Successful Ombre' Brows on ALL SKIN TYPES!

There are various permanent makeup techniques to achieve Ombre' Powder Brows. Most classes only teach one technique but not every client wants exactly the same look and for those that do, they don't all have the same skin type. Artists with tool box of various techniques to achieve similar looks on a variety of skin types, including the most challenging, are able to successfully treat a more versatile clientele.

Ombre' refers to the graduated colour that results when the head of the brow appears lighter or softer than the rest of the brow. The current trend in 2022 is a defined brow shape with a heavier bottom brow edge. The top edge of the brow can be either defined or soft and graduated. 

The most commonly trained technique for Ombre' Powder Brows is Whip Shading, also known asPendulum. This technique is usually done with a single needle, fast hand movements, and a slow machine speed so that as it passes across the skin it creates a spray of dots that heal to soft, powdery colour. The brow colour is slowly built up with multiple passes to achieve the desired density. Less pigment, or  diluted pigment, can be deposited into the head of the brow to create the Ombre' look. This technique is perfect for a client who wants Ombre' or Shaded Brows and has thick, healthy smooth (young) skin.

For clients with older thinner skin, or a less uniform skin texture, this technique is not ideal as the fast needle movements can drag the needle across delicate or uneven skin and create scratching. It can be difficult to implant pigment in these skin types and poor colour retention is common due to the skin trauma created.

An Ombre' Powder Brow on more challenging skin types can be achieved with  Pointillism. Pointillism is the application of each individual dot in an up and down movement 90 degrees to the skin surface. This type of movement eliminates needle drag and allows the depth of each individual dot to be adjusted according to skin thickness and unevenness, resulting in uniform saturation. Density is adjusted by the number of dots applied, so the Ombre' look is still very achievable. This technique also works well for those who want enhanced brows and less edge definition for a more natural look.

Ombre' Powder Brows can also be achieved using Traditional Shading. This is similar to body tattoo shading using a larger configuration of shading needles or magnum needles. An Ombre' look can be achieved by adjusting pigment dilution or using a lighter pigment shade in the head of the brow.

Understanding how and when to use these techniques will allow you to achieve beautifully shaded brows for a larger variety of clients and skin types. Our 2 day Machine Brow Shading Course with 20 year PMU veteran, Stephanie Wilson CPCP CTAE, covers all 3 techniques as well as how needle selection and pigment types contribute to the success or failure of this technique. 

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