The Beauty Diary: Having my eyebrows tattooed is the best beauty decision I’ve ever made

It might sound crazy, but more people are seeking specialist cosmetic tattoos on their faces to help cover a visible beauty problem.

When it comes to the biggest and best investment I’ve ever made on my face, it’s definitely having my eyebrows tattooed.

I first had the cosmetic treatment – also known as microblading – back in 2017 and it was a total game-changer.

I’d made the awful decision as a teenager to pluck my “monobrow” after being teased by kids at school. The only problem was, I had no idea what I was doing and my brows never grew back.

Fast-forward 20 years and I was still living with my overzealous plucking that had resulted in the start of my brows being too far in and lacking any sort of shape. It’s quite hard to describe so I will plonk a photo for you below taken before I had any sort of inking done.

Missed a column? Catch up on all The Beauty Diary action here

Oops, I really did got OTT with the tweezers back in the day. Picture: Supplied

I paid $1200 to have my brows filled out, given shape and restored to their pre-pluckathon glory – and it was hands down worth every cent.

But the thing about eyebrow tattoos is they don’t last forever. Just like regular tattoos the ink fades and because it’s such a small area, it can in some cases disappear altogether.

After nearly three years, mine had pretty much vanished and I was relying quite heavily on filling them in, so I decided to get my brows refreshed.

I had put it off as long as I could, even though I knew it was money well spent. I mean, anything over $1000 is a decision worth thinking about and something I had to save for.

I was obsessed with my feathered brows when I had them done in mid-2017. Picture: Supplied. Picture: Supplied

But by Jan 2020, they had faded dramatically. Picture: Supplied

A few friends recommended Amy Jean Brow Agency and liked the idea of trying her signature “mist brows” which offered a fuller look at the arch and tail with a subtle start point.

The treatment – which starts at $995 – was a little bolder than “feathering”, the method I used previously that involves mimicking individual hair strokes for a softer more natural finish.

As well as having a more defined look, the mist brow tattoo was also a smidgen cheaper and would save me having to fill in patches throughout my brows because it was a heavier inking in the right places.

The woman behind the popular eyebrow boutique -which has been running for 15 years and has salons in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in Australia as well as in London and Singapore – told The Beauty Diary that mist tattooing was its number one treatment.

“Mist brows are comparable to airbrushing of pixilated dots across the skin,” Amy Jean said. “We use organic pigments that heal to natural tones in the skin.”

Amy added that clients love the cosmetic treatment as it “give your brows definition and symmetry without the ‘done’ or ‘solid’ look”.

“A client today commented, ‘My husband didn’t even notice what I’d done, but he commented I was looking great’.”

Amy Jean started her eyebrow business 15-years ago. Picture: Supplied

For those new to the procedure, the brow technician will take an extensive amount of time mapping out the shape and size before beginning. How they do it varies from salon to salon, but if they pull up their sleeves to freestyle – leg it.

After mine were mapped out again, the process was pretty straight forward — lay back and wait for the magic to happen. Tattooing anywhere on the body involves breaking the skin and inserting ink so you can expect to feel some pain.

Before you begin you can choose to have numbing cream applied which I recommend. The pain itself isn’t off the charts so there’s no need to worry, but it can get uncomfortable and you’ll be on the bed for a couple of hours.

Amy at work on someone's eyebrows – not mine. Picture: Supplied

There can also be a little bit of blood and/or redness, but that’s normal too. When I had this procedure done the first time I bled a little more the second time around.

After I was done, my brows appeared darker, and that lasts about 10 days. This is actually due to scabbing on the wounds. But even during this darker phase, I was so happy with my fresh new brows.

Amy said seeing people light up after having a treatment with her is one of the best parts of her gig.

“It is pure magic. How could you not love passing a mirror to someone and their eyes light up? When eyebrows are shaped and coloured well, there is a sense of immediate gratification,” she said.

Compared to the faded outline I had left, the mist brows were much fuller. Picture: Supplied

My new brows look amazing months on and made the make-up free months in isolation easy. Picture: Supplied. Picture: Supplied

There’s a bit of housekeeping for 10 days after the treatment. You’re not supposed to get the area wet so will need to avoid the gym and you need to apply an ointment once a day.

I had my favourite face tattoo done back in January, before the pandemic, and it’s important to flag that all good beauticians will have in place extensive hygiene practices.

My mist brows have weathered extremely well and I have to say, in lockdown when I completely ditched make-up, I loved them even more.

Of course, I appreciate that $1000 is a heck of a lot of cash, so I got Amy to share her tips on how to get gorgeous brows on a budget.

PUT THE TWEEZERS AWAY

Leave it to the professionals, Amy says, and book in at least one appointment with a reputable artist to discuss your brow goals.

FILLING IN YOUR BROWS TAKES SKILL

When filling in your brows, trace the strongest colour along the base of the brow into the arch and tail, she explained. The very start and top half should be half the depth of colour of the bottom and tail of the brow.

DON’T CUT HAIR WITH SCISSORS

Avoid using scissors as they create blunt lines across the top of the brows, if you trim the hair the growth becomes course and rebellious. You will need to shape them again within 10 days.

BEST PRODUCTS TO USE

Check out The Beauty Diary’s top picks for the only brow products you’ll ever need and get some extra tips from Benefit’s national brow artist Hannah Mutze.

This column is not advertorial content. Every review is independent, honest and ad free.

If you have a question about a beauty product or an item you’d like to see road tested in The Beauty Diary, jump into our official Facebook group where you can join like-minded beauty junkies. You can also catch me on Instagram or tweet me — don’t forget to hashtag #TheBeautyDiary.