POSTS BY YOU
SYDNEY MICROBLADING BY LEILA SKANDA
HEY GIRLS,
I’m Jen!
You know, how some girls are all about shoes, or bags? Well, ever since brows became a ‘thing’ – I’ve been a brow girl!
Growing up in the ’90s, my over-plucking school days did me no favours, so, every 3 weeks or so, I visited the beauty salon to get them shaped and tinted! In time, they slowly began to grow back buuut never truly, how wanted them too to be!
I would wake up in the mornings and sneakily fill them in on the fronts and tails where they were sparse before my boyfriend would wake up, AND god forbid, I would miss my appointment at the salon when my 3rd week came around.– sound familiar?
Well, when I heard about eyebrow microblading, I knew it was for me BUT being an absolute wuss, of course, I waited almost 2 years to decide there was no other way around it!
After moving to Sydney last November, I decided that would be the very best place to get them done. I started doing my research, searching the web, reading blogs and (constantly) looking at before and after’s of perfectly balanced microbladed eyebrows! My Instagram feed was soon filled with brows from the very best microblading artists in Sydney, and surely, one stood out from the bunch…
XO BROWS;
I loved her attention to detail and her natural approach to semi-permanent makeup. From girl to girl, the transformations were epic and her clients’ faces in the photos did even more of the talking.- I loved not only her style but her approach and passion for empowering women.
As a self-proclaimed ‘feminist, woman advocate,
girl-cheerleader’ myself,
I knew right then,
that this chick was for me!
I followed Leila’s page closely for weeks, before finally plucking up the courage to slide in the dm’s. In a jiffy, Leila got right back to me! She was sweet and helpful and answered any questions I had regarding the process. She wasn’t pushy and I knew right away the decision was in my hands.
I gave myself 24 hours to decide if it was what I truly wanted, after all, your face is your face, and I’d never done anything like that before, so it was a BIG thing for me!
If I told my mum I would be getting a semi-permanent eyebrow tattoo on my face (make that 2) she would lose it! BUT as the girl striving for perfect brows, I went for it and booked my appointment!
My eyebrow microblading appointment followed just 1 week later, Leila had a cancellation and she told me she could slot me in! (HOW AMAZING!)
When I arrived at her Microblading studio in Sydney, it was safe to say I was nervous! However, Leila welcomed me with her big smile and sat me down inside her microblading studio. We sat and had a 30 min consultation where we went over all my questions, queries and concerns! I was about ready to up and leave when she showed me her eyebrow microblading tool! (I hate blades) but she soon made me feel at ease with her no-rush, all-about-me process.
Even the art on her wall said “trust the process” and well, that’s just what I did.
From start to finish the whole process took around 1.5 hours inclusive of the 30 min consol. Leila measured my face and structure and designed the stencil for a pair of microbladed brows that would perfectly fit my face. Before diving in, she showed me and allowed me to ask questions and tweak her work so that I was 100% happy. & when I was, she began.
IF I TELL YOU IT DIDN’T HURT, I WOULD BE LYING BUUUUT, IT WASN’T THE WORST PAIN IN THE WORLD AND IT SURE AS HELL WAS BEARABLE. TO BE HONEST, IT FELT SOMETHING BETWEEN THE LINES OF A SMALL CAT SCRATCH AND THREADING… THE THINGS US GIRLS DO FOR BEAUTY, HEY?
Well, after the first stage was done it was time for a little numbing cream, this eased the pain and our constant chitter-chatter kept me pleasantly distracted.
Soon enough, I was finished and bursting to see my brand new microbladed eyebrows! & my first impression? – WOW.
They were utterly perfect! So balanced and bushy (even in the areas that were sparse!) They looked natural and the colour was perfectly fitted to my skin and hair tone. I loved how defined the natural hair strokes were and they blended in perfectly with what I already had.
IT’S SAFE TO SAY I LEFT WITH A SKIP IN MY STEP! OH, AND AN AFTER-CARE KIT TO KEEP MY SEMI-PERMANENT BROWS LOOKING TIP-TOP!
The month followed a little something like this for me, (however, I know all girls have a slightly different healing process):
DAY 1: My microbladed eyebrows are EPIC but a little tender.
DAY 2-4: Mamma mia, my brows are getting darker and darker!
DAY 4-6: Eeeek, my brows and beginning to flake and go a little crusty.
DAY 6-7: Urmmmm, where are my brows going?? (The temptation to fill them in during this period was hard to resist!)
DAY 8-10: Yessss, my brows are coming back and here to stay!!
I loved the shape of my eyebrows after this healing process but knew, for sure, I needed the top up to fix some areas where the ink hadn’t taken as well. I waited 6 weeks for my next appointment and jumped back into Leila’s studio for yet another round of microblading!
With the nerves gone, and with all my trust in Leila, the top-up took only around 45 mins and seemed to hurt less than I remember!
Again, I left her Sydney Microblading studio with a massive smile on my face!
My healing process for round 2 went pretty much the same as round 1 (give or take a couple of days)! & today, I’m 6 weeks after top-up, fully healed and good to go!
In the past month, I’ve lost count on how many compliments I’ve received on my semi-permanent, tattooed eyebrows (even during the healing process)! I love waking up in the morning with no worries to fill them in and heck, even my mum loves them too!
When Leila asked me if I wanted to write this guest post, I said why not! I’m so grateful for what she has given me and if I can help another girl feel the same as me when she wakes up in the morning, then that’s a good deed done.
Any girl on the fence, wondering whether microblading is for you, I’d say, give it a good think through before you decide, do your research and manage your expectations.
Anyone on the fence about choosing Leila, I’d say, jump off that fence and into brow haven where honey, the grass is way greener!
I’m more than excited to showcase my brows this summer with a bare-faced, minimal look. Thank you, Leila, for helping me to enhance my natural beauty the very best way you know how – through microbladed eyebrows!
Best of luck girls with your brow journey, I hope this can help you to decide if Microbladed Eyebrows are for you!
Jen xo
(XO BROWS – Microblading client 2020) EYEBROWS SYDNEY – MICROBLADING BY LEILA SKANDA
