Ever since Cara Delevigne rocketed to fame back in 2009, fuller eyebrows have become a trend that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. And with so many women over-plucking in the nineties, a demand for thicker and fuller brows has made micro-blading a must-have for every woman. But what is this trend and how does it work?
Both micro-blading and nano-blanding is a form of semi-permanent make-up, a tattoo artistry where pigment is implanted under your skin with a manual handheld tool instead of a machine.
I was lucky enough to recently visit the infamous Laura Kay London. Founder Laura Kay is the number one in the semi-permanent make-up field with 15 years’ experience in the industry and a list of celebrity clientele under her belt.
She describes the treatment as “a form of permanent makeup that provides a means to partially or fully camouflage missing eyebrow hair with the appearance of simulated hair using fine deposits of cosmetic tattoo pigments”.
Laura’s career began at the tender age of 15 when she became working on TV shows like GMTV as a make-up artist. Knowing I was clearly in very good hands I was excited to experience Laura’s work and visit her Elstree clinic which is needless to say, stylish, sleek and modern.
Upon arrival, I was greeted by the lovely receptionist Sabrina who calmed the nerves that were suddenly creeping up on me as the anticipation of having a procedure took place.
Laura then came to the reception to welcome me, with the loveliest of warmest smiles. She led me into the spacious treatment room where we discussed the look I wanted to achieve.
Being a mum to a toddler, I have very little time to get ready in the morning. Half the time, I can do one eyebrow perfectly and the other is left to have a mind of its own. I wanted them full but still look natural – Laura had a task on her hands!!
Laura began expertly drawing on my brows to a shape that she thought would suit my face. Ever the professional and utter perfectionist, Laura took her time to ensure she gave my perfect brows. What I didn’t know was that I have wonky brows meaning Laura had extra work on her hands (sorry Laura) but she of course managed it.
Once Laura was happy with what she thought would suit me, she talked me through it in the mirror. I was beyond impressed, and couldn’t quite believe that she could actually transform my brows to look this full.
Next came selecting the colour – I went for ‘brunet brown’ a nice dark shade that wouldn’t stand out too much against my highlighted hair.
Many people have asked me if the procedure hurts. I’d be lying if I said you couldn’t feel a thing, but it’s more of an odd sensation than a pain. I could easily talk through the whole process with Laura ensuring I was OK and comfortable at all times. Her calm demeanour made me feel at ease and didn’t let me mind think about what was actually happening!
After the initial ‘stroke/brushing’ phase took place, Laura rubbed the dye into the brows. You would expect this to sting but it didn’t in the slightest, it was actually quite nice! Finally, I was ready to see my brows and my goodness all I could think about was WHY didn’t I do this sooner. They were thick, dark, symmetrical and framed my face.
Laura warned me that the healing process is around four weeks, and that everyone’s skin takes to the dye differently. Having an oily t-zone Laura suggested that I leave my brows to dry heal, meaning I needed to avoid getting them wet for a week, which for anyone wondering is fine and you can still wash your hair.
Laura explained that a week post treatment, that it was likely that my brows would begin to scab over. Thankfully this is a very discreet process, and only lasted a couple of days.
Many people say that their brows then ‘vanish’ but in truth they just get a bit lighter – thankfully I could see the colour beneath my brows and was desperate to get back for my top-up.
The top-up is a quicker process, as Laura simply goes over the shape she has already created, and to be honest I was just happy to go back to the gorgeous clinic and have a nice chat with Laura.
I’m now two weeks after my top up appointment and couldn’t be happier, my brows are permanently ‘on’ meaning that I can be up and out the house within 15 minutes. The results will last anything from six months to one year depending on your skin type.
I cannot recommend Laura enough, her professionalism is second to none, and for once I’ve had a treatment that lasts!
For more information on Laura Kay London, visit LauraKayLondon.com.
