THESE days, having perfectly-shaped brows have already become part of a woman’s regular beauty regimen, and some men have also joined the bandwagon.
In fact, when you check the services being offered by several beauty hubs in Davao, brow-shaping is among them.
Makeup artist Mae Ann Cortez of Luxelab believes in the power of perfectly-done eyebrows.
Trained with beauty expert Aleksandra Maniuse from Deluxe Brows, a Lithuania-based permanent makeup brand, Cortez has committed to bring this service to Davao City, making her one of the few homegrown makeup artists to blaze the trail in this field.
“If you have well-made brows, your face looks put together,” she said, adding that many millennials today can only refer to as having “brows on fleek.”
The Davao-based makeup artist has stepped up the beauty game with semi permanent makeup.
“Brows are my mission,” she said.
Cortez explained that eyebrows have taken a good amount of spotlight in the beauty industry lately because these, when drawn well, align facial features and emphasize youth. This brow-centric trend -- compared to fleeting makeup fads based on “hot hues” -- is not going away anytime soon because it's practical, effortless, and stylish.
“Eyebrows that appear naturally fuller frame a person’s facial shape. This makes men look manlier and women appear younger,” she said.
She further pointed out that “Brows state a person's character and demeanor. They're an everyday grooming and beauty statement.”
However, not everyone has the luxury of time to be constantly drawing brows in their dresser every day, thus, microblading has come as a convenient option for people who find that drawing their brows daily is too much work.
This semi-permanent makeup, unlike conventional tattoos, only inks the first layer of the dermis with tiny strokes from a pencil blade tool that has needles.
“This method simulates hair appearance, making brows look more natural,” she noted.
Since she started offering the service in her Luxelab makeup studio on Bajada last May, Cortez has served more than 25 clients. This number continues to grow strong through word of mouth, creating a fan base of beauty addicts.
For busy moms like me, which comprise majority of her clientele, we definitely have difficulties in doing our brows or spend too much time on them every working day. So, how can she help us?
"When you have eyebrows drawn through microblading, you cut down makeup time from 20 minutes to two," she said.
Other clients became instant fans of the service because they no longer have eyebrow hair or have had previous supposedly permanent eyebrow tattoos that faded or turned bluish.
Cortez takes pride in using imported quality supplies and sound equipment.
“I buy my main equipment like anesthesia, blades, pens, and inks from my school in Lithuania,” she said.
Deluxe Brows' inks are medical organic pigments that are real colors and won't discolor over time. They're also safe for most skin types.
“Microblading looks more natural,” she said. Over time, the strokes may appear less bold and that can be a good thing because this opens an opportunity for clients to reposition their brows against their aging skins. “Permanent tattoos do not give people that option.”
Cortez makes it clear that microblading is not for everyone: people on blood thinners or have allergies to anaesthesia can't undergo through the process. Pregnant and nursing women can't avail the services, too.
Cortez, a veteran in her field, brings her beauty expertise to the fore when offering this service. Her eye for beauty has long been sharpened by years of practice, as well as education from Cinema Make Up School in Los Angeles, California.
She said that there is no universal formula for well-defined brows.
“I highlight a person's features and align these according to nose and eye shape and size to come up with a unique pair,” she said. “One brow doesn't fit all.”
Cortez said that bad brows imprint wrong impressions of you as a person to other people.
“Brows should harmonize with other areas of your face so that they blend in instead of popping,” she said.
She added that she always wants her clients to go for a more natural look.
“I don't go for super glam,” she said. “I want people to embrace functional, wearable semi-permanent makeup that enhances their unique features. I like to think that's my beauty mission.”
For more information about microblading and how to avail of Luxelab’s services, you may call mobile numbers (0917) 700-3699 and (0922) 810-3699, or you may email luxelab@yahoo.com.
###
If you have special events and fashion tips to share or just want to discuss about any fashion-related concerns with me, you are always free to reach me atmendoza.jennygrace@gmail.com.