It seems that more and more people these days are trying eyebrow embroidery – or cosmetic tattooing, as it’s also known. The treatment involves a ‘microblading’ process that implants dye beneath the surface of the skin, using light strokes of pigment that mimic the look of natural brow hair strands. When done right, it results in a set of perfectly shaped, natural-looking brows that can last from one to two years – making it ideal for anyone who finds it a chore fill in their brows in the morning!
We sent three curious (some even sceptical) reviewers to test drive this time-saving treatment at Qween, a lovely lash, brows and IPL boutique salon located on the fourth floor of TANGS at Tang Plaza. Scroll through the gallery for before and after photos!
Our reviews
Danielle Rossetti, Integrated Communications Manager
I’ve always hated my eyebrows – they start off as Brooke Shields in the middle and turn into ‘wispy old man’ towards the end! I’ve had them shaped professionally before, but I’ve always had to paint them in, and when I’m not wearing makeup, they completely disappear. I had eyebrow embroidery suggested to me, but after seeing horror photos online of women with fake-looking caterpillar brows, there was no way I was going to risk 12 months looking like that!
That was until the lovely Jo from Qween explained that the process would enhance my existing brows – she assured me she wouldn’t create anything that looked unnatural.
First, Jo plucked and shaped underneath my brows so that it looked a bit more lifted at the sides – but nothing that was too drastic when I looked in the mirror. She then started with a pencil to fill in the parts that were more sparse, and added a few above the arch for a lifted effect – you can choose to have more or fewer strokes depending on how natural or dramatic you want it to look. I counted around 90 to 100 strokes on either side, and while it looked quite ‘solid’ for the first couple of days, when it started to heal, it ended up looking very natural – as if there really were more hairs towards the end of my brows. You can see the skin in between the lines, which makes it look very real.
The whole effect just looks more ‘finished’. My neighbour asked if I was going out, as if I was wearing makeup (which I wasn’t). When I go back in four weeks for my touch-up, I am definitely going to request a darker shade!
Lindsay Yap, Entertainment and Leisure Editor
I’ve been blessed with decent-looking natural eyebrows, so I never thought much about drawing them in or going for eyebrow embroidery. That said, my brows tend to fade off towards the ends so I jumped at the opportunity to try microblading at Qween. I was quick to tell my beautician Alice not to make them too dark. She explained that they would be that way for a while before significantly fading so it would be ideal to start with a darker shade. I was a little apprehensive but decided to listen to her – she’s the expert, after all! She also made some markings to show me the final shape and thickness.
The process was painless, with only some soreness after the numbing cream wore off. You can also expect slight itchiness. My brows were tender to the touch for a couple of hours, but back to normal the next morning. True enough, while they were very dark initially after the treatment, within a few days, the scabs peeled off, revealing a lighter shade, which I’m happy with. My brows look fuller, neater and have a more distinct shape – I’m more than satisfied!
Rebecca Bisset, Editor-in-Chief
I hadn’t heard of microblading before and had to see a few examples before I took the plunge. I just didn’t want to be stuck with a set of big, dark eyebrows for the next year, which is how long it’s supposed to last. The process also sounded rather painful!
Before the treatment started, Jo drew on my eyebrows to the thickness she’d recommended and I got to approve it first. She tidied my existing brows, then I had to wait for 30 minutes for the numbing cream to work before she started on her magic. You don’t feel anything and throughout the process you’re allowed to check on the progress.
They turned out pretty dark at first, but not so much such that you can’t go out in public. After four days, the cuts start to form scabs and drop off, but that’s only for a day. The colour fades quite quickly, too, and within a week they’re only slightly darker than my original hair, but thicker. At the four-week touch-up I would like to thicken them up even more!
Don’t Miss …
From now until the end of December 2017, you can enjoy the service at a special trial price of only $200! You can then opt for a touch-up session by paying $200 more, or pay $458 for two touch-ups, which will make your brows last longer for up to two years.
Qween
TANGS at Tang Plaza, Level 4
310 Orchard Road
6735 0013 ; 9666 8843 | qween.com.sg
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