Best in Brows: Adventures in Microblading
Plus: My favorite brow pencils, gels, waxes and more
Oh, my mother warned me. But the skinny brow trend grabbed hold of me in the ’90s. I had glorious bushy brows as a kid. But as a teenager, I tweezed. Recklessly. Repeatedly. And just as my mother said, eventually, those hairs jumped ship and never came back.
Brow shaping is certainly nothing new. But the brow product category really exploded in the early 2000s—and Cara Delevingne’s distinctive fluff became the inspo of the era. I would even say that it’s the look that many of us are still trying to attain.
My natural brow hairs have thinned and lightened through the years and they’re quite sparse in places. Then while I was filming a segment for Good Morning America in 2019, I met Piret Aava, also known as the Eyebrow Doctor. She was an early pro at microblading.
Microblading has become very popular since then but if you’re not already aware, it’s a method of semi-permanent tattooed makeup. Essentially, the artist etches ink into your skin that lasts about a year or two. I had tried a lot of different pencils, gels and pomades but wasn’t great at filling in the best shape for my face. So the thought of having my brows already done for me every day was very appealing.
Piret carefully mapped out the best shape for my face and drew it on first as a guide. This is very important. There are a lot of tattoo artists who are learning how to microblade. But just because you can tattoo, it doesn’t mean that you understand facial structure and brow shaping. Word of wisdom: if you’re looking to get microbladed, do your research and choose someone who’s very experienced and check out their past work.
The whole process—which she did by hand using a pen-like device made up of needles—was relatively fast (maybe two hours) and didn’t hurt thanks to the numbing cream. When Piret handed me the mirror, I was shook.
Aftercare is simple. The toughest part is that you can’t get your brows wet for about two weeks. How would I wash my face? How would I shower? Piret sent me home with a little stack of adhesive bang-trimming shields that she had ordered online. The adhesive sticks to your forehead so you can keep your forehead dry in the shower. They weren’t perfect but they worked well enough! It goes to show how popular microblading has become. Today, there are lots of varieties of microblading face shields on Amazon.
Most artists typically go light in the first round and then have you come back several weeks later after your brows have healed and the color has set. The second time around, because I knew what to expect, the whole healing process flew by quickly.
My brows looked great for a little under two years before the ink started to fade. Even as they faded, it made my life easier because I could still see the shape. Essentially, the faded faux hairs were like a stencil. They helped me fill in the right spots a lot faster and easier. One downside to microblading is that the color can sometimes fade to a reddish tint. I did experience that and had a slight redness behind my brows that I would cover with foundation and apply brow pencil over the top.
There’s also some question over how many times you can get microbladed before you risk experiencing some side effects. Because there is scraping involved, over time, it could lead to scarring and damage to the existing hair follicles. Again, another reason why it’s super important to do your research and to see a very reputable artist. And it’s important to know that risks do exist, especially with repeated procedures.
Some pros say that a less risky option is nanoblading, which uses a smaller needle and is done by machine, not manually. I tried it earlier this year at a studio in LA. I’ll be honest, I didn’t love my results as much this time around. The hairstrokes didn’t turn out as thin and definitely look drawn on. And for some reason, my right brow just wouldn’t take, which can sometimes happen depending on the oiliness of your skin (my skin is very dry so I’m not sure what was going on). The healing process also felt more intense. My brows darkened a lot during the first week, then scabbed over until the scabs fell off, which is part of the normal healing process. I looked a little crazy for a few weeks. My kids definitely got a good laugh.
Over the first month, the color settled and my brows look better now but still not as natural as they did with microblading. Ultimately, though, having my brows done has made my daily life easier because I think I look more polished and “done up” without having to do anything at all. If I’m going out, I’ll do a quick fill-in and I’m good to go. After this round fades, I may give it a rest for a few years to let my real brows “breathe” and see if I can get any of these real hairs growing (maybe I’ll try a little Kristie Streicher brow rehab).
Bottom line: if you’re considering microblading, I’m definitely still a fan. But be diligent about doing your research into the technique and artist you choose—even though there are ways to remove the ink (emergency saline removal within 48 hours, laser, etc), you’ll be living with this brow look for a few years so you should really love it.
Any questions? Have you tried microblading or nanoblading? I want to hear all about it.
My Favorite Brow Products
It’s likely a skill issue but I’m just not great at applying colored brow pomades and brow gels. I’ve watched countless videos of artists drawing very realistic looking hairs using Anastasia DIPBROW pomade, for instance, but I always end up looking like I’ve gone wild with a Sharpie. It’s a wonderful product. But just not for me.
My favorites lean toward skinny pencils to draw realistic hairs and clear gels/waxes for taming. Here’s a rundown:
My brow pencil picks
Huda Beauty #BombBrows Pencil, $17: I know that everyone’s technique is a bit different and sometimes it’s cool to shade the whole brow rather than to draw individual hairs. I lean toward the latter. This is my hands-down favorite pencil because it’s extremely thin and on the firmer side, so it draws very realistic hairs. My only complaint is that it doesn’t last long. I bought my last one for 50% off during Sephora’s National Brow Day sale—a good time to stock up.
Refy Brow Pencil, $20: I’ve been impressed by Refy’s brow products. This skinny pencil is a bit more pigmented and slightly softer than the Huda one so it draws a slightly thicker, darker line. That’s a pro or con depending on what you’re looking for.
Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil, $26: This is a newer find for me and the one I’m currently using. Similar to the Refy, it’s softer than the Huda so it can fill in sparse areas easily but the “hairs” aren’t as realistic.
My brow tamer picks
I have extremely straight brows that are very hard to coax in a new direction. I love how Glossier’s Boy Brow looks on other people but it’s just not strong enough to hold my stubborn brow hairs down. I’ve tried other products that mimic the laminated effect (like soap brows) but many of those products left me with some white flakes which made it look like I had eyebrow dandruff. These two products have been my keepers so far.
got2b Brow and Edge Gel, $8.49. I did a ton of research at the beginning of the brow lamination craze and tested a bunch of gels and waxes. The got2b Glued hair gel became so popular as a brow gel among people who knew that the brand packaged it into a tube with a brow brush.
Benefit Fluff Up Brow Wax, $26. I got this at the same time I got the Benefit brow pencil I mentioned above. I tried both their brow gel and this wax. Alas, the gel was no match for my mighty brows. But the wax gave them a nice fluff. It’s a different look from the got2b gel which looks more slick and laminated while this offers a more matte fluff-up.
Absolutely no one is doing it like Zendaya
Her fashion, deservedly, gets lots of headlines. But let’s hear it for Z’s hair and makeup team too! I get that the baby bangs were controversial but IMHO, bless an A-list movie star who takes risks that actually suit the whole look and tell a story.
That’s it for now, friends. I kept this edition free for everyone so please hit the like button and share with a friend if you enjoyed it!
Thank you! Such useful info. I have one patchy brow and I’m considering filling it so this was super helpful.