I bet if I didn’t tell you, you wouldn’t have a clue that my eye liner is tattooed. Well, after 10 years, I’m finally sharing my thoughts on this process and a little information with all of you. About 10 years ago when the fad of tattooed eyeliner was much more popular, I decided I would go ahead and try the process out. Originally I had it done because my lashes are so small, I wanted to get my lash line to a darker look so that my lashes would appear fuller. After the process and a touch up a few months later, I’m finally sharing my story.
Don’t want to read – watch the video here.

I went into a licensed permanent makeup esthetician to have my tattoo liner done. The location was very pretty and looked like a spa on the inside so I was very comfortable with my surroundings. The liner was applied to my upper and lower lash line in black ink to give my lashes a fuller look, but also to allow me to have the option of going without eyeliner if I felt I wanted to. The process took about 2 1/2 to 3 hours to complete and I went back a few weeks later to have it touched up.
Did it hurt? Well – honestly, for me, it did. But, I have talked to many people who have had their eye liner tattooed and it didn’t hurt for them at all. Many describe the process to be a ticklish like feeling against your eyes and lashes. Since my body naturally doesn’t hold onto anesthesia properly (or like a normal person), the topical anesthetic did not really work for me and I felt the needle on my eyelids the entire time. It was uncomfortable for me, but I have been told by many that I am a rare case and that it probably will not hurt for most.

The great thing about having permanent makeup – in my case, tattooed liner is that I always have a black line on my eyes and adding mascara is easy and I’m good to go. Another great thing is that I don’t have to worry about not using regular makeup or eye liner as I can use it right on top of the tattoo without any issue.
How long did it take to heal? After the initial tattoo, it took about a week to heal and I had to wait at least a week before I could use any eye makeup. I have had friends who bruised some or were puffy around the eyes after getting this procedure done, but luckily – besides a little puffiness and swelling the first 24 hours, I didn’t have to worry about any bruising. The lady who did the process was actually really light handed which made my uncomfortable feeling a little better and my line is not as thick as others I have seen by other people. I used Cetaphil cleanser to clean my face and eyes while the healing was taking place and once healed – I didn’t have any issues.
Watch the video below for a full break down on the process and my thoughts.
After a few weeks, I went back to get my tattooed eye liner touched up. Since the healing process can cause peeling, it was best to do this in case there were any gaps. The touch up was not nearly as bad as the original process. I had very little swelling and was able to use makeup after two days so long as it was not applied directly to where the liner was.
Would I do this again? Hmmm… that’s a hard one. I think if I need to get it touched up again, I may consider it… however, I’m not sure that I will. The person I seen to do my liner is no longer near me and in my opinion, she did my liner really well. I’m afraid that if I go back to get it touched up by someone else, I may not have the pain tolerance to withstand the hurt or he/she may make my liner so much darker and thicker than I want it to be. This is permanent and I’m not willing to have a mistake done that I’ll have to live with the rest of my life.
Would I suggest doing permanent makeup like tattooed liner to someone interested? Hmmm… that’s a good one. But, honestly – I only suggest it if you know that you really want it and can deal with it the rest of your life. I also suggest you find someone that is licensed specifically for this type of tattoo – do not go and see a regular tattoo artist that does those body tattoos or piercings. This may not be a comfortable experiencing contrary to what others may say. Everyone I knew told me it wasn’t going to hurt, so I went in with positive thoughts and it was uncomfortable for me. I do know however, that what may work for one, doesn’t necessarily work for others and in this circumstance, the cause and effect can surely be the same.
I obviously couldn’t “take it off” if I wanted to or decided I didn’t want my eye liner tattooed any longer… but I don’t dislike it. With a little mascara – I’m good to go, though I probably would have been without the liner too. It’s been 10 years since I’ve had this done and I doubt I’ll do it again, but I’m not unhappy that I did – no regrets!
Do you have any permanent makeup or do you know anyone that has? What are your thoughts?
Disclaimer: Nothing in this post was sponsored or provided to me. All opinions are my own, 100% honest and unbiased. I am not a doctor, so please note that anything I discuss here is due to my own experience – I’m not responsible for any choices you make after reading my post.
17 Comments
I had no idea that you had permanent liner done. I just assumed that when you said, “No makeup” you were giving a wink-wink with the liner. Like some girls do with gloss or concealer. lol A friend of mine has permanent liner, she is Asian and she loves the additional definition it gives to her eyes, even when she isn’t wearing any makeup. I’ve considered it for my brows but I’ve seen some frakking scary tattooed brows and I think I’m just going to carry on as I am. 😛
I use to want to get my brows done but that’s a risky one, you can’t even tell yours is tattooed on thanks for sharing your story!
My sister actually tattooed her eyeliner and eyebrows, and she’s very happy with the results.
I bruise very easily and the bruises last a long time on me which is one big reason I wouldn’t do it. Also I’d be worried that the person doing it would make a mistake.
You are very brave, Honey! I had no idea that it wasn’t eyeliner. I have so many medical problems with my eyes, I could never take the chance with a procedure like that anywhere near my eyes. But I enjoyed learning about it from you. And I’m glad it worked out for you.
Thanks for sharing, Honey. I’ve wondered about permanent makeup.
I had a cousin get tattoo’ed eyeliner many years ago, and she had it done in a trendy style… she regretted it soon after because she always had to cover up the eyeliner once that style was out. A simple, thin line like yours is a better choice, because you can always draw it bigger with makeup, but it’s harder to cover!
yes – I originally thought I would do a waterline tattoo – but decided against it. It is not that noticeable but just an enhancement… so I think that makes a whole lot of difference.
I’ve thought about getting my brows done. Unfortunately it’s something that doesn’t last long and has to be touched up a lot, from the research I did. I would be a bad candidate for it because I work out several times a week too. Thanks for sharing your story!
My mother in law got her brows tattooed within a month of me getting my liner done and that was 10 years ago. She hasn’t touched up yet and she spends 5 days a week in the pool for exercise without fading. Hers still looks great and is a nice soft brown to match her hair. I think that it really depends on the ink the esthetician uses… my liner was touched up once 2 months after I had it done and not since… and I have sensitive eyes – I rub them all the time several times a day… and besides some fading – it still looks good. I also do 2 miles a day – 4-5x a week and have a lot of sweaty days…. but still no issues. If you find a good person to do it, I don’t think it will be an issue. It’s been 10 years and I think it will be good for another several more.
Thank you for sharing. I have a friend who has tattooed brows, and I’ve never known. Some people’s tattooed makeup looks really good, while others don’t. Personally, it isn’t something I would do.
I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time, but always chickened out. I like that you did a simple eyeliner tattoo look that works for pretty much any occasion and looks natural for makeup. I never would have guessed it was tattooed!
I have thought about this a few times. One of my friends in FL actually got her brows tattooed on and it changed her appearance so much. She now looks completely on point at all times, even without makeup
This was so informative! I don’t know if I’ll ever get it done but it’s definitely something I’ve thought of.
I’ve definitely thought about this. My stepmother had it done before and she liked it but hasn’t gotten it redone. I don’t know if I could deal with the needle by my eye. I think my anxiety would get the best of me!
Very interesting to read your experience with this. I don’t think I would do it. I’m way to chicken!
I didn’t realize you had tattooed liner! It looks like it was really done well, and that it’s held up really well! I’d definitely consider getting this done.