EYEING BEAUTY
Lash and brow treatments catching on here
There’s a new kind of beauty studio popping up across Pittsburgh, and it has nothing to do with hair.
These businesses are tapping into the rising demand for eye related cosmetic services, including eyebrow microblading (semi-permanent tattooing) and extensions, tints and lifts for eyelashes. The goal: full, symmetrical brows and luscious lashes that require little day-today maintenance. Think of it as a way to channel your inner Beyonce and truly be able to say, “I woke up like this.”
The results can look as natural or dramatic as desired, and down time and upkeep are minimal. Microblading on eyebrows can last from nine months to a year, depending upon skin type and lifestyle. (For those who sweat more or have oily skin, the pigment tends to break down more quickly.) After the procedure, a touch-up is
required a month later. During that time, some flaking may occur as the skin heals.
Lash lifts involve placing a rod on top of the eyelid that curls back the top lashes. Tints can be applied to improve lash color. Both last up to two months and fade as new lashes grow in and old ones are shed. For eyelash extensions, a single false lash is glued to natural lashes for added fullness. These need to be filled in every two to four weeks.
Costs vary depending upon who provides the service, what’s requested and tools used. In Pittsburgh, microblading typically runs $400-$600 (plus touch-up costs). A full set of eyelash extensions can go for $120$200, while lift and tint combos average $80-$130. (Fillins usually cost a fraction of the initial price if kept up regularly.)
“It used to be just older women who would go and get it done,” says Hillary Evans, who opened Scratch Studio in Dormont in September to cater to the growing demand.
She said permanent makeup procedures of the past involved more traditional tattoo techniques. “Now we’re seeing girls who are like 19 and 20 years old.”
In addition to microblading and lash lifts, tints and extensions, Scratch Studio offers semi-permanent mascara, a special smudge- and waterproof coating that gives lashes the appearance of more volume. Later this year, Ms. Evans plans to add eye liner tattooing. She may also offer lip liner tattooing, freckle microblading and areola tattooing for women who have had mastectomies.
The former hair and makeup stylist says she was looking for a way to combine her interest in tattooing with her beauty background. She tested the concept by renting a small artist’s space in Point Breeze. Through social media and word of mouth, she grew a clientele and opened Scratch Studio. The name is a nod to the individual hair-like strokes used in microblading.
“A lot of people want to cut down on time and have the option to not wear as much makeup,” Ms. Evans says.
Kate Zarvis has heard similar sentiments at Manikure, a studio for nails, lash lifts, tints and extensions, and waxing services that she opened in January in Lawrenceville.
“It’s high maintenance yet low maintenance at the same time. These services cut down on your morning routine. Whenever your lashes look more tinted or lifted, you can almost say goodbye [to makeup] for the morning and afternoon.”
At Beneath the Surface Skin Studio on the South Side, owner Amanda Razzano-Latham brings a holistic approach to eyebrow microblading, body wraps, spray tanning and other treatments.
“I wanted to be able to connect with women in an intimate setting,” she says, noting that she has rooms for networking, meditation and prayer.
She says she sees lots of clients who turn to microblading after their eyebrows have thinned during pregnancy.
“Eyebrows are something that’s an immediate change. I call them the chandelier of the face. When you have your brows done, you feel more you. You feel more naturally beautiful.”
Traditional hair salons have noticed the buzz surrounding lash and brow services and have started providing them, too. A quick Google search turned up at least a dozen offering these treatments across the city and suburbs.
Dallas Beauty Lounge in Bridgeville was among the first local full-service salons to branch out into microblading and lash lifts, tints, and extensions in the past two to three years. To emphasize these procedures, the salon can apply a small amount of Botox to help lift sagging eyelids and reduce crow’s-feet.
Owner Dallas Sauers says social media has helped build demand for the procedures. “Photos now are for everyone to see. It’s not like you’re taking them on a disposable camera and putting them in a scrapbook.”
Salon owners say the brow and lash boom is more than the latest beauty fad.
“Now it’s even starting with men,” Ms. Evans says, pointing out that microblading can be used to disguise bald spots and thinning hair lines. “I think the possibilities for it are really endless.”