Ladies, consider Ramona's services a gift to yourself…read more
Day #1: Consult day. A 45-minute play day with crayons (not really).
I came in for an initial consult, an opportunity to allow Ramona the dubious pleasure of convincing me I should do this, permanent eyeliner and brows. Me chicken? Yep. A white haired, fair skinned, be-freckled German/Scottish grandma with nearly invisible brows and sparse eyelashes, I expected she would tell me my face was too old, too wrinkly, too irreparable for her services. She would then advise, "Tsk, better you put a bag over your head", and shake her head solemnly. In fact, this did not happen and gentle Ramona calmly reminded me she has been doing even more challenging cases than this for decades. After seeing photos of fair skinned, older women who came out remarkably well under her artistry, I accepted the fact that my face just might be redeemable.
I usually sport an 'au natural" look, partially because I am lazy, and more importantly because I am practically blind. Embarrassingly, I need a 7x magnifying mirror to even attempt an application of makeup to my eyes.
Ramona rubbed her hands together with glee and started to play with my face using removable makeup, then announced she would mix custom colors for my brows due to my yellowish skin tone. I looked in the mirror, smiled, and booked my appointment for the very next day.
Day #2: The day was long, nearly 3 hours of "face do-over". No turning back now.
Ramona, gentle, efficient, and quick, was very reassuring and professional. The actual tattooing did not take that long. The first hour was spent filling out waivers, testing brow and eyeliner ink colors (she did that custom mix for me) and sitting quietly waiting for the numbing topical to take effect. After meticulously documenting everything she would be using on my face, she scrubbed up, donned a surgical mask and gown, mounted some weird magnifying glasses on her head, and slipped on sterile gloves. This was not a back alley tattoo parlor.
The brows were done with microblading and shading techniques that went quickly and almost painlessly. It was the eyelids that betrayed me. I will not pull punches, my eyelids required more stamina and cooperation: two applications of numbing solution for me followed by buzzzzzing, tickling, and some slight pinching just to complete what she called "hairline strokes", a thin line at the base of my eyelashes, interspersed with a few moments of badly needed respite. My fair skinned eyes swelled and wise Ramona pronounced my eyes had had enough for that day. One and a half days later, the swelling was all gone.
My second visit 4 weeks later was when we tackled the eyeliner portion first then finished the touch ups of the eyebrows. This took less time. Four weeks later I returned a third time for some simple touch ups at no additional charge. I am very pleased with the final outcome.
The small studio is located on the second floor of a non-descript commercial building. Expect to climb a steep flight of stairs. Since she works by appointment, her hours are far more flexible than indicated on this Yelp site.
This is a one-woman studio. That means you have her full, undivided attention. Everything was exceedingly clean, sterile, efficiently laid out, yet with a relaxing spa-like feel - with mellow New Age music playing in the background, a trickling fountain, and a soft herbal scent in the air.
Disclosure: I am thankful this is called "Permanent" makeup. It will not go down as one of my most fun experiences to date. However, the benefits are obvious. It's lasting power alone is worth it. Her clients usually wait 9-10 years before they need another touch up. Wow! Eliminating the costs of purchasing eye makeup and avoiding infection of using said makeup is reason enough, but the freedom to wake up to a nearly finished face that looks fresh and consistent each day is the big winner.
The key to a good experience is ultimately finding an aesthetician who is considerate, gentle, and excels at their craft. Ramona is surely one. She is a wonderful artist and I love having me photographed now.
