This is what Leigh Campbell says when people ask her about eyebrow microblading.

This wonderful nugget of beauty wisdom comes courtesy of Mamamia’s beauty podcast, You Beauty. To ensure you never miss an episode, listen to You Beauty here for free. It’s a blast.

If you plucked your eyebrows into oblivion in the 90s, there’s a good chance you’ve Googled microblading.

Microblading, also known as feather brow tattooing, is the process of cosmetically tattooing on natural-looking eyebrows to bolster (or replace) over-plucked brows that, sadly, never grew back.

Considering the process involves getting a tattoo on your face, deciding to get your eyebrows microbladed is a big thing and naturally, you’ll want to know everything about it from someone who’s had their eyebrows microbladed before.

Enter, Mamamia’s executive editor and beauty journalist of 15 years Leigh Campbell.

Here’s what Leigh tells people when they ask her if they should get their eyebrows microbladed, as mentioned on the You Beauty podcast (get it in your ears below, post continues after audio).

What is microblading?

“Microblading specifically uses a blade – it’s like a tattoo, but they use a three or four-pronged blade like a scalpel – to etch on your brows. They etch into the skin and push ink into the cuts, they’re feather strokes, so it looks like hair. It sounds awful… importantly, they use numbing cream.”

Microblading downtime and results.

“When I had my eyebrows microbladed, because I have black brows, they were immediately black and defined. You wear Bepanthen Antiseptic Cream for a day or two afterwards and you can’t get your brows wet for 48 hours.”

“They go a tiny bit flaky about a week afterwards, but the downtime is very mild. I loved them for the first three or four months, but because I have oily skin, the pigment doesn’t last as long on oily skin so I had a top up a few weeks later, and re-done a year later. Another thing I’d warn against – I have some hormonal imbalances and I’ve since learnt that your hormones can change the colour of the pigment… mine went very pinky red, which is not ideal.”

How much does microblading cost?

“It’s very expensive, anywhere between $1,000 and $1,800, which is a lot of money.”

Is microblading worth it for people with sparse eyebrows?

"I really like microblading, but I wouldn't get it done again. Mine didn't last long enough and I had to fill my brows in anyway, and for $1,500, that money can be better spent. But for some women, it's an absolute lifesaver. You can also get ombre brows, which is a very similar version of microblading, but they use a tattoo gun and a lighter coloured pigment at the start of the brow and a dark one as they go towards the end of the brow."

"If you want to get microblading done, ask friends where they got it done, ask if they feel like it lasted and they think it was worth the money because it's a huge investment. Permanent makeup has come such a long way, but ask around because the experiences can really vary."

Leigh's final verdict on microblading is, "Loved the result for the first few months but wouldn't do it again because it didn't last long enough and went a fun colour."

You Beauty Cheat Sheet

Other questions Leigh and Kelly answered, as well as their ‘spendys’ and ‘saveys’ (and where you can buy them).

'What is the best skincare and makeup for rosacea?'

• Rosacea is enlarged blood vessels on your face, mostly around the nose and cheek area - we don't know why we get it, but it gets worse with age.
• Rosacea is aggravated by stress, heat and sunlight, and lifestyle factors like alcohol, chilli, caffeine and coca cola.
• There are some antibiotics and lasers you can have to target rosacea, but it's a hard thing to treat, so it's more about managing it.
• Leigh recommends mild skincare:
  • No hardcore vitamin A or retinol products.
  • Use a cream or milk cleanser.
  • You could try MooGoo skincare and sun care, or the Clinique Redness Relief range.
  • Sunscreen is so important, even if you're walking outside, so go for a physical mineral sunscreen.
• For makeup, Leigh recommends:
  • Choose mineral makeup products like Nude by Nature or Bare Minerals.
  • Try a green-based primer to counteract the redness, like L'Oreal's Nude Magique CC Anti-Redness ($26.95).
• Address stress and diet, and with skincare and makeup, go gentle and mild.

Kelly's Savey: Wet n Wild Ultimate Brow Retractable Pencil, $5.50.

Why she loves it:

• Since Kelly found this product, she only has good brow days.
• It has a spoolie on one end (a naked mascara wand) and on the other end, it has a cream pencil.
• Kelly outlines her brows and feathers the product through with the spoolie, it takes less than a minute to do.

Leigh's Savey: MCoBeauty Highlight and Glow Stick in Nectar, $14.

Why she loves it:

• MCo is ModelCo's little sister range and is more affordable.
• The chubby stick is a peachy, pinky, glowy colour.
• Leigh puts a bit on the apples of her cheeks and blends for a beautiful glow.
• This is blush for girls who are scared of blush.

Kelly's Spendy: Ole Henrikson Balancing Force Oil Control Toner, $34.

Why she loves it:

• Kelly has been using this toner to help with her breakouts.
• After washing her face, she puts it on a cotton pad and swipes it over her face -  she says the stuff that it pulls off her skin is disgusting.
• It's not drying and doesn't make your skin tight.
• Leigh added, back in the day, toner was full of alcohol and it would strip your skin, but it's great for oily, acne and normal skin.

Leigh's Spendy: Mark Jacobs O!mega Shadow Gel Powder Eyeshadow in O!Yeah, $42.

Why she loves it:

• This single eyeshadow is an aubergine plum - Leigh describes as a 'dirty mature purple'.
• Leigh has been using it an eyeliner, it makes green eyes go wild.
• The finish is a bit pearlescent, but not shimmery.

Until next time, stay lovely.

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