Definition and tint and to lips, any long-term PMU experiences?

October 21, 2024 9:59 AM

Hi, i am looking into lip blushing, looking for a natural color and shape correction. I don't feel confident about my pale and strange shaped lips but I'm at the same time terrified of it fading unevenly and the need for eventual laser removal. Does anyone know what it's like to have lip blush for 5-10+ years? Is it a lifetime commitment? Does the lip line stay forever?

I have a kind of a failed microblading behind me (I tried to add my missing pieces of eyebrows( and it's barely visible after 4 months. It is patched, however, which you can see if you look closely. Can the same happen to the PMU pigment for lips? I hate really dislike wearing lipstick, to be honest.
If I go through with it, I really want a good artist. I was considering this one: The artist I'm looking into is this one

Pictures of my natural lips: here and here

https://i.imgur.com/CRQdEtp.png

posted by Salicornia to Health & Fitness (10 answers total)

My stepmom got this and hated it. Incredibly painful (and as a person with tattoos on arms and legs I cannot imagine how bad tattooing your lips would feel!!), came out bright orange instead of the soft mauve she had asked for, and then the color fell out entirely a few months later. I don’t have any first hand experience, but based on her experience I definitely would not do it.

Also I am in the process of healing a new tattoo on my arm and it’s soooo itchy. I would be so miserable having to deal with that on my mouth.
posted by music for skeletons at 11:10 AM on October 21

(Your lips aren't "strange shaped" whatsoever, in fact they are very pretty, IMO)
posted by tristeza at 1:16 PM on October 21 [32 favorites]

I love your color you can wear a lot of colors I can’t! Nice pink and peaches.

I don’t like a lot of lipstick textures either, Have you tried Kat von D or use Selena Gomez blush for your lips. Her blush stain is very potent, I use like a pencil tip amount at most. Apparently pat mcgrath lipstick is also good.

Finally I think thin lips are stylish but yours are not that thin you have a nice lip bow! There’s a lot of non-surgical options to try here, maybe go to Sephora and get a lip tutorial? Even Anne hathaways lip trick. I guess what I’m trying to say is be open to beauty in all its forms and explore your options!
posted by St. Peepsburg at 1:45 PM on October 21

(Ugh I just see now that I read the second “tint” as “thin” for some reason - sorry for leading with that assumption. I still think your lip color is so nice with your skin tone and if anything a little highlighter on the bow of your lip would play with the shape and maybe give the look you’re looking for.)
posted by St. Peepsburg at 2:09 PM on October 21

In general, I think tattoos look like tattoos, not natural body coloration.

I think your lips are lovely as-is. Actually, I think they look like mine too!

One thing you could consider doing, which is temporary, is a Botox “lip flip.” (Note: I am not recommending this for you! Far from it! I think you do not need this and that your natural lips are beautiful!) It doesn’t change tint but can change the appearance of your lip shape. However it also impacts how your mouth & lip muscles move, obviously. But it is temporary, lasting only a few months, so you could try it and see if you like it without fear of a longer-term impact.
posted by samthemander at 2:39 PM on October 21 [1 favorite]

I've had microblading on my eyebrows, but turns out my extremely oily skin made a mess of it and it also wore off before expected. My original tattoo artist should have warned me about it, and I went to someone better (and with a different technique) at a later time.

I also have my eyeliner tattooed with a bit of ombre eyeshadow in the mix. I love it and feel great about myself every day. (Just mentioning this to say that not all permanent makeup is awful or miserable.)

I don't have anything done with my lips, but based on the info sheet from my last appointment regarding the general process, the healing for lips is quite involved. It can cause flare-ups of cold sores, even if you haven't been prone to them before. Bruising is going to be a bit more of an ordeal, as eating could be painful/difficult for a while especially with staining foods. Drinking from a straw is a must for several weeks. IMO it's got to be really worth it, and in general your lip condition needs to be consistently healthy and moisturized for this to work out. (Mine are chapped constantly for example and I wouldn't be a good candidate even if I wanted this.)

Also I am really jealous of your natural lips so take that as you will!

What I would recommend doing is searching through reddit for people's experiences with permanent makeup specifically on their lips, as I did a ton of similar digging before my eyeliner. Even if people only complain online when things go bad, at least you'll have a better understanding of what the general complaints are. For example this thread from 5 months ago, or this older one from a year ago.
posted by It Was Capitalism All Along at 4:17 PM on October 21

Non answer, sorry, but if I was considering PMU, I'd take in your pictures for the tattoo artist and ask them to make my lips look like yours.
posted by kate4914 at 4:59 PM on October 21 [3 favorites]

Have you tried tinted chapstick? I use the rosé color from Fresh because it’s a pretty close shade match for my lips but darkens them a bit. Doesn’t feel weird or drying like lipstick and since it’s a close color match, I don’t have to worry about what it looks like if it partially comes off. Both Fresh and Sephora sell mini samplers, especially around the holidays, or you can swatch a bunch in store to find a good color match.

Burt’s Bees has a similar product at drugstore prices, but I found that the pigment sat more on top of my lips than with the Fresh ones.
posted by A Blue Moon at 5:06 PM on October 21 [2 favorites]

Friend, your lips are pretty and you should not mess with them. They are emphatically not "pale" or "strange shaped." You already look like you're wearing the perfect tint. It is 100% bonkers to mess with this gift from Mother Nature. Don't let your self-perception be distorted by all the weird puffy lips you see these days. That trend will fade and you will still have your lovely, natural, full, rosy-peachy lips.
posted by HotToddy at 7:19 PM on October 21 [7 favorites]

I messaged you.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:20 AM on October 22