*THIS IS A FOLLOW-UP TO LAST YEAR’S POST ON MY MICROBLADED BROWS!*

It’s been a whole year plus a few months living life with microbladed brows and you know what? That life is damn good. I wrote a post last February on my experience getting microbladed (if you’re new to my blog you can check out last year’s post here) for the very first time by Nicole Guerrieri, also known as @BrowsxBianca on Instagram. I went back to the infamous brow goddess last week for a touch up…just to make sure the glow up was still on 100. I found her in a cute new space, just seconds from her old spot, and armed with new tricks up her sleeve to help create the most beautiful brows ever for her clients.

Here’s a little peek inside Nicole’s new spot at 260 Carlaw Ave. It’s a lofty vibe with high ceilings and original wood flooring. She also plays old Motown music during brow sessions!

WHAT’S CHANGED

There is still three passes of microblading like there was before, but wait for it…no numbing of the skin before the first pass. Nicole knows how much I hate pain, so she neglected to tell me this before my appointment, but did tell me to take some Advil just before coming in. It’s odd because I’ve have had a natural child birth with Maxwell so I probably shouldn’t find this so intolerable, but I do until I get the numbing gel and then it’s smooth sailing. If you’re wondering what it feels like, imagine a cat dragging it’s sharp nails across your delicate skin. Ask Nicole, and she will tell you most of her clients find the pain a 4 out 10 but to me it’s like a 7.5 or even higher.

Apparently, microblading is far more effective on skin that is hard so a pre-numbing cream is no longer used before the first pass of blading. Having the cream sit on your skin for 30 min softens the skin too much and therefore does not allowing for the ‘strokes’ to heal as sharp as they would without the soft skin. Before the second pass she will apply a gel that will numb the shit out of your brow area and it’s glorious. It works instantaneously, helping to make the process much faster than before. Also…we, and by we I mean Nicole, has introduced the shading technique into her offering.

BROW SHADING

So yes, there is blading and shading and both are different, plus yield different results. According to Nicole, most clients actually need the combination of both. Why? Simply because microblading alone isn’t enough. This is especially the case if you have sparse brows, baldness in some areas, no tails, etc. If you have dense hair at the front of your brow and no tails, microblading cannot give you the density to blend the front with the tail and that’s what the shading does. And if you’re wondering if the shading technique will make your brows look less natural…it is actually the opposite. They will look MORE natural with both. Trust me! If you already have a full brow but still find yourself having to do a little penciling in, you can totally considering just doing the shading alone.

Last week’s fresh brow glow up

PRE-BLADING AND SHAPING

I think the question I have received the most is, “How will I know she won’t fuck up my brows?” It’s funny how blunt some of y’all are. To be honest, this questions generally comes from WOC because with darker skin, there is always a fear that a new technology, machine, etc could damage our skin in some irrevocable way. But ladies, you need not worry as I was happy to be the guinea pig for y’all.

The shape made for each person is going to be completely unique because it’s based on geometry and Nicole uses the nature curve of your brow to determine the shape. The line work is based on each client’s natural hair flow and density. What you can expect first is still the mapping process, where she shapes with a thin wax pencil. This stencil process will ensure everything is measured to perfection. Also new is the measurement app Nicole has started using to triple check symmetry and from there she makes the necessary adjustments before starting the microblading process.

AFTERCARE:

PRICING

HOW TO KNOW IF YOU’RE AN IDEAL CANDIDATE FOR MICROBLADING