Lip blushing is a cosmetic tattoo designed to enhance your lip color and shape. A form of semi-permanent makeup, the procedure uses natural pigments to give you a more defined pout.
First, a licensed aesthetician or cosmetic tattoo artist maps out your ideal lip shape using lip liner, clearly defining the border and slightly exaggerating the Cupid’s bow (if that's the look you're after).
You'll discuss your color preferences, and they will create a customized tint that flatters your skin tone, one to two shades deeper than your natural lip color. Typically, cooler skin undertones look best with blue-based hues, while skin with yellow undertones goes well with warmer shades.
Then your provider will apply a topical anesthetic to your lips for about 20 minutes. Once you’re numb, they’ll begin infusing your lips with pigment using a handheld electronic needling device, starting with the border and layering color into the body of the lips to saturate the upper layers of skin.
It sounds painful, but topical numbing cream usually makes it tolerable. You will feel some pressure, along with a light pinching or stippling sensation.
The whole process takes one to three hours and leaves lips much more vibrant than they’ll eventually look once they’re fully healed. Lip pigmentation can fade by as much as 50% within the first week after your treatment. Unlike the permanent synthetic dyes of old, today's natural vegan and/or organic pigments stay true to tone, gradually fading over the course of several years.
As with microblading (eyebrow tattoos), the rules governing who can legally perform lip blushing procedures or any kind of semipermanent makeup application vary from state to state. In most places, however, a tattooing or body art license is required.
Look for a licensed technician with years of experience, rave reviews, and a portfolio flush with lip blushing before and after photos that showcase both immediate and long-term results.
