Microblading: The latest beauty craze

Busy women like myself are always on the lookout for hacks that will shave precious minutes off our makeup routine. Tattooed makeup is an option, but not for me because I’m afraid of needles, a stickler for safety and hygiene, and what if the tattoo artist gets it wrong? I’ll be stuck with bad makeup and fake-looking brows for the rest of my life!

Brow technology has leveled up since makeup tattooing was first introduced: “No one likes those black, stamped eyebrows,” says Dovile Zilinskaite, master brow architect at PhiBrows. “It’s not natural.”

Zilinskaite specializes in the latest craze sweeping the beauty world: microblading, a semi-permanent procedure that promises natural-looking eyebrows tailored to flatter your face.

A Serbian gent, Branko Babic, founded PhiBrows in Europe as the gold standard in microblading, and it’s good the company upholds the highest standards of safety, hygiene and training because the procedure is invasive: an artist draws on fine lines that mimic eyebrow hairs using a handheld tool that implants pigments under the skin — think of it as a Tattoo Lite.

If this sounds painful and scary, it isn’t — well, not really. We asked those who’ve undergone the procedure what it feels like and they liken it to having your brows plucked or threaded. 

PhiBrows are guaranteed to look natural because they follow the principle of the “golden ratio” (the geometry found in all of nature) and PhiArtists create your brows based on your skin coloring and facial contours, resulting in hyper-realistic eyebrows that perfectly frame your face. I like to think of them as “bespoke brows.”

PhiMasters like Zilinskaite go around the world training PhiArtists like Ron Peña, the pioneering microblading artist in the Philippines. “Training had to be very discerning because this treatment affects women’s lives,” Peña says.

When you go in for a consultation at PhiBrows, they are very thorough. They analyze your skin, look into your health and medical history, and ask prescreening questions.

“We ask if they’re ready for it,” says PhiArtist Whena Pino. “We assess their lifestyle, the color of their hair, skin, eyes and lashes, because most of us dye our hair and this determines the pigments to be used. Our pigments are all-natural, manufactured and formulated in Germany.” 

Peña adds that microblading is treated like a dermatological procedure at PhiBrows: “We use sterile tools and materials that are all medical-grade. It’s very, very safe.”

The whole process takes from one-and-a-half to two hours, with no downtime to speak of. One client said she went to a party that same night. Aftercare lasts five to seven days, with PhiBrows providing special ointments for healing.

The results are so impressive that the eyebrow business is booming, with celebrities like Olivia Palermo and Bella Thorne just two of many fans.

“It’s the No. 1 treatment in the world!” Zilinskaite says. “Lately we all have crazy, busy lifestyles, so women want convenience, and the most important is brows. The first thing we notice is the brows because they express emotion.”

PhiArtists not only follow the morphology of your face to achieve the right eyebrow shape, they also have to find the ideal place for your brows on your brow bone using special apps and instruments to measure.

Microblading is suited not just to the sparse-browed among us, but also those with alopecia and illnesses like cancer and lupus, as well as accident survivors. PhiBrows supports an alopecia group, in fact, as part of its corporate social responsibility. And men, you can do it, too. Microblading is getting very popular among males.

At PhiBrows, the procedure costs from P23,000 to P28,000, with results lasting from six to 18 months depending on many factors, from your lifestyle to the kind of makeup you use. Zilinskaite advises a retouch every year, and cautions potential clients about choosing only microblade outfits they can trust. “The intervention creates a micro wound, so attention to hygiene and safety is a must,” she says.

Zilinskaite, who founded PhiBrows in London, plans to establish an academy in the Philippines, which is already the top microblading country in Southeast Asia, drawing in students from Indonesia and Korea.

“We have big plans: master’s training is a possibility for people to grow with us,” she says.

I have to admit I’m impressed with the three ladies’ brows, and curious about the procedure. The next time you see me I might be sporting bespoke brows of my own, but only my PhiArtist will know for sure.

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Royal PhiBrows artist Ron Peña, whose microblading studio is in Legazpi Village, Makati, can be contacted through her mobile, 0999-881-2669. PhiBrows artist Whena Pino, whose studio is on Katipunan in Quezon City, can be contacted at 0917-513-7546.

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