February 19th, 2018
Belated New Year wishes to you, fellow Warpaint readers. For my first column of the year, I wanted to share with you my take on some of the beauty trends we can expect to see in 2018, and what, if any, changes I’ll be making in the way I work as a result. I hope it’s useful in helping you have a really successful year.
As we all know, heavy contour and extreme highlighting was big in 2017, but this year it looks as if it’s going to be all about the natural, radiant and fresh-faced look, with brands like Glossier and Milk leading the way on the minimal, youthful aesthetic.
This change really makes me happy as it’s something I’ve been doing all along in my permanent cosmetics work. When I tell people what I do, I find one of the biggest misconceptions they have is that permanent cosmetic treatments are only for women who want to look made up 24/7. They immediately think glamour: dark, blocky brows and vibrant lips. But that’s not what’s happening in my world. I’m all about steering clients away from heavier colour and using subtler pigments to enhance their features and complement their skin tone, creating as natural a look as possible.
Brows before microblading treatment
Okay, so let’s look at what’s been happening recently in brows. We had a brief runway-led bleaching fad and then in came the must-have thick and messy look inspired by Cara Delevingne. My take on it? I think it’s really important for us as permanent cosmetics artists to steer clear of temporary trends and give clients the brows that will look best on their face. Yes, the boy brow is a very natural look, but not everyone will be able to rock it like Cara.
Brows after microblading treatment
Microblading is still the big buzzword in brows for 2018 and the UK market alone is worth an estimated £15.5 million, so there’s a lot of money to be made here, but I’d like to set the record straight on a few points. Firstly, a lot of people think this is a brand-new treatment when it’s not. It’s a manual tattooing technique that’s actually been around for centuries, but it only caught the attention of media in the US and UK very recently.
Brows before microblading treatment
Secondly, there’s a real art to it and if it’s a skill that’s on your list to learn this year, please, please, please steer clear of courses claiming you’ll be able to master it in two days. Trust me, it requires the same level of training as using a permanent cosmetics tattooing machine.
Brows after microblading treatment
Finally, and I can’t stress this enough, the secret to microblading is to create a look that frames the face and gives it a more symmetrical appearance without drawing attention to the brows themselves. If you’re thinking of having a treatment done yourself, do your research first. Check out artists’ credentials and insist on seeing portfolios.
Eyes before Invisible Liner treatment
Moving onto the eyes now, a treatment I just know will be huge this year is Invisible Liner™ – because it allows you to fearlessly embrace the all-natural no-makeup trend. Unless you’re lucky enough to have been born with eyelashes a giraffe would envy, the chances are you might not like the idea of leaving the house with naked eyes. Invisible liner is a really subtle technique I use to tattoo through the lash line, defining the eyes and creating the illusion of thicker lashes. Essentially, it’s very subtle permanent eyeliner, and it’s a real game-changer in terms of achieving an effortless no make-up look.
Eyes after Invisible Liner treatment
As for lips, augmentations were hands down the most popular cosmetic treatment in 2016 and remained high on the list throughout last year. But 2018 is going to bring a change, I think. Over-lining and over-filling à la Kylie Jenner are on their way out and being replaced with new permanent cosmetics techniques my team and I were able to develop recently thanks to a combination of big improvements in tattooing needles and our new high-quality K.B Pro pigments.
Lips before Lip Contour treatment
I love that I’m now able to create a complete lip contour using just permanent cosmetics. It’s amazing how just defining the Cupid’s bow, refining lip symmetry and using my specialist blending techniques can make the lips look fuller and plumper without any need for fillers. It’s genius, even if I do say so myself.
Lips after Lip Contour treatment
Well, that’s all from me this time. I’ll be back next month with more news and views from the world of permanent make-up. Until then, why not connect with me on social media? I’m using Instagram most these days – a picture says a thousand words, after all – but you can also hook up with me on Twitter if you have any questions you’d like to ask me about PMU.
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