How to Find a Great Permanent Makeup Artist for Eyebrow Microblading

Those of us who weren’t born with fluffy brows have been there: You’re trying to get out of the house … maybe with just mascara and lip gloss.  And as nice as that sounds, you realize:  “I. HAVE. NO. BROWS.” And then you begin the process of filling in and shaping your brows before you can leave because, let’s face it… some of us look like aliens without our brows!

Enter Microblading! Microblading is the process of an artist (hopefully a good one!) implanting pigment into the skin with a series of needles to mimic a hair-like stroke.  BOOM! A beautiful pair of brows are born above your eyes, and you feel like doing a praise dance because your eyebrows will never sweat off again! #iwokeuplikedis

The first time I tried Microblading, I didn’t want to spend very much money.  And let me tell you… you get what you pay for! The artist was able to get me in immediately (not always a good sign), and she was cheap!  GIRL. Long story short, my healing process was crazy, my brows were patchy, and I spent the next 8 months trying to get them to fade so I could make an appointment with the permanent makeup artist I wanted in the first place. I waited 6 months for my appointment, but I got my brows redone- for more money- and it was so worth it!!! I love them! 

I wanted brows that were natural looking enough that I could go without makeup and not look like I drew on my brows.  When I wear makeup, I like to add a little more definition using my microbladed brows as a guideline.  That was MY preference. You may want a more made up, super defined brow.  Find a Permanent Makeup Artist (PMA) who can do EITHER.

It is hard to find a real one on the internet with so many options out there, so without further ado, here are my tips for finding the BEST permanent makeup artist to do your Microblading.

1. LOOK AT THEIR INSTAGRAM. A good PMA will have A LOT  of photos, and they should be THEIR OWN.  You want to find a person who has a huge variety of brows on their page.  The powdered look, the hair stroke look, big fluffy brows, fine brows, angular brows…you name it- you should be able to find your style of brow on their page.  You should also see a variety of skin tones, hair colors, ages and skin types.  A true artist will be able to handle anything.  If you see mainly one style of brow, or the same type of client, run!
2. LOOK FOR AFTER PHOTOS. You should find a lot of photos of post healed brows on a good PMA’s instagram.  Truth be told, most microbladed brows look incredible fresh off the table.  You need to find someone who shows their work once their job is HEALED.  If you don’t see that on their page, again…RUN.
3. LOOK AT THEIR REVIEWS ON FACEBOOK, YELP AND GOOGLE. They should have about 5 stars on ALL platforms.  I know… that sounds extreme, but we are not talking about restaurants here.  We are talking permanent makeup.  You don’t have to go back to a bad restaurant.  A bad microblade job? You’re gonna have to relive it every time you look in the mirror for a year plus, sometimes much longer!  The pigment, though it fades, remains in the brows. Don’t chance it!  5 stars only.
4. LOOK FOR A PMA WHO HAS BEEN A MAKEUP ARTIST. Not only an esthetician (nothing wrong with estheticians but they must have experience in addition to this!).  Not someone who only went to cosmetology school for a couple of years.  You want someone who has had YEARS of experience as a makeup artist in the cosmetic industry before they ever considered microblading.  True artists know how to adapt based on someones preference and eye shape and bone structure, and they know color theory because it’s in their blood.  Ask a potential artist: “Did you ever work professionally as a makeup artist?”  If the answer is no, or they have limited experience, get those running shoes ready.
5. LOOK FOR AN ARTIST WHO IS ALWAYS LEARNING THE LATEST TECHNIQUES, TRENDS, AND TECHNOLOGY.  Not just teaching classes.  A teacher isn’t what makes a permanent makeup artist great.  It’s a learner you want! You don’t want someone stuck in their ways.  You want someone who is always continuing their education.  If someone “knows it all” and doesn’t continue their education, stay away.  
6. FIND AN ARTIST WHO WILL SPEND TIME CONSULTING WITH YOU ON COLOR SHAPE AND SIZE. The first artist I went to didn’t even ask me about color!  She said nothing about shape.  She simply started going in, and I had to pray everything would turn out ok. The second artist sat down with me, mixed colors and tested them on my hand so we could make an informed decision together.  She asked me to come in with my eyebrows how I normally fill them in so she could get a sense of my personal style.  I felt so seen! 
7. FIND AN ARTIST WHO KEEPS IT REAL! My artist told me right away that because I have oily skin, my blading would probably blend slightly, meaning that the strokes would more than likely fade faster than someone with dry skin, and look less crisp over time.  I appreciated that!  My expectations were tempered and I was happy that she was so honest and knowledgeable, all the way down to skin type and color.
   
   

I know- there is a lot of research that you must do, but it is important!  I am sure that there are a lot of people who made it OK without all of the research, but don’t say I didn’t tell you- Do the work and you will be satisfied with your brows!

My permanent makeup artist is incredible (NOT sponsored!) Her name is Nicole Blankenship, and she is the Founder of The Brow Project in Dallas, Texas.  Check out her instagram: @thebrowproject_ and here is some of her work below:

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If you are unable to travel to Dallas, Nicole has graciously provided me with some of her favorite artists from across North America to share with you!

Sioux Falls, SD: Lusting Expressions IG: @lusting.expressions Web: https://www.lustingexpressions.co

Los Angeles, CA: LA Microbrow IG: lamicrobrow Web: https://lamicrobrow.com

Toronto, Ontario: Trudy Trinh IG: @permanentmakeuptoronto Web: http://trudytrinh.com

Washington, DC: Dollistic IG: @dollistic Web: https://dollistic.com

Seattle, WA: Supernatural Brows IG: @supernaturalbrows Web: https://www.supernaturalbrows.com

I hope this was helpful! Let me know if you have any questions at all in the comments!! Be sure to subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss out!