So, lately, I have had many cases of clients who are coming to me highly distressed as they have had a botch eyebrow microblading job done by a therapist that they went to based primarily on cheap pricing. Whilst I can advise them somewhat, once the pigment has been implanted, they are stuck with it for some time, even if they do not return to the therapist for the touch-up.

Why are some therapists like me priced higher? This is because I use the finest, high-grade, EU-regulated pigments, blades, and needles. I am qualified and hold 20 years of experience in semi-permanent makeup. I am registered with the Council and Level 4 Qualified in safe practice for Semi-Permanent Makeup. I have done thousands of procedures in my career and am an expert with skin. I also do a comprehensive consultation before any procedures take place to determine client expectations and check for contraindications to treatment.

Unfortunately, several artists do not understand that treating a client’s face with Semi-Permanent Makeup is a huge responsibility as they will be stuck with the outcome for at least 1 year to 18 months before you begin to see any sort of fading. So, they need to get it right to keep clients satisfied and maintain a good reputation. This means undertaking satisfactory training and ensuring they follow safe practices and use quality pigments, blades, and needles.

However, saying this, the main responsibility falls on the client to do their due diligence when selecting an artist to undertake their treatment.

Having botch brows is an absolute nightmare. On top of looking terrible, it’s very hard to make them better. Semi-Permanent make-up should last for a while and there are no guarantees that you’ll be able to make it less visible by getting more make-up done. To avoid this situation happening – which would leave us both annoyed and disappointed – I’ve put together some important points about making sure your make-up artist has the right qualifications before considering treatment with me or any other qualified artist.

The client should check for the following:

• NVQ Level 3 qualified in Beauty Therapy at a minimum. Semi-Permanent make-up courses are often taken up by non-industry individuals that have never had prior treatment in treating the skin or performing treatments of any type.
• Proof of qualifications must be on the make-up artist’s website, whether it is a social media page or client testimonials that have been submitted to their site by clients or make-up artists themselves that are NVQ level 3 qualified. It is make-up that requires extensive training in skin anatomy, skin types, reactions to make-up pigment and treatments, plus the chemicals used when setting make-up pigment.
• What Semi-Permanent Makeup Training have they done, and what companies did they use for their training? Research the company used for training, are they reputable? Do they have a strict protocol? Do they have a good reputation?
• Have they completed their Level 4 qualifications in safe practice for Semi-Permanent Make-Up?
• Are they registered for special treatment licenses with their local council if required? (All London Councils require Beauty Therapists and Tattoo Artists to be registered with them)
• What style Semi-Permanent makeup do they do i.e., hair stroke, ombre, blade & shade, lip liner, lip blush, or eyeliner? We all have different styles and practices and treatments that we off which vary from client to client.
• Do they have any google reviews? Do the reviews represent happy clients? Client care is also a big thing to look out for.
• Do they have their work displayed on social media or on a gallery on their website? Remember, generally, we always put our best work out for marketing, it’s important to see consistent good work
• Finally, do you know a happy client that has been to this artist? Look at their brows, is their style what you are looking for? Ask them how the consultation was carried out, this is very important. Word-of-mouth recommendation is very much a reliable source.

To summarise, when it comes to make-up, the stakes are high, and you want a make-up artist who is qualified and has experience. It’s important that they have taken their training from a reputable body with strict protocols so you know your make-up will be safe for your skin and look great. You should also check out their work on social media or in galleries before making any appointments – this way, you’ll get an idea of how skilled they really are and what kind of style would suit your needs best. If all goes well, you can do your due diligence as client and find the right make-up artist for you!