The trend in permanent makeup in the recent years has been booming, most likely due to women who love cosmetics but are rushed for time taking care of their appearance, children at homme, or want a special side hustle making clients feel beautiful. I’ve been following the journey of a high school friend Mandy S., a young mother of two who decided to take up permanent makeup artistry to use her creative skills and make more money to support her lifestyle. Mandy S. offers many permanent makeup services in her salon but her biggest sellers are micro-blading and powder brows.
Microblading Vs. Ombre Powder Brows: What’s the Difference?
One new to the permanent cosmetic industry may not know the difference but after a brief interview, I learned the subtle change through the services. Microblading is a gentle tattoo technique with individual strokes to fill in thinner brows and make them an attractive shape for the face; powder brows use a dotting technique to fill in sparse hairs and create a natural brow that also flatters the client’s look. Let’s take a look at more differences and how permanent makeup artists make money through brow magic.
An Ombre Brow or Microblading?
Ombre powder brows basically bring a color boost to your eyebrows with shading for a beautiful finish. Ombre creates a gradual powder effect for many women who either want their eyebrows to match their hair color or go bold instead of the hassle of using brow pencils everyday.
Clients can choose the traditional powder brow with a full color formula that fills in sparse hair with a gentle tattoo treatment. The healing process is said to take less than a week and touchups required at least every three years with proper upkeep. This means keeping up with your skincare, not letting the area get too dry, and avoiding too much sun exposure.
Microblading uses a hair stroke tattoo style to completely revamp your brow, great for older women and anyone who has experienced hair loss. By utilizing individual hair strokes and perfectly matched pigment for your skin type, microbladed brows definitely enhance the look of your face.
Why Are Permanent Makeup Clients Choosing Powder and Microbladed Brows More Than Ever?
Mandy S. owns a reasonably rented salon space and works a few sessions each day about five times a week. First, clients need to make an appointment and a deposit of $100 that is not refunded if they don’t show. Clients are promised a consultation and reservation for studio time with brow sessions ranging from $300-$500 an hour and a discounted touch up within 6 months for the price (this ranges with how much work needs to be done.) She also offers absolutely free sessions for women who have lost their eyebrows to illnesses and holiday freebies for those with the best stories about their horrid eyebrows.
Looking from outside the industry, cosmetic tattooing seems like a silly way to spend or make money. But according to Mandy S., her clients who love the look of natural powder brows and those who prefer precision microblading all feel relieved and more beautiful at the end of the session. At the end of the day, powder brows and microblading are up to the client to decide and the artist to respect their request.
<strong>Who Is Most Likely To Get Into The Brow Industry?</strong>
– Makeup Artists
Unless they’re working with celebrities, most trained makeup artists don’t make as much as microbladers. By extending their service to permanent makeup as well as traditional, they can multiply their funds and client base.
– Beauty Bloggers
While a lot of beauty bloggers don’t start out pro, the fun is to watch them hone their skills until they become high demand for paying clients. The beauty bloggers influence can also be informative by filming vlogs explaining topics such as the debate between powder brows and microblading. They can also show a day in the salon for those who are interested in the process.
– Tattoo Artists
Many tattoo artists also like to expand their services to permanent brow makeup. By offering cosmetic packages, a once traditional tattoo shop can be open to new opportunities.
The Final Battle: Microblading or Powder Ombre Brows?
Mandy S. stresses the importance of letting your clients choose and being skilled in both services without any judgement. The biggest difference is the special look of each treatment with the comparison of brush strokes and dotting techniques. The bottom line as a client or artist is to figure out what’s right for you when choosing permanent makeup.