IS BEAUTY REALLY SKIN DEEP?

Bonjour encore mes belles et beaus! Is beauty really skin deep?

I think not. However, the kind that I'm talking about now is. Please allow me to explain:

I've just had permanent makeup done and I have to say that it is by far one of the best investments I've ever made. Up until recently, I've had very fine lashes and almost no eyebrows. I guess you could say I had "why" brows. When it would rain I'd get, "why are your eyebrows running, are they afraid to get wet?" When I got up late and rushed to get ready and drew them on too fast, I heard, "I knew you were running late. You called me and asked me to open for you...so why are you so surprised to see me?"

Oh, and one incident my friends refuse to let me forget! I had a little too much to drink one night, so they drove me home as I lay passed out in the backseat. The usual drunken dance ensued. I stumbled out, tried to get the key in the door with one eye open and one shoe on, and then I called to let them know I got in safe. But instead of the usual, "okay girl, call you tomorrow." I got, "Girl, if you're inside your house, then why is your face still in the backseat?" Traumatic, I know!! You try cleaning makeup out of upholstery that keeps winking at you!

Nonetheless, after years of contemplating whether or not to have it done, I finally came across someone whose work I was extremely impressed by and decided to go through with it. Not only was her portfolio of permanent makeup a piece of art, but she has medical training, an extensive knowledge of what she does and a genuinely friendly demeanor towards people from all walks of life.

My first session with Mary was for my eyebrows. She uses a "hair stroke" technique which, when looked at, literally gives the appearance of hair growing from the skin. The detail is unbelievable and there was no pain. I would finally be able to express my emotions with my face, instead of wearing them on my sleeve...literally!

The second session was for permanent eyeliner, to give the illusion that I had slightly fuller lashes. Wearing false lashes on a daily basis was sometimes a hassle. They take time to master and sometimes if your eyes tear, the adhesive begins to come unstuck. I learned this firsthand when, while sitting at a bar trying to look cute, my lash began to peel off. The man I had struck up a conversation with happened to be both handsome and extremely funny. My lucky night, right? Wrong!! I was laughing so hard my eyes watered. While swinging my hair and batting my eyes...a lash began to come off, unbeknownst to me. When I stopped to compose myself he just stared at me in confusion and asked, "What's on your eye..Oh my God, is that a caterpillar?" I immediately excused myself and never returned. Trust me....the last thing you want is for your lash to wave good-bye to your date before you've even got your foot out the door.

Now...getting back.....Although I have many tattoos, I was a bit nervous that it would be more painful due to the fact that it was on my lash line. Quite the contrary. For both procedures, she used a numbing solution and drops that are both safe for the eyes and work incredibly well. The only thing I felt was a slight tickle, and afterwards, there was no swelling or discomfort. The way she had put it was, "It basically just feels like you've had a really good cry." And she was right! (Tears of joy, I might add.)

I cannot stress enough that permanent makeup is indeed that. Permanent. So please, make sure before you have it done, you've seen the individual's work and know that they are a reputable provider. For those of you who have had permanent makeup done and are not satisfied with the results, there are now methods that can help correct the problem. For a complete list of procedures that Mary performs, including permanent makeup correction, please visit her website at:

www.permanentmakeupbymary.com