Doing my kilay is one of the most *time-consuming* parts of my makeup routine. I have sparse brows, so it takes me a while to fill in my arches. Luckily, I recently got to try Strokes Eye Beauty Studio's eyebrow microblading service—a.k.a a semi-permanent form of brow tattooing!
NGL, I was a little terrified to get a "brow tattoo." But after seeing the results on Nadine Lustre, Bela Padilla, Maris Racal, Chie Filomeno, Kris Bernal, and more stars who got their brows microbladed at Strokes, I was ~convinced~. I mean, can we take a moment to appreciate their flawless arches?!
For my first microblading experience, the procedure was done by none other than Keighty Wong, the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Strokes. The brow expert, who has been performing microblading since 2015, is known for being a pro in creating ~natural-looking~ brows. But according to Keighty, she doesn't really stick to a particular style of brow sculpting, especially since she considers what would suit her clients as well as their personal preferences.
Read on to see what it's like to get your brows microbladed!
Experience
The first step of the procedure was brow mapping (a.k.a. a shaping technique) to determine the best brow style for me.
Next, a numbing cream was applied to my arches. After a few minutes, Keighty then started using a single-use needle to draw hair-like strokes on my brows while depositing pigment into my skin. In case you're wondering, I didn't feel any pain! Thankfully, topical anesthesia was also applied throughout the procedure.
Microblading your brows is somewhat like getting a traditional tattoo. As your skin needs to heal for about four to six weeks, proper aftercare is a must. Keighty described the healing process as an "emotional rollercoaster". Your brows will go through different stages, from darkening, scabbing, to fading.
Day 1
My brows never looked *this* good. I loved the shape—it wasn't too dramatic. They slightly "lifted" my arches, which helped make my eyes look a little less droopy. However, in terms of the color, I thought my brows were a little too dark for me. But according to Keighty, it's normal for them to appear that way, especially on the first day. Plus, they will eventually lighten. I just reminded myself to ~trust~ the process.
For the first two days, I wasn't allowed to wash my brows with soap and water. I also had to apply an anti-bacterial healing gel to my arches for a week. Post-care is v v important!
Day 2 - 3
My brows just kept getting darker, which is a natural part of the healing process. According to the Strokes team, it's best to limit sun exposure after the procedure to protect its color. So for the first few days, I wore a cap every time I went out. I also regularly applied a clear gel sunscreen to my kilay (I used Biore's Aqua Rich Watery Essence sunscreen).
Day 4 to 5
After five days, my eyebrows started to scab. They were quite itchy, too!
Day 7 to 8
I didn't apply any brow makeup while my kilay were still healing.
Day 9 to 13
The scabs were finally gone! According to Keighty, this is the part of the healing process where your microbladed brows will naturally appear 50 percent lighter from their original color.
Day 16
After more than two weeks, I can somehow already see the *result* of the microblading procedure—just in time for Christmas Eve! Yay. My kilay appeared softer and more natural.
Here's a snap of my arches (Note: I didn't use any brow makeup. I literally woke up with these brows):
Day 17
The following day, I went on a beach trip and I loved how I didn't have to fill in my brows at all.
Was it worth it?
Totally! Getting my brows microbladed was ~life-changing~. Not only did it improve my overall appearance, but it saved me a lot of time in the morning. I would definitely recommend this semi-permanent beauty treatment to busy (or even tamad) girls. It's quite pricey (two microblading sessions with Keighty cost P20,000) but it can last up to a year so it's *sulit* if you ask me.
For more information, visit Strokes Eye Beauty Studio's Instagram page.
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