Eyebrow Tattoos: We Tried Microblading Like Bella Thorne

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by Taylor Stephan | Thu., Aug. 11, 2016 11:59 AM

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It's no secret that eyebrows can make or break your beauty look.

Certain celebs like Lily Collins and Lucy Hale are blessed with full, thick brows that don't require much work (other than monthly wax appointments), but if your eyebrow hairs are few and far between, you may have no other option than to spend a lifetime of mornings committed to tracing them on in front of the mirror.

Instead of meticulously filling in barren brows with pencils and creams, celebs like Bella Thorne are turning to microblading, a tattoo technique that uses tiny needles to create a 3D finish. But the Disney star isn't the only one who's tried it. E! Style Collective makeup artist Suzie Kim recently underwent the buzzworthy procedure, too.

What You Need to Know: Microblading essentially tattoos your eyebrows, but the ink strokes mimic natural, hair-like lines instead of chunky, solid lines like tattooed eyebrows of the past. Permanent brow ink has been a beauty trend that spans many cultures, especially among Asians today, and even goes back to Ancient Egyptian times. This modern technique, however, only lasts up to two years (since the strokes are so fine), so don't go for it unless you trust your expert. "I chose Cindy Choe from CC Permanent Makeup in LA's Koreatown because she is a true brow artist," shared Suzie. Cindy has an undisclosed list of celeb clients and all of her work is free hand, but it's not cheap. A session with the pro will cost you around $700, but it's worth it. "Some places say they do 3D brows, but they are just using a tattoo gun and not using itty-bitty microblading needles, which doesn't give the same 3D effect," warned beauty pro.

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The Appointment: An appointment with Cindy is hard to come by (a few months' wait) but once all is said and done, the actual service is pretty speedy, about an hour total: 20 minutes for the consultation, 15 minutes for the numbing cream and only 20 minutes for the actual microblading. Up first was a mini consultation in which the pro outlined Suzie's best shape and then applied numbing cream before going in with the needle. "I could definitely hear the stroking sounds and didn't feel too much at first, but soon felt a dull burning and tingling sensation," explained the client. Also noteworthy: The brow artist used brown ink instead of black, which made for a natural, softer finish, noted Suzie.

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The Results: "Immediately after the procedure, an ointment was applied to my brows, and even though they were darker and shiny looking, I loved it because they were so full and I could see all of the brow strokes," shared Suzie. Days following, in her day-to-day life, one of the biggest differences is that the makeup artist doesn't have to worry about smudged brows when it's raining or when she's sweating. "When I do full makeup, I barely need to fill in my brows—it's life changing," she summed up. With solid results like these (Bella gave it a thumbs-up, too), it's safe to say that microblading is here to stay.