Women know how expensive cosmetics can be. Even the basic drugstore brands can cost anywhere from $3.00 on up per item. If you buy department store brands, you can easily drop twenty dollars or more on just one item. Given that most women use several items (lipstick, eye shadow, eye liner, foundation, blush, mascara, and on and on), it can be a big part of a budget. It’s painful, but it’s the price for beauty. Until recently, the only choice to save big time on makeup was to go without or use very limited makeup.
Now you can have makeup permanently inked onto your skin in a procedure similar to tattooing. You can get eyeliner, lipstick, lipliner, eyeshadow, blush, and eyebrow makeup done. Most procedures run from $150 all the way up to $800 with specialist work costing more. (From what I understand, you don’t want to go with the cheapest option on this because you can get what you pay for. Cheap providers may leave you looking worse than when you started.)
Does it save money? It might. Let’s say you have your eyes lined at a cost of $200. Prior to the procedure you were buying department store eyeliner at a cost of $15 per pencil and you were buying four pencils per year. That’s $60 per year. In a little less than four years, you will have paid for your permanent makeup and every year after would be “free.” Depending on the cost of your procedure and your current makeup spending habits, permanent makeup might be a money saver.
There are drawbacks, however. The primary drawback is the permanence. If you don’t like the results, you’re stuck. As with a tattoo there is the possibility of removal, but it is likely to be painful and complicated. And there’s no experimenting with colors, changing your look from day to night, or changing your look as you age, either. You’d better love the look you get because you’re going to look that way when they put you in the ground. The procedure might also be painful since needles are involved and there is the possibility of infection or irritation. Finally, despite the permanent nature of the makeup, you may need touchups over time because, just like with a tattoo, the color may fade or change as your skin ages and stretches. You’d have to factor the cost of potential touchups into any savings you hope to gain.
In addition to saving money, there are some other benefits to permanent makeup. It saves time in the morning. You just roll out of bed already made up. The procedure is also good for those with limited mobility or hand control who have trouble applying makeup on their own. It can also be used to cover scars or help with reconstruction after an accident or surgery.
If you want to save on cosmetics, permanent makeup might be an option. However, it is not without its risks and complications. For some people it’s simply too extreme. If you decide to have it done, research providers closely and make sure they will do good work. Also make sure to choose your look carefully because you’re going to be living with it for a long time.
I wouldn’t go this route myself; I rarely wear makeup and can’t imagine wanting it to be permanent. However, my niece did this; she has permanent eyeliner, I think. Her reasons were because she has allergies to some cosmetics, and less than steady hands for applying makeup.
When I read up on it about four years ago, something like the eyeliner or eyebrow tattoos were not considered very permanent and would need to be touched up a couple times a year. I don’t see how that could save money. BTW, I saw lots of pictures put on the web by salons that do the work. A lot of it looked cheesy to me. I would have left the salon in mourning (what have I done!) if I looked like some photos they were showing.
Sorry, I think this is just weird and a reflection on society’s overwhelming obsession with physical looks. I’ve found name-brand makeup at any dollar stores for $1 each and manage with that. Ditto hair care. If people would keep things simple, they’d actually look fine. You can do a good job yourself if you take the time to learn how, I say, and when you keep it simple, you do less damage to your hair and skin. Just my 2 cents.
I am a guy, so maybe my opinion is not as relevant but I can’t see why anyone would want to have makeup applied to their face in a permanent way. It is like tattoos. What if you don’t like it in a couple of years? What if you don’t want to be all made up when you do something that calls for casual all the way around. No a good ideas!
So…..I had my eyebrows done 10 years ago…and have enjoyed EVERY minute. If you aren’t fortunate enough to have any..or just a few very light ones….it can be such a blessing. Every morning I think of all the years of of TIME with eyebrow pencils that wipe off and embarrassment having ‘no eyes’…just a memory now. I had no desire to have anything else done…and still don’t…but LOVE having eyebrows!! After all…they are the top frame of your face!
I’m so glad I use my ‘make-up’ money on sewing machines! I don’t wear it and my hubby says I don’t need it, so why bother.
I too would be frightened by the permancy of it and what if it looks horrible? Yuck!
Vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain, vain.
🙁
If you want makeup, buy it at the store. Less than 10 years ago, I decided some permanent makeup was the way to go so I had eyeliner and lipstick done. As everyone knows, any time you have a break in the skin your body forms a scab as it heals. In a matter of days the scab will slough off. Same with permanent makeup – and there goes your color. You may have a trace of color left if you’re lucky. In my case it was totally gone on my eyes in a matter of a month maybe. The color on my lips was gone when the scab sloughed off. And yes, you DO have to keep them moist 24/7. I had my lips done three (3) times. Really stupid I know. Do I have any lip color? Nope. Permanent makeup is nothing more than tattoos – same equipment, same supplies, same techniques – I have a couple tattoos as well so I know. And don’t let anyone tell you it’s not painful!!! IT IS!!!!! I took a prescription pain pill before each procedure and the technician used a prescription skin-numbing cream as well but it still hurt like !@#$. My advise? Go to the store.
Oh, I had my eyebrows done as well – color? – none. The strange thing about my case is – my tattoos (on my back) still have lots of color and I’ve had those since about 1997. So, yes, they are permanent. I had no reason to think the ‘permanent makeup’ would not be as well. What a rip-off that was……
well i am a mother of two(i still pregnant with my secend child) and when money is tight and you still want to look ur best,then yes comestics is a great option.
well i looking into it in a couple a months after birth,it doesnt seem bad and i like it. i havent got my face done yet,but i wanna too.
at least i not spending 20 or 30 $ on makeup!! more money saved
poeple stick with there opinions…for those who had tatto done on your bodies,your are not bright to complaint about it.
you should had known about it in the first place! what differences it makes?
What a dreadful idea! To get your face tattooed to save money on make-up is foolish, to say the least. Could be worth doing to help disguise permanent, very obvious, blemishes, otherwise, no way!