13th March 2020
Despite
caring a great deal about skincare and taking care of myself I don’t really
blog about beauty related stuff. Occasionally I might mention a new facewash or
moisturiser I’ve found on Instagram or Twitter, but it’s just not something
I’ve ever thought about talking about on here. I’m not sure it’ll become a
regular thing, mainly because I’m in a routine so don’t use new stuff that
often and I know what I like. I’m also against using products that aren’t
cruelty free or don’t use recyclable or better still, reusable packaging.
When it
comes to beauty treatments I’ve always been a firm believer of keeping it
simple and taking care of the small things, then the rest will follow. When I
say small things, I’m referring to things like filing and painting my nails,
getting regular hair trims and occasionally doing something with my eyebrows!
Though, I can’t lie, I’ve never really done that much with my brows aside from
having the odd wax every now and again or maybe plucking a stray hair or two,
but that’s it.
People tell
me all the time I look young for my age and as much my boyfriend rolls his eyes
and laughs when people say this, I lap it up! Why not? I’m 37 (gulp) and after
years of taking care of my skin, drinking lots of water and taking my make-up
off properly every night (well nearly every night) I’m going to take those compliments!
Ha-ha. Yes please…keep em coming! 😉
What is
microblading?
Microblading
is a semi-permanent eyebrow treatment using a tiny blade in tiny little strokes
which mimics real hair. It’s essentially tattooing, and the pigment is strategically
placed in ‘real’ looking natural directions. No needles or machines are used,
and everything is done very carefully by hand. I’m sure there’s a far more
technical way to explain it, but that’s how I’d describe it.
I’ve seen
the microblading and tattooing trend pop up a few times in the last year, even
my Mum had hers done and they look amazing! She’d shaved all hers off when she
was a teenager and used to draw a single line back on with a pencil…she insists
that was a trend in the seventies and eighties! I remember seeing her for the
first time after she’d had microblading and they looked incredible. Her face
almost seemed ‘finished’. Having them there again meant her eyes were
highlighted a little more and her face, although already pretty, looked a
little more symmetrical. They weren’t obvious and you wouldn’t have known she’d
had them ‘done’ if she didn’t tell you.
Forina
Aesthetics and Ilaria
I first met Ilaria from Forina Aesthetics in Wokingham online through another friend and she asked me if I’d ever thought of having my eyebrows microbladed and would I like to pop over to her salon for a consultation. I hesitated at first as it seemed like quite a full-on procedure, so I asked Ilaria a few questions about the process and the rest went from there.
The consultation stage
The
following week I headed over to Ilaria’s modern and relaxing purpose-built
salon on the side of her house to see what she’d recommend for me. Turns out my
eyebrows were already in pretty good shape and had a nice natural colour which
we both agreed didn’t need changing too much at all.
Ilaria is
incredibly friendly and I felt instantly at ease as soon as I stepped through
her door and plonked myself on the treatment bed for a chat. Any nervousness I
had was quickly dissipated because Ilaria is patient and bubbly. She takes her
time with everything and beams as she talks about her work. You can tell she’s
passionate about her art and cares deeply about her clients and their beauty
needs. Award-winning, experienced and constantly teaching herself about new treatments
and trends there’s no doubt about the fact that you’ll leave Ilaria’s salon
feeling like a new person.
I loved
something Ilaria said to me and I’ll repeat it here as this is what helped
reassure me that I wouldn’t walk away from her salon with some crazy dark caterpillars
on my face!! Ha.
“There
is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to your eyebrows. It’s very much a
combination of how your pre-existing natural brows are vs your own personal
preferences – your brows should be as individual and as unique as you are.”
My initial consultation consisted of Ilaria educating me about the treatment itself, signing some forms, colour matching, deciding on what exactly I would need doing, booking in my actual treatment dates (microblading needs two sessions), running through the aftercare and then going over any questions and concerns I had.
My first
appointment
During my
consultation Ilaria told me that when I was coming for the actual treatment I
should dress comfortably, bring headphones and don’t drink alcohol for 24 hours
before. I’d had a glass of wine at lunch before my treatment completely
forgetting I wasn’t meant to, but it was fine! Oops. I think the more relaxed
you are, as with most things, the nicer the experience will be.
I wore my comfy jeans, a snuggly jumper and packed a pair of fluffy socks in my bag…you know the type. I had my playlist and headphones ready, got myself comfortable on the treatment bed and Ilaria set to work. She talked me through what she was doing as that’s my preference. If you prefer to just stay quiet, then that’s fine too. Ilaria marked out my new brows and showed me in the mirror to make sure I was happy. You can see the lines and marks on the photo below.
Does it
hurt?
The outline
comes next and whilst I didn’t find it painful in the slightest there is a
slight scratching type motion which is just a tad uncomfortable. If I compare
it to threading, then my eyes watered far more having that done than compared
to microblading. Next up is some numbing cream before the main part begins…and
that’s where I truly relaxed and nearly fell asleep.
An hour or so later and I was in my car driving home with a new set of brows!
The
Aftercare
Looking after my eyebrows between appointments was simple but it’s important to do everything you’re told to do. You’ll be given a little aftercare pack which has wipes, creams, and lots of other handy little bits you may or may not need. I had to keep them dry, couldn’t use any chemicals or sprays near them and couldn’t touch or rub them either. All relatively simple and straightforward. They felt a little tight for the first day, but I woke up on the second day and had forgotten I’d had them done.
My second
appointment
Just under
three weeks later I went back to have the second and final part of the
treatment completed. During the time between appointments my eyebrows kind of
peeled a little (this is normal) and the colour started to take effect and
leave its mark. If you’ve had a tattoo before then the healing process for
microblading is very similar, but a lot tamer.
Now I found
the second time around to be a little more painful and I *think* it was because
I was on my period and apparently senses are heightened, and pain thresholds
are lower. It wasn’t unbearable in any way, just stung a little more than the
previous session. A little bit of extra numbing cream did the trick! The second
layer was also completed far quicker than the first time around and we were all
done within the hour.
My new
eyebrows!
Everyone complimented my eyebrows after I’d had them done and I didn’t even mind pinning my fringe back to show them off either. I felt happy with the result and I wish I’d had them done sooner. When I first looked in the mirror, I couldn’t believe they were mine.
So, whether
you have non-existent eyebrows or maybe you just need a little touch and tidy
up, microblading could be the answer to that. Ilaria does also offer lots of
other treatments at Forina Aesthetics and she may recommend something else for
you, or even a combination of different treatments. Everything is listed on her
website under the pricing section.
I’ve held
off writing this post for a few months as I wanted to see how they’d last. Four
months in and I’d say they still look as good as when I first had them done. If
anything, they settled a little after a month or so and carried on developing
too. I’m hoping they’ll last me a good year then I’ll just need to go back for
a little top up.
Conclusion
If you’re
going to spend money on any one beauty treatment, in my opinion, microblading should
be considered. It made a huge difference to my face without being too dramatic
and I loved not having to put as much make-up on either. Those days where you
don’t wear any make-up feel a lot nicer when you’ve just got a slick of
moisturizer, some lip balm on and your eyebrows already looking perfect. It
certainly helps me feel a little more confident.
Give Ilaria a message on her Instagram for an initial chat or make an appointment through the Forina Aesthetics website. Say hello from me too!
My treatment at Forina Aesthetics was gifted in return for an honest review on my blog and coverage on my social media channels.
#Microblading #Experience
