I’ve wanted permanent eyeliner for some time. I’ve been thinking about it seriously (seriously enough to research local artists, etc.) for months – and considering it much longer than that. I’m the type that, without eyeliner, has a face that appears to be a nose, mouth – and nothing else. No eyelashes to speak of, and small eyes. If my eyes are the windows to my soul – I don’t have much of a soul.
I took the plunge Saturday – made the appointment last week with a reputable artist and got permanent eyeliner – upper and lower eyelids. For those unfamiliar with permanent cosmetics, effectively, it’s a tattoo. So, I got a tattoo of eyeliner on my eyelids. I used an artist that only does permanent cosmetics, but I’m in a room across the hall from a burly bald biker dude getting who-knows-what big intimidating tattoo.
Conclusion: I LOVE IT. Love it, love it, love it. I can see my eyes in a mirror from across a room. When I leave work, I still have eyeliner on – not smudges of what was eyeliner under my eyes. A friend said I’d just look like I had eyeliner on – true, but I look like I have EXPERTLY-APPLIED eyeliner on – all the time!
Was it painful? I don’t know that I’d say it was “painful” as much as it was irritating. I’ll confess, that was one of my biggest concerns – that the artist would start and after a few minutes I’d scream “OMG, hurts! Stop!” and I’d land up with one eye halfway tattood and nothing on the other eye at all. At first I was like “Oh, this is it?” After she went back a few times, it started to definitely irritate and I’d compare the feeling afterward to the feeling after you’ve been somewhere really windy and dusty/sandy and your eyelids are a little raw. By day #2 they were rather itchy. Still, I experienced less tears getting my permanent eyeliner than I have with some eyebrow waxes.
After batting my nonexistant eyelashes at coworkers all day Monday, I’ve come to the conclusion the effect is quite subtle. (Most responded “Do you have something in your eye?” or “Are you FLIRTING with me?”) I do think I’ll get the upper line a bit thicker when I go back for a free touch-up in January, but I figured better to start thin (you can always add) then start thick and regret it.
Plus, I feel all “cool” and “hip” with my eyeliner tattoos. Maybe I’ll go to the biker bar in my neighborhood to show them off.
