Microblading Review: Everything You Need to Know

For those of you who have thinner brows or like the idea of a low-maintenance look, consider microblading! I had contemplated the idea of getting microblading done but wasn’t sure whether I wanted to go through with it or not. Then, I was asked by Microblading Artist Cody Lynn Hubbell if I would be interested in the service in exchange for a review. After I saw photos of her work on Instagram I immediately said “yes!”

Now before we move forward, some of you may be wondering… “What is microblading?!” To put it simply, microblading is a semi-permanent service that pigments your skin with feather-like strokes. Since it is semi-permanent, it’s obviously important to do your research on potential artists to make sure their work is consistently the same. Cody Lynn’s work is flawless in different complexions and brow fullness. I saw her render great results in both fair and dark complexions. She even used her 3-D technique to give the illusion of brows to clients who lacked hair entirely.

Microblading is a challenging art because everyone’s epidermis is a different level of thickness. If the artist makes too thick of incisions then the brows could end up as a scar instead of the desired look. If it’s too thin, then the pigment won’t stand a chance. There is a very specific happy medium and Cody Lynn nails it! When booking a microblading session with Cody Lynn, you will receive two sessions: an initial foundation session and a touch up session 4-6 weeks later. See my results below!

Session 1

I grew out my brows as much as I could prior to the session to allow Cody Lynn to shape them as needed. She clearly marked and filled in my brows so I could make any adjustments. She happily obliged when I noted that I wanted more fullness towards the top instead of the bottom, as I have always felt I had a bigger forehead ha ha. After Cody Lynn made the first fill, she then asked me if I would like it filled in anywhere else. I love that she started smaller, as it’s easier to add more than it is to remove the strokes…mostly because you can’t once they’re made ahaha.

While the pain was none to minimal due to the numbing Cody Lynn applied, your eyes may still water and your brows will be red for 15-30min after the service. Aside from that, you won’t expect any pain during the recovery. The pain is nowhere near the pain of a regular tattoo for those who are worried.

Session 2

After my initial session in late November, I returned for my second session five weeks later in January. This time around I was done with my marathon and triathlon season. I had
injured myself during my marathon in December so I had switched my
routines to hot yoga and barre. Since I couldn’t sweat, I decided fully
to focus on barre. I took so much care to even avoid putting on
foundation and instead opted for a light powder. I was determined to
make my color last. I was incredibly happy with how well the color came out after the healing process. My arch tail maintained better this time. If anything, I may just opt for a touch up to darken the upper part of my arches, however it still looks great.

Healing Process
Days 1-4
Looked awesome!

Days 4-6
Still looked good but definitely darker than desired. Honestly it didn’t bother me too much since my hair is pretty dark. I could see how this would be more problematic for those with lighter hair.

Days 6-12
Scabby, flaky, oh my! Definitely not pretty but DO NOT PICK!!!!!! You will affect the healing process and also potentially turn your healing pigments to a scar, which won’t result in the desired color. Apply a tiny bit of Aquaphor over the scabbing will help prevent any itchiness.


Days 12-16
Patchy transitioning to a lighter shade. Resist all temptation to color in patches.

Days 16-20
The color slowly is coming out with a few scabs still healing.


Days 20-30
My pigment has surfaced nicely to a beautiful, natural color.

Post-Brow Life

I’m quite impressed and happily going to barre at 6:00am with perfect
brows! It’s also nice to go to work with these since I wear minimum
makeup on most days. However, if I wear heavier makeup, I do pencil in
my brows to match the density of makeup. Cody Lynn told me my brows won’t be
affected by penciling them in for special nights since my brows are
healed. I’m still avoiding the sun to make sure my pigment is fully retained. When I begin running again, I will wear both a visor to block the sun from my brows and swipe sunscreen over them. I will probably avoid swimming in a chlorine pool for another month.

What you need to know:

• Definitely research the salon’s work before booking your artist. As mentioned previously, all of Cody Lynn’s work was consistently good. Both her tagged photos and photos she shared. A lot of microblade artists are NOT good. I’ve seen some people get microblading done and their brows are uneven or the arch was shaped odd. DO YOUR RESEARCH.
• This is not recommended to do if you’re in the middle of a marathon or triathlon season. You truly must not sweat to make the most results out of the microblading sessions. My first session would’ve been better if I wasn’t towards the end of my marathon training… AKA running 16-20mi on a regular basis. This past November in Tucson was still pretty hot with days in the 90s, so running in warm weather further impacted the healing of my brows. You also cannot swim while your brows are healing, as you’re not suppose to get the brows wet for 14 days.
• Do NOT put any water on your brows after the first day. Use face wipes to thoroughly remove your makeup on your forehead before
  showering. The steam from the shower could cause your foundation to run
  into your healing brows.
• Avoid saunas, pool-side tanning, long exposure to the sun and basically anything that permits sweating.
• Always use sunscreen when you’re outside to protect your skin from UV rays, but be extra aware to put sunscreen on your brows to prevent fading. 
• I do not recommend getting your brows done within a month before a special event. During the healing process, your brows will get flaky (some people get dandruff looking brows if they decide to not use Aquaphor) and patchy. During both of those phases, you must absolutely NOT apply any makeup product to your brows and just let them be. Planning a trip to the Caribbean or a photoshoot? Do not plan your brow appointment around that time. Your brows need to heal. BUT, it will absolutely be worth it!!!!!!!!
• DO NOT TOUCH BROWS.

Cost:

• $450, initial and one touch-up session
• $75, additional sessions if needed 
• $225, annual sessions (every 12-18 months)

The price may seem daunting at first, but consider you won’t need to do another session for up to 18 months later… that averages out to $25/month when you break the cost down. You also save time penciling in your brows for a natural look. I would definitely recommend getting microblading done and I plan to do one more touch up session after the wedding. Feel free to email me or DM me on Instagram your microblading questions!