PERMANENT MAKEUP

Permanent makeup has evolved so much in the past few years and my experience with makeup allows me to have a makeup artist’s perspective on design, shape, colour and intensity.

What is permanent makeup?

There are many names for it… cosmetic tattooing, micropigmentation, semi-permanent makeup etc. It is a form of tattooing used to enhance the appearance of areas such as eyeliner, lips and eyebrows and can even include scalp micropigmentation, freckles and paramedical tattooing for areola reconstruction, and scar and stretch mark camouflage. Permanent makeup is done using a tattoo machine (adapted for use on the face) and sterile needle cartridges to implant pigment into the skin. The pigment is implanted more superficially than a body tattoo, because the skin on the face is a lot thinner than that of the body and we are looking to create soft and natural looking healed results.

Eyebrow permanent makeup is one of the most well known forms of permanent makeup. Eyebrows are what structures your face and have a huge role to play in our expressions and the way we look. Eyebrows can give the illusion of bigger and more lifted eyes by simply giving them a better depth and structure. Many people have over plucked or have found their brows getting thinner with age, or simply never had very full brows to begin with. 

Eyeliner permanent makeup is gaining a lot in popularity, thanks to its versatility. There are many different techniques offering structured eyes without the harsh look that can be associated with it.

With permanent lip blush, you can now achieve beautifully tinted and fuller-looking lips that last, enhancing your natural beauty by leaving you with a stunning, long-lasting pout.

PMU FAQS

  • Choosing your artist carefully is very important. Getting it right the first time around is crucial because it's a tattoo on your face. Anyone can take a course and become insurable to offer this service, regardless of their background or artistic ability. Ensure that you not only see many photos of fresh work but also lots of healed results. The healed results are what matter most, as this is what you will be wearing every day. The tattoo undergoes significant changes from when it's freshly done to when it's fully healed. Don't base your choice solely on price, as removal is much costlier than getting it done correctly the first time. Cosmetic tattooing requires advanced knowledge of color theory, pigment theory, machine and needle techniques, artistic ability, and effective communication to deliver the desired results.

  • Please make sure to read carefully through all of the pre and post care instructions prior to booking your permanent makeup appointment. This is essential to the best possible healed results, permanent makeup is teamwork, the actual tattooing is only half of the end result. The other half is how you prepared for the tattoo and how you care for it afterwards. There are things that need to be avoided before and after your appointment, so you need to plan your schedule accordingly. Eg, you can not wear makeup on your new tattoo until all the scabs have come off, so don’t be going to an important event during the healing phase.

  • PMU is no longer the old, super saturated face tattoo that your aunt got done 10+ years ago. The techniques, machines and pigments have evolved so greatly in the last decade that it can not be compared. The updated pmu techniques offer soft, subtle results that are more of an enhancement to your features. I tell my clients all the time, you will wake up with this on every day, I don’t want you to have to put makeup on to match your permanent makeup! It has to look good when you are fresh faced.

  • PMU is great for anyone who wants to speed up (or skip!) their morning makeup routine

    Women with an active lifestyle who want a sweat-proof, water-proof makeup alternative

    Women who won’t leave the house without makeup on

    Women who’s lifestyle/work make it difficult to wear and maintain makeup for long hours

    For those who have poor eyesight, have shaky or unsteady hands, or who are not very good at applying their makeup

    For anyone who simply wants expertly applied eyeliner, lips or eyebrows every day!

  • Permanent makeup has contraindications that can prevent us from doing the treatment. Safety and health are a top priority. The following conditions mean that we can not preform the treatment:

    Under 18
    Pregnant or breastfeeding
    Hemophilia
    Hepatitis
    Immunocompromised
    Epilepsy
    HIV/Aids
    Infectious Diseases
    Uncontrolled blood pressure
    Accutane use within past 12 months
    Chemotherapy or radiation within the past 6 months
    The use of medications that can affect your blod clotting or the way your skin heals
    You develop infections easily
    You suffer from chronic eczema or psoriasis in the area to be treated
    Current antibiotics use or in the past 2 weeks
    Current steroid use
    History of keloid scarring from minor injuries
    Allergies to dyes

    There may be other conditions that would prevent us from doing the treatment or may require a doctor’s note.

  • When working over another artist’s work, this is considered a cover up or a color correction. Artists all have different styles and use different pigments that heal and age differently from one another. This means that a touch up appointment will be required to ensure proper shape, saturation and color. When booking for a correction or coverup, please select your appointment for a “new permanent makeup” appointment and send a clear, well lit, closeup and unfiltered picture of the previous work so I can evaluate if the area is ready to be worked on again. There are cases where corrective work or coverups are not an option. Removal or waiting for the old tattoo to fade may be the only solution.

  • Color boost appointments are only for returning clients who have previously had their permanent makeup done by Joelle. This appointment is to boost the color and adjust the shape of the tattoo. This can vary between 1.5-3 years for eyebrows, 2-5 years for eyeliner or 2-4 years for lips.