Without a doubt, the number one question I get asked by people is how a guy like me got into doing permanent makeup. So here's the story.
Back in 2009, my life looked a lot different. I had just moved into a new house with my (then) wife and we were busy with the house and the new baby, with another on the way. As I navigated the stress of balancing a job in sales I dislked along with limited sleep, I faced a significant turning point when one day I learned my position had been eliminated. The country was in the middle of a global financial crisis and businesses were closing up shop. I was part of the fallout. I needed a job, but doing what? Already thirty-nine, I had spent the last seventeen years in sales and did not want to go back. I wanted the rest of my work life to not be work life. I knew I would have two young boys and wanted to do work that excited me but to also never have to miss a game or event. I craved something that would excite my mind and inspire creativity but had obligations that required either establishing a solid new career or going back to the one I was trying to stay away from.
As fate would have it, my ex was an esthetician and would get frequent requests from her clients asking if she knew anyone who could do eyebrow tattoos. I needed a job and could do my ex's brows better than she could and that was enough for me to decide to do permanent makeup. Years prior I had been to makeup school in pursuit of a different career and had done stage and film makeup (semi)-professionally, but knowing how to create the perfect soft arch or natural looking brow with a tattoo machine is not the same.
At the time, cosmetic tattooing was still an antiquated art form and a service that not many offered. Info on who to see or where to go was hard to find. Specialized schools were few and far between and by today's standards not very good. Old machines and methods of tattooing were still in use and part of every curriculum. Poor quality pigments were commonplace. Machines and needles didn't offer the versatility and precision they do now. Techniques and styles lacked naturalism. The cosmetic tattoo work people were doing back then wasn't awful, but it wasn't modern.
In late 2009 I gave a crazy old lady who always wore Kentucky derby hats and too much eyeshadow a check for $7500 to teach me everything she knew about permanent makeup. She ran a competency-based school and I went every day from 10-4 to learn as much as I could so I could set up shop asap. The school taught just the basics of permanent makeup and tattooing, but it was enough to whet my appetite.
I finished in a few months and it was at about this time a new technique for tattooing realistic looking eyebrows was emerging out of southeast Asia and Japan called microblading. It quickly became massively popular worldwide. The cosmetic tattoo world was about to undergo a renaissance of sorts and fortuitously I was at the forefront. The work began to pour in and for the next few years eyebrows were my focus as I sought out advanced trainers whose work I admired, including Mary Jane Haake in Portland and Teryn Darling from Las Vegas. I eventually began incorporating everything I was learning from these industry titans into developing my own approach and technique for lips and eyeliner as well.
After I got licensed I would hang out at the hair salon I leased space at and chat up the clients, listening to their stories, and immersing myself in learning as much as I could about cosmetic tattooing. I did permanent makeup for anyone who would ask. Referrals started happening. Clients came from Seattle, Boise, and San Francisco. My receptionist soon had my books filled up and I started taking deposits. I ended up staying at that salon for six years (some of those early clients may still remember my little windowless room in the back next to the breakroom). My portfolio expanded and I added services. I was eager to learn and to do great work and quickly embraced all methods and techniques. I had a simple goal: I wanted to be the best in the world at permanent makeup. I’m still working on it.
Mastering the Craft
As my work continued to evolve and expand, I recognized the importance of honing my skills and keeping up with industry trends. The permanent makeup world is always changing, with new techniques and technologies emerging regularly. I’ve invested substantial time in workshops and certification courses to expand my expertise and deliver the best results to my clients.
Throughout the years, I’ve built a wonderful community of clients. Many have become friends, and I deeply value and honor the trust they place in me. Being a good artist in this field means doing hundreds and hundreds of clients while continuing to learn and grow your craft. It requires technical knowledge, but more importantly it requires the ability to know what will work for a client when they don't. When done right, permanent makeup can enhance a person's face by as much as 75%. That's alot. In the end, it's not just about applying pigment; it’s about understanding the person and what it is they want to see happen.
Looking ahead, I’m excited about the future of permanent makeup. Coaching the next generation of new artists on the come up is exciting to me. Constantly growing as an artist and providing exceptional permanent makeup work for my clients will forever be my current status.
Reflections on My Journey
So, that’s how I got into permanent makeup! From being unexpectedly fired to discovering my true passion, the journey has certainly had it's share of peaks and valleys, but through it all I am still having the time of my life. Each and every one of my clients is a unique and beautiful soul and as such I am forever reminded of the power of transformation and the beauty of connection.
If you’re on a journey of your own, I encourage you to follow your instincts and explore what makes you happy, no matter if you're eighteen or eighty. Sometimes, unexpected events and a little luck lead us to our greatest passions. Here’s to many more years of creating beauty and confidence together.
See you at your appointment!
love erik