Diary / Beauty / Sep 26, 2022

My First Time: Should You Try Microblading?

Written by: Anjali Kumar

*In her column for Just Bobbi, author, advisor and attorney Anjali Kumar is willing to try anything in the name of beauty and wellness (at least once). *

I decided to get a tattoo my face. Well, kind of. I actually decided to get microblading which involves a line of very fine needles configured into a blade that is used to create hundreds of cuts into the skin to insert pigment to imitate eyebrow hair. Which, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, qualifies as a tattoo. On my face.

Admittedly, this wasn’t my first time trying microblading. I tried it about three years ago, finding a guy on Instagram who seemed talented based on his feed, but listened to Louise Hay recordings the whole time he worked on my brows. He repeatedly paused throughout, pointing his sharp edged needle in the air saying, “Yes Louise, Yes!”, whenever she dropped what he considered to be a “truth bomb.” He was very kind and his entertaining missives distracted from a pretty painful procedure. But I emerged looking like a cartoon villain for a week with overly dramatic brows (which I offset with an equally dramatic red lip all week) until my brows peeled and healed and the pigment faded a bit leaving my brows...kind of reddish. But they were still better than my previously relatively invisible brows which had faded over the years to a mere suggestion of a brow.

So you might wonder why I decided to do it again, and whether I found my next microblading experience through something more vetted — like a trusted makeup artist. Or maybe a Kardashian.

The answer? I am increasingly low maintenance about makeup routines as I age, and having to fill in my brows each day is time consuming and requires a level of makeup artistry I lack. And as for finding a referral? Well, I resorted to the internet again. But this time, a Google search.

A search for “microblading” turns up significantly more results than it did a few years ago and I eventually found Dominique Bossavy.

Dominique is a French-born permanent makeup artist and back in the 90s, she began adapting the use of permanent makeup to help people suffering from scar disfigurement. From reducing the appearance of surgical and burn scars to recreating the appearance of an areola post mastectomy, her work is said to bring a more permanent and natural looking solution than traditional heavy makeup.

And the results? Objectively amazing. (Check out her Instagram feed if you want to see proof! It is an oddly mesmerizing feed and I still follow it!)

I made the trip to Dominique’s salon on the Upper East Side of Manhattan (she also sees clients regularly in Los Angeles, Paris, London and Dubai). The sultry vocals of Carla Bruni pumping through the white salon space immediately put me at ease. I felt like I was at a fancy hair salon or the chicest doctor’s office I’ve stepped into, not about to get a tattoo on my face.

Dominique sauntered into the treatment room and is the spunkiest (and unintentionally funniest) French woman I have ever met. Full of witty one liners and an easy manner, we hit it off from “Hello.”

And you know how when you buy makeup in a department store, you instinctively find yourself gravitating towards a salesperson whose makeup looks like something you might want to achieve? That was Dominique. Her eyebrows were subtle and suited her face shape, and looked totally natural. Which was the result I hoped for too. We were off to a good start.

“Your eyebrows are supposed to look like sisters. Yours don’t even look like they are talking to each other or even friends!” Dominique exclaimed as she measured my face with a combination of rulers and an app she created specifically for this purpose. I have to admit, she had me there. My eyebrows didn’t seem like they matched, either each other or my face. And due to a childhood accident that left me with a scar on one of my brows (vicious badminton game, long story), it looked like one of my eyebrows was always slightly raised.

Dominique lightly marked up my face, had me lay back and got to work.

The procedure was more painful than I remember as apparently I had built up a bit of scar tissue since my last attempt at microblading (likely a result of my Louise Hay devoted practitioner having cut a bit too deep the last time). And the reddish color? Probably a result of the initial pigment not being the best quality. Dominique moved quickly and with precision and within an hour, I was on my way with instructions for after care (keep dry for a week, stay out of the sun, dab a provided ointment on my brows daily) and waited for the results.

I could immediately see a difference — I emerged not looking like a cartoon villain but with a more finished version of my brows. And after a week of healing during which my brows faded a bit to a more natural depth of color, I couldn’t believe the results.

Two perfectly arched eyebrows that are subtle and totally natural. My brows not only speak with each other now, they are lovers and best friends.

The verdict: Dominique Bossavy is a master and her scar camouflage techniques have been expertly adapted to microblading. You might have a couple of days where your eyebrows look darker than you hoped, but it fades during healing to the final result which should last a couple of years if properly cared for (i.e. sunblock on your brows!!).

Dominique Bossavy, for an appointment or more information, email schedule@dominiquebossavy.com or on Instagram @dominiquebossavy

Diary / Beauty / Sep 26, 2022

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