When it comes to beauty, there are a few things that every woman wants to perfect. One of these things is the “perfect eyebrow”. To achieve this, beauty gurus use pencil, powder, pigment gel…you name it. But these products and methods aren’t cutting it anymore. Why? Because for some it’s too temporary, for others it may be too much of a hassle and some people just want something more permanent that makes their brows fuller. So, as a result, individuals are turning to microblading.
But what exactly is this popular trend?
To answer this question we at Carib Voxx decided to have a chat with certified microblading specialist, Rishauna “Shauna” Walton. Shauna is a popular makeup artist from Barbados who has been in the business for two years. Though that may seem like a short while, her work and popularity speak volumes for her talent.
Shauna found her love for makeup after dropping out of school where she was studying law. She then worked at a makeup store part-time until leaving after a year to start her own makeup business. Microblading was something she wanted to start last year but the timing was not right so she decided to take the leap this year. After a few months, Shauna has fallen in love with the technique even more than makeup and deems it an art.
Carib Vox: What is Micro blading?
Shauna: Micro-blading is a form of a semi-permanent tattoo. It involves needles so I guess it is like the sister of a tattoo but it doesn’t use the regular ink a tattoo would use. It uses a special ink that is specifically for the face and it doesn’t change colour.
How long does it last?
It last between 1-3 years. In 8 months time, it would start to fade but not too drastic so you come back in like a year to get it retouched.
What are the different forms/techniques of microblading?
Personally, I offer 3 different types. There is the 3D hair strokes, 3D combo and powder filled/ombre technique.
3D hair strokes basically mimics the natural flow of your brow hair. The 3D combo is a mixture between the 3D hair strokes and the powder filled technique so it would start with hair strokes at the front of your brow and powder filled at the back/tale of your brow. The powder filled would give you the illusion that your brows are always filled in. It’s like when you fill your eyebrows in with a pencil or a gel, the powder filled technique would give you that look permanently.
But it all depends on your preference but the Barbadian clientele likes the filled-in look. They like their brows on point all the time.
Why did you decide to start offering micro-blading?
The reason why I started micro blading was because I saw a few artists in Barbados doing it and I liked the technique of it but I thought it could be improved significantly. So I went overseas, I was trained on how to do it and then I came back.
What I have found is that Barbadians, some of them know what it is but majority of them don’t know what micro blading is and that’s weird because I thought that they would know because it is not something that just came out. But I guess it’s just something that’s really popular too so most of them would get it confused with brow tainting but brow tainting last for like 2 weeks and micro blading for like a year plus and it involves needles.
Where did you learn to do this procedure?
I got trained in Las Vegas by Nezzie Babiie but I was only trained in the 3D hair strokes. I was like I just need to learn the basics and the different health precautions. Then I went on YouTube and researched how to do the other techniques and kept practicing until I was able to learn them.
I actually only took a day to learn the basic procedure. When you are really interested in something you will do it. But I really love brows though, it’s like an art form, like when you are shaping the brow and you just see it come to life its like yass.
What is the price of the procedure?
3D hair strokes is $450 BDS (225 USD)
The 3D combo is $550 BDS (275 USD)
The Powder filled is $750 BDS (375 USD). It is the most expensive and takes the longest because it uses the most of everything.
How long does the procedure take?
I usually allocate two hours to two and a half hours to each procedure but it depends on the person because there is a bit of pain involved. While they fill out the waiver form I numb them and that’s going to take 30 minutes which is included in the two hours. Then I shape the brow and you either approve or disapprove or change and then we start.
Some people really can’t take the pain so they may be squirming or moving around and may ask for breaks. I actually had one client that took 4 hours because she couldn’t take the pain. Ultimately you want to finish in a particular time but you don’t want to give your client too much discomfort.
How popular is the procedure among your clients?
It is not as well known in the Caribbean as it is overseas. In America, it is very popular. Permanent eyebrows are like the “in thing” now… everyone wants it. It is not a new trend but it is one that is becoming very popular.
Why do you think it’s becoming more popular?
I think the entire beauty community is just becoming more popular. Everybody is so obsessed with their looks. People want to wake up and have brows especially persons who do not know how to do their own brows. I mean if it was possible people would wake up to a fully beat faced.
What are the safety issues surrounding this technique?
For persons who have growing skin, I wouldn’t perform the procedure on them. They have some micro blading artist that would take them but I personally would not take them because that’s messing around with their face and that’s a high risk of growing keloid on the eyebrows. If you are pregnant you can’t get it and if you are taking certain acne medications. I have the risk and conditions stated in my waiver form which is handed out before performing the procedure. There is also an aftercare form when the procedure is done.
Who would you recommend this procedure to?
Anybody. It’s not limited to a particular person. Persons who are struggling to get their brows done they can come and get it. Persons who have sparse brows come and get it done. And persons who just want to have good brows all the time and just want to cut down from their makeup routine.
