BY NICOLE ROYAL

It seems like every other week there’s some new beauty obsession – glitter shadow! ombre lips! – but one trend that never seems to fade from my IG feed is the bold, fanned and full “Brooke Shields” brow. So easy to achieve! Just groom less, grow more, and enjoy the perks of going au naturel. It’s that easy, isn’t it?

Ah, no. I’m naturally blonde with very light, thin, nonexistent facial hair. I spend a solid fifteen minutes every morning drawing my brows on with a pale pomade. Of course, I’ve always dreamed of having bold, beautiful eyebrows like Cara Delevingne, I just never thought I could achieve the look. That is, until I discovered microblading.

So what exactly is microblading?

It’s basically just a fancy word for tattooing. On your face. But instead of using a traditional tattoo gun, the technician uses small needles to create a more natural “hair-like” line, somewhat like a Stick and Poke. (Imagine someone cutting your brows with an exacto knife and then covering them with ink. Fun!)

How long does it last?

The spiel I was given was that it would last for one to three years depending on skin type and dye color – but more on that later.

Why’d I do it?

For just under $500 and only two “blading” sessions, I thought I’d be able to ditch my DipBrow for good – or at least for three years – and wake up with perfect brows on the daily. (Looking back, I may have been listening to Beyonce’s “Flawless” a little too much.)

Rolling up to the salon with my brow inspo in one hand and my unapologetic vanity in the other, I was excited. Until the technician informed me that I was a complicated case and that I had two options for re-shaping: I could either blade over my naturally mismatched brows, creating an uneven look, or, I could shave off half my right brow and then microblade above it to make it match my left. Huh. I thought about it for approximately three seconds before saying, “Screw it! Shave it off!” I wanted perfect brows, not a better version of my current situation. Little did I know – I would have to continue shaving my brow weekly for as long as I wanted to maintain it.

In total, there are about 5 “stages” of microblading. And be advised,  4 of them aren’t pretty.

Stage 1:  Let the numbing cream work its magic and try to not let your fear of needles get the best of you. The actual blading could be worse. It sort of feels like someone trying to cut you with a straightened out paper clip. Not the most pleasant sensation, but definitely not fetal-position-worthy. If you’re letting your fear of pain hold you back, don’t. It’s honestly the least physically (and emotionally) painful part of the process.

Stage 2: Let the emotional trauma commence. This stage lasts from the moment you leave the salon till about a week after your appointment. You’ll look weird for a solid five days, so plan accordingly.

My technician warns me that my brows will be bigger and then shrink down to about half the size before the second session. She also says that they’ll darken before completely scabbing over and peeling off. True and true. This, IMHO, is the most excruciating part. It’s also a crucial part of the healing process.

I’m told to keep my brows completely saturated in Aquaphor 24/7. My friends and boyfriend at the time think I’ve lost it. I cling to the hope that in the end it’ll all be worth the pain and Aquaphor and anguish.

Stage 3: The freakout stage. It’s been two weeks since my first appointment and the dye has almost completely faded. Did I just shave off half my eyebrow for nothing? Do I need to enlist a team of professionals to help me make important life decisions from here on out? Maybe things will get worse before they get better? I try my best to ignore my barely-there brows and anxiously await my second session.

Stage 4: Blading time again! Brows are re-drawn, and this time end up looking bigger and darker. I wholeheartedly regret every life decision that led me to this point. For about a week afterwards I look like I’ve filled in my eyebrows with a Sharpie.

Stage 5: Two weeks later. Somehow, miraculously, my eyebrows look normal. Some would even say “good.” They aren’t as bold as I imagined they’d be, but they are extremely natural looking and I have the arch I’ve always wanted.

Final verdict:

Would I do it again? Probably not. Now, one year later, my micro-bladed brows are almost entirely gone, though a bit of a shadow still lingers.

I think this sort of thing is perfect for people with dark brows who just want to add a bit of shading to sparse patches. I wouldn’t recommend it for people like me who are naturally blonde and require a fast-fading light dye. I also wouldn’t recommend it for people who want to change the shape or size of their brows dramatically.

Moral of the story?

Do your research and proceed with caution. I wish I had!