Tag: Microblading

Health

Microblading Eyebrows: What's the Difference Between Microblading, Microshading, and Microfeathering

Post author By news22
Post date December 23, 2018
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Unless you’ve been chilling under a rock lately, you’ve probably heard of microblading, the new-ish, semi-permanent version of eyebrow tattoos. They’re not your grandma’s stamped-on brows; instead, the delicate, super-fine hair strokes look natural and realistic in a way that the first-gen versions never did. Microblading’s recent popularity has spawned microshading and microfeathering, two techniques that give you a different brow look depending on your preferences. Here’s how they differ—and what that’ll mean for you.

Microblading

Eyebrows before and after microblading

Best for: Anyone who wants a natural brow look that lasts.

What is microblading: Microblading is a technique using a super-fine pen (technically, a bundle of 12 to 15 needles) to deposit pigment into skin. The tip is so fine, in fact, that it can create hair strokes that look legit. And the needles reach only into the superficial layers of the skin, which is what makes the method semi-permanent (versus permanent, like traditional cosmetic tattoos). Think of each stroke as a little paper-cut. (We know what you’re wondering: Yes, it hurts, but your brow artist can numb the area first.) Compared to other techniques, “microblading gives a very natural look and better simulates hair,” says Betsy Shuki, makeup artist and brow expert who offers microblading services at the office of NYC plastic surgeon Scott Wells, MD.

What you should know: Prices vary based on location and artist expertise, but expect a quality job to run somewhere between $700 to $1,500. In the first few days, you might want to plan around your brows. “On the first day after microblading, clean your eyebrows with distilled water on cotton pad gently and apply aftercare cream every four hours,” says Shuki. On the second day, repeat that three times. For the next five days, do this morning and night. Your brow area might be red and scabby, so try not to schedule big things (e.g., a huge job interview or engagement photos) for the first week or two. “Also, avoid going to the gym, any excess sweating around eyebrows will prevent pigment retention and can cause infection,” adds Shuki.

How long microblading lasts: You’ll need a touch-up in about a month (the cost of this is typically budgeted into the fee of the initial service). Then, microblading can last anywhere from 12 months to three years, depending on your lifestyle. A few ways to extend it: Stay out of the sun, since it can fade the pigment, and avoid putting exfoliants (like retinol and glycolic acid) near your brows, because they’ll lift the top layers of your skin with continued use—and the color with it.

Microfeathering

Best for: Anyone who wants to lightly fill out the brows they already have.

What is microfeathering: Microfeathering is a form of microblading, and a technique created (and trademarked) by eyebrow artist-to-the-stars Kristie Streicher. She’s best known for her feathered brow, a no-needle shaping method that’s all about a natural, fluffy-looking brow. This is similar to that, but with pigment. Like microblading, she uses a fine blade to create tiny incisions. “Pigment is then deposited into the incisions, resulting in an incredible natural-looking ‘eyebrow hair,'” says Streicher. Unlike microblading, which typically creates most of the brow for you, Streicher uses your existing brow hairs as the “starting base” and simply fills it in as needed.

What you should know: Microfeathering is a little more high-maintenance than microblading, only because Streicher is so exact. She requires a consultation to ensure that there’s enough natural hair to help blend the pigment into your brows. (And, even so, there’s usually a growing-out period of six to 12 months so your existing brow hairs are all accounted for.) It’s also a two-part process (all of which costs $1,000 for Streicher’s procedure). “During the first appointment, microfeathered strokes are created in some of the more dense area of the brow,” explains Streicher. “Six to eight weeks later, depending on how your skin heals and responds, additional strokes are then added.” Everyone heals differently, she says, so she can better complete the look once she knows how your skin will recover.

How long microfeathering lasts: It typically doesn’t have the staying power of microblading because “the pigmented stokes are much finer and natural looking,” says Streicher. Depending on certain factors, like your skin type (oily skin won’t hold the pigment as well), age, and skin care routine, microfeathering will usually last eight to 12 months, max.

Watch: Microblading, Microshading, and Microfeathering: What’s the Difference?

Microshading

Best for: Anyone who wants brows to look more “done” (i.e. thick and filled in).

What is microshading: If microblading is like painting and microfeathering more like sketching, microshading is like an Impressionist got ahold of the blade. “Microshading technique is done using either an electric hand tool or a manual tool, which creates a soft, powdered effect that resembles eyebrow powder,” says Shuki. Instead of the hair stroke typical with microblading and microfeathering, microshading employs a stippling method, which uses repetitive dots of pigment. It’s like the pomade or powder to microblading’s pencil strokes—just semi-permanent. The overall effect more closely resembles the sort of brow you’d find on any given Instagram influencer.

What you should know: Some people could benefit from a combo of microshading and microblading, says Shuki. That candidate would have thinning eyebrows with drier skin—so, likely on the more mature side. Thinning brows can benefit from the extra oomph of shading. If you’re on the fence between the two, nothing beats checking out photos on Instagram. They’ll give you a good understanding of a brow artist’s style, so you’ll have a better idea of what to expect when you make an appointment. Plus, it shows the quality of the work, since pictures can’t hide a botched microblading or microshading job. (Also, spring for an artist with a license or certificate from the Society of Permanent Cosmetic Professionals or the American Academy of Micropigmentation, which shows that they’ve undergone the proper training.) Luckily, if you do get both, the price is about the same as it would be for just microblading. Expect to pay anywhere between $700 and $1,500.

How long microshading lasts: All good news here—there’s no difference in the lifespan of microshading and microblading. So, excluding the first touch-up, you have a solid year before you need to see your brow artist again.

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Tags Difference, Eyebrows, Microblading, Microfeathering, Microshading, What039s

Health

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz Pencil Made Me Reconsider Microblading

Post author By news22
Post date December 6, 2018
No Comments on Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz Pencil Made Me Reconsider Microblading

There are several unfortunate things I’ve done in the name of beauty, but over-tweezing my brows was never one of them. Occasionally, I would pluck a few stray hairs or carefully trim them with the same scissors I used to open packages (try the latter at your own peril), but mostly, I let them grow in peace. In turn, they rewarded me by not needing much enhancement. It was a prime example of the kind of healthy, symbiotic relationship that I will one day find when I can get a text back.

Of course, I still wanted them to look just a tiny bit fuller and more elongated. Some days, I would try to accomplish this with eyeshadow and an angled brush. Others, I’d try whatever brow gel, pen, or pencil happened to land on my desk that week. They were all basically interchangeable, which is to say that none of them made a lasting impression. Some brands got the color too dark or too warm. Others made pencils that crumbled as soon as I applied the slightest pressure, or deposited blurry splotches of pigment. Eventually, I learned to apply everything with a light hand, so that my brows were just barely tinted and filled in. I could have skipped this step entirely and it would have made little difference. Please observe the image of me holding a cookie below for photographic evidence. I went over my brows with a pencil that shall not be named, but can you even tell? The answer is no.

When I heard that many of my colleagues were booking microblading appointments, I gave the technique some serious consideration. Microblading, microfeathering, and microshading are forms of semi-permanent eyebrow tattoos that emphasize subtle, realistic results. The implements used are so fine that they really do a convincing job mimicking your actual hair. The only problem: I was still scared that a mistake would be made, leaving me with bad brows for the next one to three years. Having edited plenty of horror stories about microblading sessions gone wrong, I wasn’t feeling great about taking my chances.

The universe must have gotten fed up with listening to my never-ending internal agonizing because it put a stop to all of that with a single package. Inside: Anastasia Beverly Hills’s best brow products. Even before I got into beauty, I’d heard of founder Anastasia Soare, who made an art form out of creating perfect eyebrows. Now was my chance to find out why. I’d heard of the iconic Brow Wiz already, so I decided to start there.

I never got around to using anything else in that box.

Brow Wiz doesn’t look that special upon first glance. It’s a thin, waxy brow pencil—and if you’re going by shape alone, you can definitely find plenty of dupes. But, ABH gets the consistency just right. It’s thin enough to quickly draw super precise hairs, similar to the sharp strokes of microblading. At the same time, it has a waxiness that simultaneously helps to keep your brow hairs in place and imparts a softness that looks natural. No matter how much of a rush I’m in, I never end up with brows that are too dark or too overdrawn. They just look full, feathered, and perfectly defined. (I know that for a fact based on the number of times someone has asked me what I use on my brows, something that never happened B.B.W.—before Brow Wiz.) Then, there are the shades: the brand offers 10 and they’re exceptionally good. After flirting with Dark Brown and Granite, I’ve eventually settled on Ebony, which ABH says is for black hair with warm undertones. That sounds confusing and I won’t attempt to describe the color, but it’s by far the best match I’ve found.

To get the perfect eyebrows, I start at the head and draw upward lines, concentrating on the sparser areas. I also lightly outline the bottom edge of my brow, tracing diagonally across until I hit the halfway point. Then, I tackle the tails, extending them with a few short lines. Start to finish, this takes about 30 seconds. Afterward, I flip the pencil, uncap the spoolie, and brush everything out so there are no harsh marks and everything is blended. And then the final, important step: I say a fervent thank-you to Brow Wiz for ensuring that I will never have to risk a microblading appointment gone wrong.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz, $21, sephora.com

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Tags Anastasia, Beverly, Brow, Hills, Microblading, Pencil, Reconsider, Wiz

Health

Maybelline's $10 Brow Pen Makes It Look Like You Got Microblading

Post author By news22
Post date June 12, 2018
No Comments on Maybelline's $10 Brow Pen Makes It Look Like You Got Microblading

As far as brow horror stories go, mine was actually a blessing. The year was 2002, it was a Friday night, and all my friends were getting their eyebrows waxed at the mall. Well, except me. When it was my turn to sit down, the waxer gave me one look and some real talk: “I could wax you, but honestly you don’t need it,” she told me. “Just tweeze. Trust me.” Being left out of this coming-of-age ritual was, of course, devastating to eighth-grade me who only wanted to look like Drew Barrymore. But fast-forward to my twenties, and it’s been a real joy not having to spend the time and money trying to finding the best brow growth serum. (Colleagues tell me it’s this one, though, if you’re curious.)

So when microblading—the semi-permanent eyebrow procedure that gives you full, natural-looking eyebrows—came along, I sat yet another brow trend out. It’s not that my brows wouldn’t benefit from some slight filling-in, I’ve just held steadfastly to the advice that hasn’t steered me wrong in 16 years. Also, I hate needles and I hear it’s hella painful. So there’s that.

But now, the best of both worlds has arrived: Maybelline’s Tattoo Studio Brow Tint Pen. Unlike most clunky brow markers, this one has a four-pronged tip that give you the same realistic hair-like strokes as a pro microblading tool. It’s also got a slanted design that makes it easy to flick and follow your brow’s natural shape.

I mean, just look at this thing in action:

Not only does the angled design make it faster if you’re doing a rush-job in the morning—and, honestly, who really wants to spend more than 30 seconds on their brows each day?—I’ve also found it keeps you from getting too heavy-handed at the tail, which is where most people’s brows tend to be the most sparse.

The formula also boasts a lofty 24-hour smudge-free claim, and while I haven’t slept in it, the swatches I made on my hand in the morning legit didn’t budge until I washed them off at the end of the day. And after a week of testing, same goes for my actual brows, which are probably are the most important gauge. The best part of all, though? Unlike microblading, which costs an upwards of $1,500, this pen is only $10.

I never did get to properly thank my fairy brow godmother. But hopefully this counts as paying it forward—if only to save some 14-year-old’s brows for two decades from now.

Maybelline Tattoo Studio Brow Tint Pen, $10, ulta.com

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Tags Brow, Maybelline039s, Microblading, Pen