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IVEBEAUTY
LIP BLUSHING Consider this the antithesis of the plumped-up Kylie pout; lip
blushing is all about subtlety. The idea isn’t to mimic wearing makeup but rather to restore
a youthful tint. “We add a healthy tone because lips become naturally pale or purple over
time,” explains São Paulo-based micropigmentation expert Lu Rodrigues via her trans-
lator. Stars flock to her Lu Make Up clinics in Brazil, where lip revitalization is one of the
most coveted procedures. For realistic results, she uses her signature technique, manually
depositing tiny dot after tiny dot of pigment, much like the painting style pointillism.
While lip blushing won’t make you look “fillered up,” this tattooing technique has
become a celebrity-favoured alternative to injectables since it adds low-key fullness.
“It improves and redefines the contour, creating harmony and [the appearance] of more
volume, with a very natural effect,” explains Rodrigues, who counts Victoria’s Secret
model Jasmine Tookes and actress Sofia Vergara among her clients. The procedure can
also correct asymmetries and rebalance the upper and lower lips, and the semi-permanent
pigments last anywhere from six to 12 months. h
GETTING INKED FOR beauty’s sake has long been trendy: In the early 1900s, British
society ladies who were tired of rouging were already going under the needle to have
da i nt y-pi n k cheek s forever. Today, per ma nent ma keup is more sophist icated, but t he goa l
is the same: stealthy enhancements that look like the real deal. Here is what’s new and
next in cosmetic tattooing.
FRESH
Created with better pigments and
artful techniques, next-gen permanent
makeup is an optical illusion.
INK
By WING SZE TANG