A long look

Permanent eyeliner sounds like sure-fire timesaver, but there’s the little matter of having it applied, says Amy Parsons-King.

Imagine rolling out of bed just a little later each morning because you don’t have to worry about meticulously applying your eyeliner, or being able to watch a super-sad film without being concerned about coming out of the theatre with mascara streaming down your cheeks! For me — someone who doesn’t leave the house without eyeliner — the opportunity to have it permanently tattooed was very exciting (and nerve-racking).

Now, despite having several tattoos, the idea of getting my precious peepers that close to a needle was daunting to say the least, so when I walked into Embellir to get the treatment done a few weeks ago, my stomach was  doing somersaults. I really didn’t know what to expect.

A week before the tattooing, I met  the owner of Embellir, beauty therapist and cosmetic tattooist Emma Buckner, to do a patch test with the pigment she’d be using. She placed a small amount behind my ear and we waited to see if I had a reaction. Fortunately, I did not, so we scheduled my appointment for a week later.

On the day, Emma made me as comfortable as possible on the treatment bed, placing a massage pillow behind my neck and handing me a stress-ball to squeeze for when she was tattooing. This freaked me out a bit: was it really going to be that painful?!

Firstly, Emma lubricated my eyes with eyedrops, then applied topical numbing cream to my eyelids. The numbing cream was on for about 15 minutes,  then wiped off. At this stage my eyelids were completely numb, which was a very odd sensation, as it was difficult to open my eyes. Next up, Emma showed me the disposable needles she’d be using and demonstrated how she’d be stretching the skin around my eye, ensuring it was firm. I was told not to open them during treatment. This made me feel a lot more at ease, as I was freaking out I’d accidentally open them and be jabbed in the eye with a needle.

Now it was time to begin, and my stomach surged with nerves. I gave the stress-ball a good squeeze and told Emma I was ready to proceed. Surprisingly it didn’t hurt at all. It’s like a slight scratching and nowhere near as uncomfortable as a body tattoo.

After one eye was completed, Emma applied another numbing cream, which she referred to as the "magic gel".  One and a-half hours later the treatment was complete and Emma wiped away any residual ink from around my eyes and sent me away with my after-care instructions. In the new year I’m looking forward to going back to get a retouch.

Note: Cosmetic tattooing lasts from two to five years depending on the person. Emma uses Bella Pigments from the US and a rotary pen to carry out the tattooing.