Permanent makeup (also known as semi-permanent makeup, cosmetic tattooing or micropigmentation) is a type of superficial tattooing that involves implanting pigment into the dermis layer of the skin to enhance your brows or lips.

Most permanent makeup (machine brows and lip blush) treatments use a digital tattoo machine, while microblading uses a fine blade instead.

Permanent makeup will last different lengths of time in everyone, depending on the type of pigment used, the depth it’s implanted, your skin type, as well as lifestyle factors (e.g. sun exposure).

Although it’s called ‘permanent makeup’, the pigments we use are designed to fade gradually and last 1-3 years. Our faces change as we age, so being able to make changes as the years go on is ideal!

The pigment we use at AURA is hybrid, which means it is the best of both world (inorganic and organic pigments). It has vibrancy, but does not last too long (1-3 years) and will fade gradually, without drastic colour changes.

Absolutely! AURA specialises in natural-looking permanent makeup in Bristol. Our goal is for your brows or lips to look “freshly done” without knowing anything was done at all.

With all permanent makeup, it will appear darker when you first have it done and continue to darken for a few days. It will then shed and leave a lighter, very natural-looking result.

Permanent makeup is generally safe when performed by a trained and certified professional using sterile tools and pigments. However, risks include allergic reactions, infection, and uneven results.

Always research your artist and ensure proper precare and aftercare​.

Permanent makeup can be removed using laser removal or saline removal.

If you have previous permanent makeup done elsewhere that is still visible and would like a cover up, we will need to review if enough pigment has faded or if removal may be required. Please send us a photo so we can provide advice.

Permanent makeup is not recommended for:
- Anyone under the age of 18 (must be over 18 by law)
- Pregnant or breastfeeding individuals - please wait 2 months after birth/breastfeeding to give your hormones time to settle down.
- Those with skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, or keloid-prone skin near the treatment area
- Those with active infections, open wounds, or cold sores in the area; if you suffer from cold sores, you’ll need to take preventative medication before a lip blush appointment.
- Those taking blood-thinning medications without consulting their doctor​.

When you book an appointment, you will receive a survey to check your overall health and suitability for treatment, so any other contraindications can be picked up.

What is microblading? Microblading is a treatment to create super fine hair strokes using a manual blade. Microblading is best suited to those who like a very natural ‘barely there’ look.

Who is suitable for microblading? Microblading is more suited to those with normal/dry skin types. It can be done on oiler skin types but the lines will not remain as crisp and may blur over time, we we need to space the strokes out more. Nano brows or combination brows would be better suited for oily skin.

What are combo brows? Combo brows combines microblading (hair strokes) and shading (a soft powder fill using a digital device) for a more defined and dimensional look. The amount of microblading vs machine shading for combination brows is completely customised to each client.

- Soft combo is more microblading throughout and soft shading, for a natural but more defined look.

- Strong combo is similar to a powder brow throughout, with hair strokes at the front. This gives a more polished look ( it mimics makeup more than your own natural brows).

Who is suitable for combo brows? Combination brows are suitable for all skin types. They last a little longer than microblading due to the way pigment is implanted. Combo brows are more suited to those with little-no brow hair, or over-plucked brows, as the shading helps to blend and create dimension.

Semi-permanent brows is a two part treatment to make sure you get the best healed results. These are charged for separately.

Your initial appointment will be longer as we will need to map, decide on pigments and create the initial result. Your top up will be a shorter appointment to fill in any patches where the pigment did not retain and generally give the colour a boost.

If you’re feeling nervous about your treatment, I tend to suggest going lighter on your first appointment and we can always go darker or fuller on your top up for a gradual approach.

4 weeks before your appointment:
- Avoid products with Vitamin A or retinol in

3 weeks before your appointment:
- Do not have Botox, as this needs to settle in time for your appointment.

2 weeks before your appointment:
- Do not have too much sun exposure or use sunbeds

1 week before your appointment:
- Do have wax or tweeze your eyebrows (we will do this during your appointment)
- Avoid taking fish oil or Vitamin E

24 hours before your appointment:
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol and aspirin/Ibuprofen as these will thin your blood. This will directly impact your healed results.
- Avoid heavy workout just before or rushing to your appointment as this will get your blood pumping.

Your brows will take a few weeks to heal fully. For the first 7 days, you will experience some itchiness and peeling - this is normal and a sign that it is healing.

We will provide you with full aftercare advice on the day, but the main things to remember are:

Avoid all forms of water or liquids - this includes avoiding your treated area when showering or washing, no excessive sweating, no saunas etc.

Avoid touching the area. This can be difficult when it’s itchy, but will risk infection. Leave any flaking alone as much as possible to avoid prematurely pulling skin off.

Avoid the sun - usually not a problem in the UK(!) but if it does come out, avoid direct sun light, and definitely no sunbeds.

Permanent makeup has come a long way since the days of pigment colours changing in the skin or lasting 10 years (when they told you 2 years!).

At AURA, we use high quality hybrid pigments which are designed to fade gradually over time, without colour changes. They will last 1-2- years depending on how the aftercare advice is followed, your skin type, and environmental factors like sun exposure.

It is recommended to come for an annual top up (or once they fade by about 40%) to keep them looking crisp and fresh!

Lip blush is a semi-permanent cosmetic tattooing technique designed to enhance the natural colour, shape, and definition of the lips. It involves implanting pigment into the lips using a machine with a fine needle to create a soft, natural tint, much like a lip stain or balm effect.

Who is suitable? Lip blush is suitable for all skin types. It’s particularly perfect for those with: cool toned or pale lips, mature lips which has lost some natural pigment, those with filler who may not have a defined border etc.

Who is not suitable for lip blush? If you have an ongoing skin condition or infection, you will need to wait before going ahead. If you have extremely dry lips, these will need to be well hydrated before the treatment for it to work. If you have extremely dark lips, lip neutralisation treatment may be needed first to correct the undertone before getting your desired lip blush colour.

Lip blush is a two part treatment to make sure you get the best healed results. We charge separately for initial appointment and the touch up (6-8 weeks later) as not everyone feels they need the touch up.

Your initial appointment will be longer as we will need to map, decide on pigments and create the initial result.

Your touch up will be a shorter appointment to fill in any patches where the pigment did not retain and generally give the colour a boost.

Lip blush is exactly as the name suggests - a natural looking tint, when healed. It will look darker after the procedure (due to blood rushing to the surface) and the colour will darken as it heals (3-4 days after the procedure).

Once healed, you’ll be left with a lovely natural tint to your lips, so you can just pop on some Vaseline and be good to go!

If you do want a more saturated colour when healed, we can go over the lips with more passes to achieve this. Just let us know during your consultation.

The healing process for lip blush typically takes 5–10 days for the initial healing and up to 6 weeks for the colour to fully settle and reveal its true tone. Here’s a day-by-day breakdown of what to expect:

Day 1: Lips may be a little swollen and colour will appear darker/more warm toned after procedure due to blood rushing to the surface of your skin.

Day 2-4: Lips will get gradually drier and the skin tighter before it eventually started to peel away.

Day 4-7: Your lips will shed the outer layer of skin and reveal fresh skin. They will appear lighter in colour.

Day 7 - 30: Your lip colour will gradually settle and start to come back more. You may notice patches - these generally even themselves out. If not, this is what the top up session is for!

After 6-8 weeks, you’re due for your top up appointment!

Yes you can - those who have suffered with cold sores in past can find their lip border is less defined, and lip blush helps with this.

However it is absolutely essential that you get preventative medication to prevent an outbreak from the treatment - this can be bought via online pharmacies for ease. Please make sure you get medication and take in the days before your appointment, as per the advice from your medical practitioner. 

Yes absolutely. You can have both lip blush and lip filler - the lip borders can lose their definition over time as a result of having filler. Lip blush can help to restore this.

If you have had lip filler recently, you will need to wait a minimum of 6 weeks before you can have lip blush to allow your lips to heal. If you plan to have lip blush first, you must wait at least 4 weeks after the top up (your second appointment) to give them time to heal before having fresh lip filler.

Lip blush lasts for roughly 2 years before fading, but is different for everyone. An annual colour boost is recommended to keep them looking their best!

We apply a primary numbing before the procedure so you’re as comfortable as possible, as well as secondary numbing throughout.

Some clients find it a little painful, others will be falling asleep - it really depends on the individual! If you find it more on the painful side, we can apply more numbing to take the edge off.

We have all the most popular shades for more natural lip colours (nudes, cinnamon and pinks), as well a those with more peachy, red or mauve tones. We can create a custom colour for you, based on the lip colour you’d like - bring in a lipstick if you have one and we can colour match!