased so far with the results, i shall keep you posted on my top up next month too but i can see this being something i keep up.
It gives me the confidence i lacked, it makes me feel prettier and that in turn makes me happier.
Do you have a thing for good brows like i do?
If you're in the south wales area i highly recommend Beauty Within Caerphilly, their expertise are second to none and i am super happy with my results.
