we’ve received so many questions + messages regarding piper and are so thankful for your support. we should be home from the hospital today and will hopefully have some answers by the end of the week. 

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if you missed the live video {you can still watch it HERE}, i got microblading a week or so ago and spoiler alert: it’s my favorite thing i think i’ve ever done for myself.
{ side note..this post is filled with awkward selfies…so, you’re welcome 😉 }
y’all have asked so many questions and we answered many of them live as they were coming in, but i’ve received tons since then as well! i’m going to do a 3 part series to hopefully get all those questions answered.. today i want to walk you through the whole process, what it was like and my thoughts. then next week i’ll be posting a FAQ type post, where the crazy-talented misty, owner of microblading lash and boutique, will be answering all the questions i have received. finally, i’ll be getting my touch-up in 6-8 weeks and will do a final post to wrap everything up. if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to comment below, shoot an email or a private message me and we’ll get you squared away!

so, what is microblading?!
for starters, microblading is a semi-permanent cosmetic procedure..or basically an eyebrow tattoo {but get the idea of an old-school eyebrow tattoo out of your head}. because it is less invasive than a true tattoo, it is semi-permanent. a hand-held tool {blade} is used to deposit pigmentation superficially under the skin to give the look of individual, real brow hairs.

why i wanted microblading..
i really only started ‘doing’ my eyebrows about 2 years ago and let’s be honest, i was absolutely clueless. i had been to ulta a couple of times and owned brow makeup but it took me forever and even then still looked patchy with a weird shape. i just wasn’t happy with how they looked and with 3 babes in tow, i’ve been wanting to get microblading for quite some time.
i had been on the hunt to find the right artist and hear me loud and clear here: DO YOUR RESEARCH!!! i had found several local people when searching for dayton microblading and without throwing any names around, i simply wasn’t super happy with their portfolios or it took months to get in. when it comes to getting your face tattooed, CHEAPER IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER. trust me guys, don’t just go to someone because they’re $200.
anyways, the lady who usually does my mom’s lashes was out for a few weeks so misty was filling in for her and my mom passed along her info because she knew i wanted to get my brows done. i did some research {see also: stalked misty’s previous work {she moved to dayton from FL and owned her own studio down in FL} and was extremely pleased with her reviews and her work. there was nothing but good reviews and i quickly decided after meeting misty that i wanted to get my lashes + brows done.

lash + microblading boutique

what is the investment?
this will vary based on the artist but misty at lash + microblading boutique typically charges $500 which includes an initial session and the first touch-up within 6-10 weeks. for the month of february, she is offering readers $100 off, making it $400, which is aN AMAZING deal!! because this is a semi-permanent procedure, it will need a color boost around 12-18 months {sometimes longer depending on aftercare, skin type, etc.} which costs $275. if you are curious whether you would be a good candidate for microblading or even just want to get more information, misty offers a free consultation which i would highly suggest you take advantage fo the consultation!

what you can expect
{you can see this whole routine in the videos here, here + here}
i strongly suggest making an appointment for a consultation if you are interested in microblading.  while some places will charge for this consultation, one of the great things that misty offers is a free initial consultation. i think this says a lot about her business because she wants you to feel comfortable with your decision. she totally acknowledges that this is your face and she stressed many times to me that this whole process is about her professional artwork, beauty + knowledge paired with my comfort level and wishes for what i’m wanting. while i didn’t have a formal ‘consultation’, misty has been doing my lashes and we’ve talked about what my brows before.

when you first show up to her studio in oakwood, you will fill out some paperwork and talk about what you’re envisioning for your new brows. i wanted a pretty natural, low maintenance look and she mentioned that the ends of my brows point downwards which pulls my eyes down. from there, you will have a numbing cream applied to your brows to start numbing for the first few ‘passes’. she then will measure and map your brows and make some outlines…this is where her professional opinion and artistry will really come into play. not everyone’s brows are the same, nor should they be and it’s totally based on your face! we went back and forth making adjustments until we were both really happy with the shape.
then it was time to decide on a color. she mixes and matches, trying swatches on your forehead to make sure you get a good pigment match.
from here, you should be pretty numb and it’s time to get started!

it is REALLY important {and one of the things you should inquire about when looking for a salon} that your salon is clean. make sure sterile tools are used and you know that everything is clean. all of the tools that misty used were brand new and then thrown away after she was done with me!

misty will make the first ‘pass’, making individual strokes on one brow before moving to the next brow. while she usually doesn’t let you look {because they’re not done!} if you want a sneak peak at what it looks like, check out my video! it sounds like a scrape and while i see how it could bother some people, it didn’t really bother me too much. some bleeding is expected. pigment will sit on your brows for a couple of minutes and then wiped off.

typically, another round of numbing cream will be applied if you are feeling anything, you’ll wait a couple of minutes and then go in for a 2nd and 3rd pass if needed. misty is a perfectionist and let me tell you she will get it perfect!
after the final touches are on, you’ll sit for a couple of minutes and then it’s time for the real! seriously this is the most exciting part… they’ll be perfect! they may be a little swollen or red but they should be pretty perfect looking!

right when they’re done, they’ll look pretty perfect and she will go over the healing process and after-care instructions. it is SO important that you take the proper steps to care for your new brows to ensure proper healing. she will give you some tattoo goo that you’ll apply as they go through the healing process. it’s so cliche, but you have to trust in the process. after a day or two, they become very dark and bold, which is part of process…then they get dandruffy and kind of shed. i’m 10 days out  and they’re almost done with the shedding phase, which was pretty annoying. i did have a teeny bit of scabbing on one of the strokes but it looks like it’s healing really nicely.

follow-up
about 6-8 weeks after the initial procedure, i will go back for a touch-up. there are a few spots that i notice i want to touch up and that’s completely normal and expected…that’s why there’s a touch up session! i actually think i’m going to be getting a couple shades darker because as they’ve lightened up, i think i liked them better when they were in the really dark phase while healing.

so. was it worth it?? yes!! 10000x YES! honestly the only thing i regret is not doing it sooner. just over the last 10 days, i’ve walked out of the house with foundation + lipsense on and have felt more put together than i did when i spent 20 minutes putting makeup on…and in mama time that’s like hours. if you’re local and are interested in the process, i would highly recommend misty with lash and microblading boutique!

microblading FAQ { coming soon }
microblading final results { coming soon}