Hi! Today I’m going to get my eyebrows touched up at The Official Brow Studio. I am sooo overdue and excited! I have a story highlight saved on instagram from 2020 (go there to watch it if you haven’t yet!) but I’ve never written a full blog post dedicated to getting my eyebrows microbladed in Austin. So today I’ll share all the details.
I actually had them microbladed nearly two years ago! It was september 2020. Typically, Mashari (the owner of The Official Brow Studio) recommends a yearly touchup. But since I’ve been busy making babies and breastfeeding, I haven’t had a gap to go get them redone. Hence the appointment today.
PS: I’ll update this blog post after the touchup to share any important info from that .
Here’s the backstory:
My eyebrows are very thin. It’s funny how you don’t notice things until you do, and so for most of my life they didn’t bother me! But sometime around 2015-2017 the thick, full brows were “in” and the super-tweezed/threaded eyebrow look was going out.
Here’s a major throwback pic from 2014 (Nate and I had just started dating!)
^ You can see that my eyebrows didn’t have much shape, and there’s a big empty space between them. (I’m also about 20 pounds heavier! It was just before I found my groove with intuitive eating and settled into a comfy body weight.)
Anyway, this is when lot of people I knew were starting to get their eyebrows microbladed, so 2015 is when it popped up on my radar. However, since it’s also technically a tattoo on your face, I wasn’t 100% certain it was for me. I didn’t jump in right away…but I did figure out how to fill in my brows with makeup:
^ That’s us on our honeymoon in 2017. I had started filling in my eyebrows with makeup, and I did it every single day from 2017-2020.
Every. Single. Day. Like, even if I was going “makeup-less” for the day, or waking up early for a barre class, I would still put makeup on my eyebrows! I mean, scroll back to the earlier picture and compare. Eyebrows make such a difference.
What is microblading?
Well, taken straight from The Brow Studio website,
“Microblading is done using specialized techniques to deposit pigment into the upper layers of the skin to create a natural looking brow.”
It’s a series of teeny little brushstrokes, created with a tattoo pen, to create realistic hair-like pigmentations on your eyebrows. The result is a really natural, full-looking eyebrow that never washes off. IT IS AMAZING.
I’m not kidding you: it is soooo fantastic to have your eyebrows microbladed. I can think of no downsides to it and about a hundred reasons to get it done.
Or, I mean…at least one really good reason to get it done: your eyebrows look perfect every single day with no makeup. 😉
My story (continued)
So around 2017 I realized that my eyebrows are naturally really thin, and so I started filling them in each day. I’d use an eyebrow pencil to create some little brush strokes, and then an eyebrow powder to created more depth and fullness to the overall brow.
^I have a bit of eyebrow makeup on in this picture. But I probably did it in a hurry, because the “tails” (the very ends of the eyebrow) are a little bit thin. But still…way better than if I had no makeup on!
The daily eyebrow makeup was a process. It added a few extra minutes each day ot my makeup routine, but eyebrows really transform a face!
If you don’t believe me, look at these hilarious pictures of celebrities without eyebrows. Ha! Eyebrows are our most important facial feature!
I was pregnant in 2019 and breastfeeding for most of 2020, but when I weaned Milo (my first born) I set up an microblading appointment. Yayyy! It was instantly a game changer.
My experience at The Brow Studio
Friends, if you’re going to do this, please go somewhere legit! This is a tattoo on your face, so now is not the time to find a “budget” microblading studio or look for a groupon.
Do your research. Go to someone who has hundreds of five star reviews. I loooove Mashari and have had a great experience with her, so I can fully recommend her. But I know there are other fabulous eyebrow artists in Austin, too. Whoever you choose, just make sure you feel 100% confident in their ability.
She’s the owner and artist at The Brow Studio. She’s really kind and personable, and she’s also a professional who is incredibly skilled and confident in her microblading abilities.
(And she has reason to be…just check out the hundreds of 5-star reviews on google!)
So, here’s the general process:
She started with a consultation. We took a bunch of “before” pictures…
…which was great! It was really fun to see the immediate before/after. About an hour after these photos, I had my “after” pictures!
^ This was my one last final picture with my original, thin eyebrows. I remember feeling SOO ready to get the process started!!
She applied a numbing cream, and I kid you not: as soon as the cream started working, I didn’t feel a thing on my eyebrows. It worked really well.
And then she “mapped” my face.
This is basically a process to draw precise, mathematical lines on my face to create symmetrical eyebrows.
(Fun fact: very few people have naturally symmetrical brows!)
And then she added the pigmentation! She did a series of tiny brush strokes, and it all looks kind of funky in the process.
During the 45 minutes while she was working, we chatted. She also gives clients the option to put in their AirPods and listen to music/podcasts (some people don’t like hearing the sound of the blade.)
And then 45 minutes later…
…they were done! Seriously the most instantly gratifying procedure I’ve ever had done. Ha.
Of course, the healing process involved a bit of scabbing, color fading, and then eventually the color coming back. It’s all completely normal and she warned me that it would happen.
I went back for a touchup at the 8 week mark, and that also took about 2 weeks to heal. So by the holiday season my brows were healed and looking soooo fabulous!
^ Here’s a picture of my sister and me shopping at Barton Creek mall. I have no makeup on my eyebrows, and they’re so beautiful and dark and thick and full. Love.
FAQ about eyebrow microblading in Austin:
Does it hurt?
It didn’t hurt me at all. My eyebrows were completely numb. I did hear the little scraping noise from the tiny incisions being made where the pigment was deposited, which was kind of weird. But I didn’t feel anything at all.
On days 2 and 3, I had a very small amount of discomfort. I mean, teeeeeny tiny. I didn’t even take an ibuprofen for it, but that was available if I needed it.
And then during weeks 3 and 4, I was a bit itchy. That’s normal, because it’s where the skin was healing. I just had to make sure not to scratch it!
How long does it take to heal?
The healing process varies, but it’s typically about 10-14 days.
And at the 8 week mark you go back for a touchup. This was actually really nice, because there were a few little spots that healed lighter than I wanted, so Mashari was able to add some pigmentation.
How much does eyebrow microblading cost in Austin?
It varies across different artists, but plan on spending about $900-1200 for the entire process. This includes the consultation, the microblading process, and the 2 month touchup.
How long does microblading last?
It’s considered “permanent” (because it doesn’t wash off with soap and water), but the brushstrokes fade with time. Most people like to get a touchup every 1-2 years. It’s been almost 2 years for me, and I reeaaally need it! But again, I was breastfeeding or pregnant for all of that time, so I couldn’t get it done. If I hadn’t been doing that, I would have scheduled a touchup last year.
Talk to me about breastfeeding and microblading.
Ok, disclaimer here: I’m not a doctor or a medical professional of any kind (duh), so talk to your doctor about this.
Since microblading is technically a tattoo, it’s not considered safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
And sure, it’s a tiny little tattoo and could potentially be ok… but the owner of The Brow Studio sent me this dm on instagram and said I could share it with y’all:
^Anyway, I thought helpful to hear form an eyebrow professional.
As anyone who has gone through breastfeeding can tell you, it’s a hormonal roller coaster. Hormones effect how our bodies respond to treatments, so there’s a good chance you’ll pay all this money to get your eyebrows microbladed and then they won’t heal correctly, or the color will fade way faster than normal.
(Kind of along the same lines, I talked to my doctor about doing laser hair removal, and she said I technically could do it while I’m breastfeeding. But she recommended that I wait due to the hormone fluctuations going on while my body is producing milk. Since hair growth changes so much due to hormones, I might spend all this money on laser hair removal and see some progress, only to have it completely wiped out and the hairs start growing again when my hormones resettle after finishing breastfeeding.)
^ One more picture from when my brows were completely healed in December 2020.
Ok, is that all helpful? I hope so! After my touchup appointment today I’ll update this blog post with any helpful info! And if you want more info about the studio I went to, including pricing and booking details, it’s all at The Official Brow Studio website.
Any questions? Leave me a comment and I’ll do my best to answer it! Xx.
Hi Kelsey! I would love to know how much makeup you have to apply now that you’ve had two years without a touchup. I’m hoping to have mine done soon, but a touchup every single year seems like a lot. Thank you!
At the one year mark I didn’t have to apply very much. But once I got to the two year mark, I was applying quite a bit of eyebrow pencil to fill them in. I think it depends on your natural brows, too! Mine were very thin to begin with, so I didn’t have much to work with once the pigment faded. But if yours are naturally thicker, you wouldn’t have to add as much makeup as they fade.
I’m not sure I’ll need a touchup every 12 months…maybe every 18? We’ll see!
I am very hesitant about microblading but they look amazing! So natural!!
Honestly it has been SOOO amazing having them done! I keep thinking of any downsides to it, and I can come up with none. Haha.