Candy Dunbar
Published May 2008
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Over the past year and a half, we’ve featured all kinds of tattoo artists, as well as all types of tattoos. One thing we haven’t done, however, is talk about permanent makeup. At a recent convention, I had the chance to meet an artist that does permanent makeup, and we had a chat about it.

Dave Muller: How long have you worked as a tattoo artist for?

Candy Dunbar: I’ve been tattooing for 8 years now. My husband Kyle apprenticed me for over a year before he let me tattoo anyone. I had been thinking about becoming a tattoo artist after seeing work in magazines, and I was already getting tattoos. When I started, I already had 10 tattoos, getting my first one on the day I turned 18. It was a unicorn on my shoulder, and it’s a bit embarrassing because it kinda shows my age. I fell in love with a tattoo artist, we went out to dinner after a lower back tattoo and we’ve been together ever since.

Dave Muller: In addition to doing “regular” tattoos, I’ve heard that you do permanent makeup as well. What exactly is permanent makeup?

Candy Dunbar: It’s makeup that is tattooed into your skin. It is a tattoo. Sometimes, if I’m talking to an older lady, I might just call it permanent cosmetics because I don’t want them to be scared by the word tattoo. The word tattoo really has a negative connotation with some people, and most of my clients are women over 40. Still, younger women are starting to have their makeup done more and more.

Dave Muller: What can be done and why do women do it?

Candy Dunbar: I do eye brows, eye liner, lip liner and lip color. Women get permanent makeup so they can wake up and go. They can go swimming without worrying about their makeup running. Plus, they save money on makeup pencils. It’s also great for women who have vision problems, women who wear glasses, or have a hard time putting on makeup themselves. Since some women don’t have eye brows, they have to draw them on everyday for 20 years or more.

Dave Muller: How long does it last for?

Candy Dunbar: It’s not a lifetime, like a tattoo, but you can get a good ten years out of it. The inks for permanent makeup don’t have as much pigment in them as tattoo ink does. Plus, the skin on your face sheds more. Eye brows stay the longest, while lips will fade over time.

Dave Muller: How long does it take?

Candy Dunbar: The average procedure takes one to two hours, but a lot of that time depends on the client. If I’m doing eye liner, the girl who doesn’t blink as much is going to get done twice as fast as the girl who can’t stop blinking.

Dave Muller: What does it feel like?

Candy Dunbar: Eye brows are comparable to if you have them waxed or plucked, while eye liner is less painful, but more annoying than eye brows, since you have the machine right up to your eye, and you’re trying not to blink. You have to keep your eye open. Lips are the most painful. Some women actually go to the dentist first and have the dentist numb their lips before I do them. The lips are a much more sensitive area because there are a lot more nerve endings in them.

Dave Muller: Why don’t other tattoo artists offer this service?

Candy Dunbar: I’ve heard that most artists have a fear of working that close to someone’s eye. Plus, most guys don’t have a clue as to how women put makeup on, and you don’t want the customer to walk out looking like a drag queen.

Dave Muller: What happens if your customer doesn’t like the end result?

Candy Dunbar: If they don’t like it, I have a pigment corrector that you put on top of the work. I’ve used this to fix poor quality work done by other technicians. It’s not like covering up tattoos, you have to use the corrector. If you go over blue eyebrows with brown, they’ll come out black.

Dave Muller: Blue eyebrows? Why would anyone get blue eyebrows?

Candy Dunbar: They start out as brown, but if you put it in too deep, they get a blueish tint right away. From far away, it just looks dark, you have to get up really close to see the blue. Then, the bad artists try to convince the ladies that they look all right.

Dave Muller: What type of equipment do you use?

Candy Dunbar: I use a regular tattoo machine. I started out with the cosmetic machines, which are basically poorly made rotary machines, and I used the cosmetic machine for almost a year. When I tried my regular machine, I never went back. It cut my time in half, and less touch ups were needed. It might be that I was a tattoo artist first, so it was equipment that I was used to working with. The tattoo machine just puts the ink in better, it runs better, and it’s more fluid. I’m not saying everyone should run out and switch, you just have to use what you’re comfortable with. If you currently use a cosmetic machine and have never used a tattoo machine, you definitely need to be trained in order to use it correctly. The machines feel different in your hands, and they’re weighted differently. Also, permanent cosmetic machines run differently, you flip a switch and they run all the time, while a tattoo machine is operated by a footswitch.

Dave Muller: How do you find a good permanent makeup artist?

Candy Dunbar: Start by asking how they learned to do it. I would recommend that you get it done by someone who learned to do it from an actual person, since there are a lot of online and video classes. Be sure to look at their portfolio. Ask for references from people that they’ve done before. This is really important, because there is a supply company that will give you a portfolio, bound and everything, with before and after pictures, for free when you buy a kit. That’s really scary, if you see this, run!

Dave Muller: Where can people see pictures of your work?

Candy Dunbar: On my website, www.almightytattoos.net, or they can stop by the shop. Also, be sure to contact me if you have any questions.

Written by: Dave Muller
Photos By: Dave Muller

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