I had a great experience with Oakland Glow! Katie Guided me through the steps with thoughtfulness and patience, taking time to answer my questions while also educating me on the process and expectations for final results. While I had a concept in my head of what I wanted my brows to look like based on how I was using make up to fill them in, Katie helped me to understand how the final product would look and provided me with different options. I did end up taking her advice, and I am super glad that I did. The key for me was to be patient and trust the process. My eyebrows look natural and effortless, and not having to do them every morning has been such a game changer! Photos include eyebrows, pre-micro, blading. And final results. read more

Oakland Glow Studio - After :) !!! - Permanent Makeup Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

Katie is insanely talented and clearly loves what she does. Condensed review: 100% YES! DO IT! You'll be blown away that your brows could look so good. Long version: After following her IG account forever, I finally took the microblading plunge with Katie. She instantly made me feel like I was in good hands, guiding me through what the process would entail and how we could best reach my brow goals. She marked up her game plan and had me weigh in so we had shared expectations. I couldn't be more pumped with how they turned out! She's a magician y'all--they are balanced, fluffy, and best of all, ready to go without any makeup. I had them done in 2020 and they have held up beautifully. I also recently had Katie hand-poke over some of my existing freckles so they show up more when I use foundation. I'm in love with how they turned out! Thank you, Katie! read more

Oakland Glow Studio - Permanent Makeup Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

If you are considering microblading, I strongly advise you to look elsewhere. Please learn from my mistake, and do not have it done with Katie of Oakland Glow. This is a semi-permanent tattoo. On your face. Do not take this lightly, my friends. If you don't like the result, you are stuck with it for YEARS. There are many other microbladers in the East Bay. They may be a bit more expensive than Katie, but in my case 'cheap was expensive'. If you want more details on my story, keep reading. This is my very first Yelp review, but I feel it is for a good cause. Ok. Ready? Here goes... I chose Katie B. Larson of Oakland Glow based on IG photos of her work. Seems reasonable, right? I arrive at her studio on Piedmont Ave., across the street from a funeral parlor. I could tell you about the 2 hours of my appointment, but suffice it to say that it was really unpleasant. At some point, her studio mate arrived. I felt like I was on the set of 'Mean Girls'. I was mostly ignored, as Katie and she gossiped about people I did not know. When it was done, quite honestly it was hard to tell what the end result was. When it is just completed, your brows are very swollen and the ink is very dark. But, you are told that once it heals, the ink will be about 40% lighter. Flash forward 7 weeks, during which time I followed her after-care instructions. I waited patiently for my brows to get 40% lighter. But they didn't. And the fine hair 'strokes' of the ink grew wider and wider. It looked like a child had taken a dark brown Sharpie to my face. I reached out to Katie via email, and this is where the fun really starts. I explained that my brows did not look good: that they were really dark, and the lines were not natural-looking. She asked me to come and see her at the studio, and I agreed. When I showed up, her studio mate was there, and they were both working on clients. Awkward. She took me into a side-room, just feet from the other women. She began to rub vigorously at my brows with an alcohol swab. It hurt, and I said so. She ignored me. She said: "Well, I can fix the lines, but the dark color worries me...." Great. Then she said; "Did you tint them?" and I said that I had, when they were completely healed. (I tint my very blonde eyebrow hair) She got really angry at me, and asked me why I had tinted them. I said that she HAD NOT told me NOT to. She admitted that was true. She then began to berate me for my email to her, saying that it was rude. I said that I did not agree: that I was upset, and had matter-of-factly given the reasons why. I left feeling really confused. And bullied. I had a follow-up appointment with her the next week. But I didn't ever want to see her again. Also I did not feel confident she could make my brows look any better. So, I started calling around to see what could be done. If Katie did not know how to fix them - and didn't seem to even know what had gone wrong - maybe somebody else would. In the end, I met with six other microbladers in the East Bay and SF. Each one scoffed at the idea that I had somehow made this mess by applying eyebrow tint to my brows. They each said more or less the same thing: 1) The eyebrows were too dark because the 'blade marks' were "too big" and that it appeared that Katie had "used the wrong blade and went too deep." 2) That it appeared to be a classic case of "pigment migration". And that it is "not possible for eyebrow dye to permeate the skin" in the way Katie was suggesting. 3) That if you "go too deep, it affects the color fading, which is normally 30-40% lighter". 4) That doing further work on the brows to "fix them", would NOT be a good idea because it would "just re-traumatize your skin, and make them even darker." Each one recommended 'pigment lightening' before any attempt to "fix" them. I sent Katie another email, asking for my money back. I said that I would need the money to pay for pigment lightening services with another artist. I thought it was only fair to ask for a refund. I quoted her the above people, but it made no difference. Instead, she wanted me to return to her studio so that SHE could fix them. Or that one of her studio mates would do it. But I didn't want anything more to do with her, or any of her crew, and I said so. In response, she sent me a truly nasty email accusing me of everything under the sun, blaming me, and cc'ing a lawyer! I kid you not. (I checked out the lawyer. He specializes in violent crime, domestic violence and DUI's.) Here is the thing: Mistakes get made. But instead of admitting as much, Katie instead chose to blame me and shame me. Yuck. She did however, refund a small part of the amount I paid her. But sadly, it is going to cost me a small fortune to have her work removed from my face. I underwent microblading because I had bald spots on my otherwise nice brows. Now I look like Groucho Marx. The other day I had my first pigment lightening appointment with another artist. It hurt like hell. read more

Best microblader in the East Bay! Katie is an incredible artist. You can tell she cares about her clients and loves the work that she does. She took the time to answer all of my questions and she even sends follow up instructions through email to guide you through the healing process. She is such a professional and I highly recommend her for microblading. read more

Oakland Glow Studio - Look at how beautiful my eyebrow fluffers are!!! - Permanent Makeup Near Me - Oakland, California

I just had my first ever microblading experience yesterday with Katherine and it was absolutely amazing! The facility was very clean and she was extremely knowledgeable and went into great detail on the process, what to expect and post care instructions, which made me very comfortable. I liked that she verbally explained and showed me what she was doing, asking for my input along the way, even though I relied on her opinion and expertise, which did not disappoint. After our session, I sent the attached to several friends who were in awe of Katherine's work and literally said I inspired them to finally want to do their eyebrows because until seeing my pictures, they only heard horror stories and were too scared to go through with it. I'm so thrilled with how the brows came out and how natural they look especially in areas where I over plucked in the past where hair no longer is growing. On a scale of 1-10, I'd give Oakland Glow Studio a 20 because I'm so happy with Katherine's work and would refer all my friends to her if I could (but most of them are out of state BUT they are now tempted to visit me just to get their eyebrows done here!) read more

Oakland Glow Studio - Photo after first microblading session - Permanent Makeup Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

I love my brows!!! I got my brows microbladed by Katie (the owner of Oakland Glow) and they are amazing! I was extremely nervous, I mean it's my face! Katie was so reassuring, she took the time to really listen and to make sure I was getting the results that I wanted. She mapped them out and drew them on first, she made a custom color to match my hair, she truly is an artist. I cannot even tell you how amazing it is to not have to fill in my non existent brows anymore! I'm obsessed and I soooo look forward to my second "touch up" appointment. I think I even wanna try out the lip blush they offer too! The studio is so cute, the vibe is relaxing and welcoming. If you are thinking of getting your brows done this is the place! You will LOVE your brows. read more

Oakland Glow Studio - Microblading - Permanent Makeup Near Me - Oakland, California

Best money ever spent! It's day 3 and My brows are looking so, so good. Katie was amazing! Thanks to the numbing cream and Katie's expertise, I really didn't feel a thing and was so happy when I looked in the mirror. We had a great talk the whole time and I'm really glad I entrusted my face to her. She was collaborative the whole time, let me know what we were going to do and asked me my opinion. There was no doubt in my mind that she wanted me to be happy but she needed her work to accurately reflect the quality she wanted to uphold. Really, really appreciated her and looking forward to the touch up! I also need to comment that I've seen worse work for way more money. Katie's work is so natural looking and I would've gladly paid more than what she charged me. Totally worth it. read more

Oakland Glow Studio - Before (top) and after (bottom). Here they are on day 3. Love love love them! So Natural-looking! - Permanent Makeup Near Me - Oakland, California

I have been going to Katie for about 4 years, and she always does an amazing job. She listens to my requests and preferences while also giving her professional opinion, and the result has always been lovely. It's scary to tattoo your face but Katie always makes it easy. read more

Katie is the best! I've had her do both microblading and lip blush on me. She really works with you to make sure you're satisfied. She takes time to listen, communicate with you, review the process, decide on colors, etc. I could not be happier with my results for both microblading and lip blush. She has me as a customer for life. Since lip blush is a newer service and not as many people are familiar with it, I want to review my experience with that in more detail. It's a two visit process (like microblading). I will say that it definitely hurts. Much more than microblading and more than a tattoo (I have several tattoos in different areas of my body so am v familiar with that level of pain). If you have a very low pain tolerance you may want to reconsider getting lip blush. I would say my pain tolerance is medium to medium high. In general, lips are just really sensitive and numbing doesn't work until after the first pass as the skin needs to be open in order to absorb the numbing ointment. If you have questions on this, be sure to ask her! All that said, after a little bit of pain, my lips look fuller and darker in a very natural way and I'm so stoked for them! Thank you, Katie! read more

I had seen the IG pics and was very impressed. I had micro blading done a few years ago and was hoping to get a touch up at this place. They charge you a $50 deposit online to book and will be used towards the final bill. I paid and booked it. When I arrived the owner had me wait for over 30minutes as she was working on a customer. When she finally assisted me she said she couldn't work on my brows since the previous work was done wrong and I needed a complete removal and have them redone completely. She said she does not remove and I would have to get that done first. I asked about the $50 deposit since I would be getting the work done and she said she would not return it. I decided to be the bigger person and just walk away as her and her partner at the shop seemed like real bullies. This place looks nice and her work on others seemed great but taking a deposit that did not belong to you since you cant do the job is just straight dishonest. No excuse nor mediocre explanation will justify. To me the deposit ain't too much of a loss but to other its is. This is an industry where the customer comes first and at this place there is no customer service! read more

Excellent natural looking microblading in a serene, convenient environment - I have been coming here for years.

I recently had lip blushing done by Katie & I love the results! My lips now have a great natural color to them that compliments my skin undertones. It also gives definition to my lips which adds a subtle natural fullness. I recommend lip blushing with Katie. She will create a lovely color that suits you perfectly. It adds a bit of happy in the mirror when you have no make up, make up on. It looks like a beautiful natural lip stain. read more

Oakland Glow Studio - Permanent Makeup Near Me - Oakland, California

This was the worst salon experience I've ever had. The owner couldn't take the time to answer questions, charged me for her rescheduling and cancellations, and is more concerned about making a profit than providing a professional service. Take your business somewhere else where it will be appreciated. read more

Katie did an amazing job on my brows. I'm ecstatic about the results I got after my touch up appt... Trust the process... First session, I had a framework of what my brows would be, after the 2nd session, they were filled out beautifully. I could not be happier, and don't have to put any makeup on them anymore! The best part is, they look so natural. I will be referring my friends and fam here. read more

See all

I chose Katie because she has a beautiful technique that is natural and beautiful. She is who you want when micro blading your face. She is extremely focused on the detail of your shape. I am loving my brows, Ijust wanted a little more structure to my natural ones and I followed all the protocols and couldn't be happier. If you are wanting a nicer brow, don't even hesitate with her. She also trains others in her technique.. I am so lucky I chose her. Thanks Oakland Glow! read more

Katie is amazing and she has a true talent for what she does. She makes you feel comfortable and is so much fun to be around and it's not painful or scary. I have every confidence in her ability and she makes me glow from all her great energy. Her prices are also reasonable and she's worth her weight in gold! Thank you Katie! read more

I'm so happy with my results and its only day-of treatment! Katie takes her work extremely seriously and is clearly very knowledgeable about the practice. The website has a fantastic FAQ, as well as detailed instructions for pre & post-care But if it's not there, Katie will happily provide whatever details you need. During our time together she explained everything and gave me the opportunity to ask all the questions. She actively checked in with me throughout and made me feel at home from the moment I walked into the salon through the end of the session. Look forward to continuing to work with Kim for future treatments. read more

If you're at all thinking about taking the plunge on micro blading - go see Katie. She is professional, thorough, super fun to talk to, her playlists are rad, and you will leave with gorgeous new eyebrows! She will walk you through every step of the way and make sure that you are comfortable, informed, and know exactly how to prep for your appointment and complete your after care. I am so happy with my pretty new eyebrows! read more

Growing up in the 90's...I had followed the unfortunate trend of plucking barely there brows, which never grew back. Yikes :( I feel so lucky to have found Katie. I've seen her 3 times now over the last few years and I trust her completely with my brows. She is continually educating herself on this field and is a wealth of information. She truly cares about her clients and involved me in every step of the process to make sure I was comfortable with the color and shape. She is professional, communicative & takes great care to make sure she is working in a sterile environment. She's also just a really nice human being and fun to be around. :) read more

Picked Oakland Glow for Microblading my eyebrows and I'm so happy I did. Katie is great, really thoughtful in picking out a color that will work over time, eased any nerves I had about the procedure, explained every step in detail. The studio is clean, relaxing and they play great music! I can't say enough about Katie's work, I love my eyebrows now and get many, many compliments on them. You can tell she loves what she does and her clients, I highly recommend Katie and Oakland Glow. read more

I just had my annual touch up with Katie and keep thinking how much I wish I'd done this years ago! I've had sparse, very blonde brows my whole life, and so for years have had to draw brows on daily, which is SUCH a pain in the butt because they almost never looked quite right. Fast forward to last year when I'd had enough and did a google search for microblading in my area. I came across Oakland Glow, spent a lot of time scrolling through Katie's Instagram, and though, YESSSS this is the natural, fluffy brow look I want! I think in the past I was a little afraid of the healing process, but mostly of the brows not coming out how I want. I've seen some brows that look painted on. Not Katie's!!! She works magic creating beautiful, natural brows. She explains every step of the process, is very transparent about healing, etc. If you are thinking about microblading, just do it!! You won't regret going to Katie. Worth every single penny. read more

Katie is a master of her craft. She was very honest and open about the microblading process, walked me through every step so I would know what to expect, and her artistic capability can't be beat. I can't recommend Oakland Glow more! read more

I'm so happy with my decision to have my brows done. Katie is very attentive and meticulous about her craft. She did a fantastic job! I have aging brows and she brought them back to life.I highly recommend Oakland Glow for an unregrettable, brow changing experience. For my before and after see 1st session magic in her photos. read more

Katie was really friendly and the price was low, but my brows didn't stay at all despite my following aftercare instructions and attending a touch up (I did modify instructions after the second touch-up, based on other articles I found -- I did not wet my brows for 7 days after the session, and used moisturizer on them every day after that to induce wet healing; I did this because I lost all my brows after the first session so the original aftercare instructions were obviously not working for me). There are couple strokes left in the middle now but that's about it. I have read you're not supposed to get your brows wet for the first 7 days, although she recommends you wash them with soap 24 hours after, which is a bit dubious. Also, I did not feel her scratching my skin at all, suggesting the ink did not go deep enough. read more

Oakland Glow Studio - Few weeks after 2nd touch up. Original strokes exceeded hair line by 2 mm -- that has faded completely. - Permanent Makeup Near Me - Oakland, California

Love my brows! I had lots of questions and the whole staff was informative and friendly With me. Katie did a tattoo removal on my brows as they were starting to get too reddish and blurred over time. I was nervous that the healing process (about 8 weeks) was going to be really noticeable but it wasn't bad at all. Katie was super gentle and precise and the color is lifting nicely. This is a great lil shop to go to for brows. I'm excited for the next step (new brow micro blading) and to check out some of they're other services;) read more

My eyebrows look fantastic...a big thanks to Katie for sharing her artistry! From the booking of our initial appointment to the second office appointment, Katie reviewed the process with me and answered all of my questions. She texted me a week after just to check in on my healing (so sweet!) Oakland Glow is located in an immaculate studio with lots of parking and so convienemt in Old Oakland. read more

I love my brows! I came in to see Katie to fix up some empty spots in my brows and have a fuller look. The place was really clean. She explained every aspect of the process to me. I explained I was nervous she immediately put me at ease and she was right . She was extra sanitary which explains my minor scabbing and I only had discomfort day of procedure . She worked with me and the shape I wanted to achieve. All in all a great experience and I will totally be coming back!!! read more

I booked an appointment on the 5th of April to get my eyebrows done on the 20th of May, this was after personal care places were allowed to reopen. I was extremely excited about this as I have been hesitant to take this step for years. The day comes, I take a day off of work (I'm a full time engineer) specially for this procedure which was set for 11 or 11:30 am. About 10 am I receive a call from the owner saying that she had to cancel because her kid was sick. Up to this point it's all normal, yes I was very disappointed because I waited 6 weeks for this, but if her kid is sick then it is what it is. But what upset me is how the owner was handling the cancellation, how she was talking to me, she basically just said that she has to cancel and that this is the first time she cancels in years, that's it. She did not offer any way of fixing this or trying to make it right. I had to be the one asking: okay what does this mean, when will you be available, do you do evenings...etc. when she sensed my disappointment she said: "I expect some sympathy here, and I'm also losing a day of work". She did not sound sincere in her apology even after I told her that I took a day off for this. I asked: do you work in weekends then since you're fully booked weekdays? She says "hmmm maybe" and that's it. This artist did not bother herself at all to come up with a solution for me, the customer that chose her and waited weeks for this. At the end she said she'll text me by the end of the day with new times, and she didn't. The next day I asked for cancellation and refund and she went ahead and cancelled, no apology no trying to make it right for this customer. I texted again after June 15th to inquire if there were more available slots since restrictions were lifted. No response. I do not recommend this place, I think customers deserve a bit more respect having chosen this service and waited for a long time for it. Those 6 weeks of waiting were enough to have all artists in the area booked through the end of the year. read more

I was scared to do microblading since I basically equated it to tattooing your face but Katie at Oakland glow made me so happy I did. I love how natural they look and her process of building up the brow in 2 sessions. It makes for a subtle and gradual transition. Just came home from my touch up and love my brows! I highly recommend her (and her online booking option made flexibility made scheduling easy.) read more

Oh goodness, i'm SO grateful I found this place, Katie is amazing!!! I've always had funny shaped brows, and no matter how I waxed, tweezed or threaded them, they never looked quite right. I was really wanting a natural look and honestly was not sure what to expect, but Katie made me feel so comfortable and at ease. She's a true master of her work and I absolutely LOVE how my brows look- highly recommend!! read more

I had lip blushing done my Katie at Oakland Glow Studios and I am so happy with the healed results! She made me feel comfortable the entire time and walked me through everything she was doing to make sure I was 100% happy. The studio was so clean and nice. I would give this place more than 5 starts if I could! read more

Katie is so amazing and talented at what she does... I cannot tell you the amount of compliments I get on my brows... they're so natural looking. She's fun to work with and takes her job seriously, you can tell she is passionate about what she does. read more

Katie is a natural at giving beautiful, natural brows! In love with mine. They're perfect.

I had the pleasure of getting my eyebrows microbladed by Katie once again. I am a returning client, and didn't think it was possible to be more thrilled about her work then I was the first time. I appreciate her professionalism, and talent, as I am particular with my face. I try to stick with current Eyebrow trends, and she was able to accommodate my changes since our last session. Her creativity, and skill set are top notch. I'm in love with my brows! read more

I can't wait for my second appointment. Katie is as professional as you can get. She's a perfectionist. I love my brows even only with one session. Thank you so much for making me even more purdy! You Da Bomb Dot Com read more

My girl Katie is not only one of the funniest and kindest ladies but she's extremely well trained and professional. Not to mention her personal salon is clean and very relaxed and private..... gonna be sticking with her for many of their services for a long time. Highly recommend!!! read more

I could not be happier with the magic Katie did to my eyebrows! I have been plucking my eyebrows since I was 14 and unfortunately they were not what they used to be. I had missing patches with short tails that wasn't helping shape my face the way I wanted them to. Katie addressed all my eyebrow needs and honestly I couldn't have dreamt of a better result. She filled them in and made them look so natural! No one can tell! She took my natural shape and used what I had to enhance them so beautifully. The best part, being a mother of a 6 month old, is that it's one less thing I have to worry about. She was incredibly meticulous and made sure they looked perfect before I left the shop. I'm 100% satisfied and would recommend her to anyone. read more