This post is a little more personal, but it’s also something I’m super excited to share with you guys! We are all uniquely fabulous individuals with unique sets of insecurities. Mine has always been my eyebrows or the lack thereof. I just simply wasn’t blessed with the good eyebrow gene and we all know eyebrows make or break the face. Ever since I learned about microblading roughly around 2 years ago, I was very much interested. However, I never did anything about it because of many reasons but one is the fact that I’ve always been against any sort of cosmetic procedure. I mean, it took me a decade to convince myself to fix my broken front tooth. Go figure! When I saw Ayumi’s work on Instagram @elevatebeautystudio, I had to reach out. From everything I’ve heard and seen, her technique is so unique, delicate and simply put, beautiful.
Video Consultation:
Since Ayumi’s office is an hour away, she decided to be a delight and called me to see what the problem is all while she was on vacation. I sent in some pictures, told her what I was looking for and she gave me a detailed overview of what my eyebrows could look like. I’ve always admired bushy looking eyebrows like Cara Delevingne’s. During the consultation, she advised me since I have oily skin, microblading, albeit just as fantastic won’t last very long and it’ll be a waste of my money. Instead, she recommended I get a less invasive and more permanent technique called ‘ombre brows’. It’s supposed to be better for oily skin because the pigment goes deeper than that of microblading while all less invasive. So, what’s the main difference you ask?
Ombre Brows V Microblading:
Ombré Powdered Brows is the newest shading technique. It is 100% customizable and is great for anyone who wants a soft and natural look. This method creates pixilated dots to mimic powder filled brows with no harsh front or outline. This shadowing technique is minimally invasive, lasts longer and can be buildable from light to dark.
vs.
Microblading is creating 3D hair-like strokes using microfine needles. This method is suitable for candidates who have plenty of existing hair. Great for those who have darker hair and want more volume. For those who have light and fine hair, it’s not recommended as the strokes will heal to be a bit thicker and may not blend naturally. Plus, there is no ombré option for this technique.
So, why should you consider getting Ombré Powder?
1. LESS INVASIVE
Ombré powder brows are achieved using a small machine, which disperses extremely fine dots of pigments even into and across the skin in an airbrush or shading technique. Microblading uses a hand-tool that creates incisions or small cuts into the skin. Over time, repeated incisions into the same spots will cause trauma to the skin more quickly.
2. LESS PAIN & LESS BLEEDING
Ombré powder brows are less painful due to the airbrush-like technique we apply, which creates less trauma to the skin vs. the blading technique of microblading. The latter creates cuts into the skin, thus more bleeding is involved. With ombré powder brows, there is minimal to zero blood surfaces during the procedure.
3. LASTS LONGER
Results do vary based on lifestyle, skin type, health, preferences, etc., but a single ombré powder brow session, using high-quality pigments, can last on average 2-3 years. Microblading, on the other hand, has a high likelihood of healing blotchy, spotty or with blurred strokes, thus requiring more frequent touch-ups, generating more long term wear and tear on the skin, eventually maxing out the skin’s lifetime capacity quickly. Like any injury to the skin, the body repairs the wounded area by building collagen fibers, creating a scar. Both treatments will eventually dull out the skin in this way permanently, so choosing the right method to save your skin integrity is critical.
4. GREAT FOR ALL SKIN TYPES ESPECIALLY FOR OILY SKIN
Ombré powder brows are great for any skin type, unlike microblading, which is not suitable for those with oily skin. Microblading on oily skin requires several touch-ups, which causes more trauma to the skin.
5. LOOKS VERY NATURAL
While ombré powder brows have a more “filled-in” look, the healed results appear like softly shaded brow pencil or powder. Immediately after the treatment, ombré powder brows can appear more saturated and bold, however, brows will fade 20-30%, leaving a very soft finish and shape that will allow our clients to quickly groom their brows going forward.
FAQs
1. How long does it last? Ombré powder lasts from 2-3 years depending on the skin type and client's lifestyle. Ombre Brows lasts from 9 months to 1 year. This makes ombré powder more cost-efficient and better for the skin (fewer touch-ups needed = saves skin integrity).
2. Does it hurt? I use topical numbing throughout the procedure. Most clients don't feel much pain.
3. What’s the price? Pricing is listed here: www.elevatebyayumi.com/book
4. How should I prepare for the appointment? Please do not consume alcohol/coffee/aspirin before the appointment. Do not tweeze, wax or dye brows for 3 days prior. Electrolysis should not be done for a week prior. You must be off of Accutane for at least 6 months prior.
5. How long does it take to heal? 7-10 days! Your brows may be flaking and scabbing off. Make sure to NOT pick or remove the scabs or you may inadvertently remove some of your pigment!
I have a video of the whole process for you on my IGTV over on Instagram. A very special thank you to Ayumi of @elevatedbeautystudio for giving me the perfect eyebrows and transforming my life. It feels good to not have to draw it on EVERY SINGLE MORNING. You can get 50 dollars off of your first visit with Ayumi by simply mentioning ‘specsandblazers’ when making your appointment. All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own. As always, thank you so much for reading and see you next Friday.
