Dear eyebrows: I’m so sorry I neglected you in college.
When I look back at photos from when I first started this blog in 2011, I cringe a little bit. Filling in my brows was not a part of my daily makeup routine. My natural brow hair color is almost the same color as my skin, so needless to say I looked brow-less and a bit crazy. Little did I know that eyebrows are a complete gamechanger and can really help shape your face.
I finally started filling in those brows my senior year of college, and I started getting brow tints about three years ago since my brow hair color is extremely light. Brow tints were great and all, but I had to get them done every three weeks, and it ended up not working out for my travel schedule.
The folks over at The Bloom Salon at Tysons Corner reached out and asked if I wanted to try out a service, and I knew I wanted to give microblading a shot. I love the way my eyebrows looked after I got them tinted, but hated the upkeep – and this seemed like an ideal solution.
Microblading with The Bloom Salon
Microblading: Picking the Right Salon
First things first: I would do your research and go with an experienced, reputable salon before you decide to get mircoblading done. When The Bloom Salon reached out to me, I did my homework: I looked up previous reviews, their press mentions, and I came in and did a consultation with Heather before taking the plunge. During our meeting, Heather mapped out the ideal shape for me, and she went over the process in its entirety. I knew Heather was a pro after our conversation, and couldn’t imagine working with anyone else!
If you’re based in Northern Virginia or the D.C. area, I would 100% recommend Heather at Bloom. She’s a seasoned microblading expert and will give you the brows of your dreams. I also can’t wait to go back to Bloom in general: they’re a multicultural salon that offers a wide range of services (and yes, for my women of color: we can also get our hair done here as well!) They also have a partnership with Green Circle Salons, and are committed to reducing their environmental footprint. Pretty cool, huh?
Microblading: The Process
After my consultation at Bloom, Heather, and I decided on a date for the first treatment. I decided I wanted my microblading to be a bit more subtle: I loved the way my brows look right after I got them tinted, and I wanted something that would great for every day. I also love that I can fill in my brows and give them more shading if I’m headed to a big photo shoot or a special occasion — it’s nice to have that option and to not have dramatic looking brows 24/7!
My first appointment lasted about 2 hours. Heather began the treatment by applying a numbing cream to my eyebrows. Then, she went on to map out my brows yet again, and triple checked with me that it was the shape we discussed at our consultation. After the cream was on for 20 minutes, she got to work. She created a custom pigment just for me and started to micro blade my new brows. I experienced some mild discomfort, but I wouldn’t say that microblading is very painful!
After 4-8 weeks, you’ll need to go back to the salon for a touch-up appointment. Heather strongly recommended that I go a bit lighter with my brows on my first treatment so I could get a feel for them, and then make any adjustments on the second treatment. I decided to make my brows just a smidge darker during my follow-up appointment.
Microblading: The Aftercare & Maintenance
On the day of your appointment (your first microblading session + your touch up appointment), Heather instructed me to wash my brows three times that afternoon/evening and gave me a special aftercare cream to put on my brows. On Days 2-7 I continued to put on the aftercare twice a day but did not wash the brows. For Days 8-14, I no longer needed to apply the aftercare, but I also had to avoid getting any makeup or skincare product on the brows while they healed. After Day 28, I was able to fill them in and wash the brows normally.
Your brows will appear to be super dark after Day 2, and then, they will appear to be super light — then, the skin will start to flake just a bit. Resist any urge to pick at your brows during this period! It’s a completely normal reaction.
Heather told me I would need to get my brows touched up every year: you can get them touched up every six months if you really wanted to, but I’m playing it by ear and I’ll assess how the brows look in August, then I’ll plan accordingly.
I am 100% thrilled with my decision and am in love with my new brows. I don’t really do anything to my brows during the week; I just fill them in a bit when I have photoshoots or if I’m out at special events and want more dramatic brows. If you’re thinking about getting microblading done, I would highly recommend it! It helps me save so much time in the morning.
Have you ever had microblading? How did you like the process?
A big thank you to the folks over at The Bloom Salon for the complimentary microblading service! All thoughts and opinions are my own (and if you book with them, tell them I sent you — they’re rockstars!)
