I recently ventured into the world of cosmetic tattooing and got semi-permanent eyeliner, or as it’s often called, Tattoo Eyeliner. Having previously experimented with Botox for masseter reduction, IPL for broken capillaries, and microblading for my eyebrows, this felt like the next logical step in my beauty exploration.
Truthfully, I was a bit apprehensive leading up to the procedure for a couple of reasons:
- The idea of tattooing so close to my eyeballs was genuinely nerve-wracking. Unlike microblading, where I could relax and zone out, this felt much more… intimate.
- I’d seen instances where permanent eyeliner tattoos faded to undesirable blue-green shades, which isn’t a good look. While semi-permanent options are implanted less deeply and are supposed to avoid this, the thought still lingered.
Despite my worries, my curiosity won out. I figured, what’s the worst that could happen? If I didn’t love it, I could always cover it with regular eyeliner until it faded in a few years!
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The Tattoo Eyeliner Procedure: What to Expect
My tattoo eyeliner artist was Rita Porreca, the director of Sydney Permanent Make-Up Centre in Five Dock. With her experience dating back to the 1980s in the permanent makeup industry, I felt confident I was in capable hands.
After completing the necessary consent and medical history forms, Rita took “before” photos of my eyes. Then, she used a gel eyeliner to draw on my eyelids, allowing us to collaborate on the desired look.
While semi-permanent eyeliner often leans towards a sharply defined style, my usual preference is a softer, smudged pencil line. We decided on a slightly thicker line than the typical choice, which I was pleased with. Since I aim for a bigger eye appearance, we opted for only the upper eyelid liner, although many people choose to have their lower lid tightlined as well.
Rita explained the two tools she uses for eyeliner tattoos: a cosmetic pen, which is slower and quieter, and a tattoo gun, which is faster but louder and has more vibration. We decided to go with the quicker tattoo gun option.
Next, she applied a numbing cream to my eyelids and left me to relax while it took effect. Honestly, my thoughts drifted to questioning my life choices at that moment!
Initially, I was concerned about twitching or squinting and potentially messing up the eyeliner application. However, Rita, with her extensive experience, assured me she would firmly hold my eyelids throughout the entire process.
She started by tattooing a quick initial line across my eyelids, then applied more numbing cream to penetrate the broken skin more effectively.
Following this, she went over each eye two more times to complete the lines, firmly wiping away excess pigment in between passes. The entire tattooing process was surprisingly quick, taking only about 15 minutes! I was really impressed by the speed, especially compared to my microblading experience, which felt much longer due to the individual stroke application.
Tattoo Eyeliner Pain: What Does it Feel Like?
Let’s talk about the pain factor – a common concern when considering any tattoo procedure, especially around the eyes.
The initial line did sting a bit, like a minor scratch. However, the rest of the process was surprisingly bearable! The most sensitive part was briefly at the inner corners of my eyes, which felt similar to accidentally poking yourself with a false eyelash applicator. The majority of the tattooing felt like drawing on eyeliner with a slightly resistant pencil. Post-procedure, my eyelids felt quite raw, almost like I had been crying for hours.
I did find myself flinching a fair amount, which made me worry about the final eyeliner result. But, about halfway through, I discovered that focusing on my breathing significantly reduced the flinching (except for those pesky inner corners!). During the tattooing, the raw sensation made me feel like I might never be able to open my eyes normally again. However, to my relief, it wasn’t nearly as bad afterward!
The pain level never exceeded that raw, “ugly-crying” feeling throughout the entire process. Overall, the pain was significantly less intense than my eyebrow microblading experience.
Tattoo Eyeliner Swelling and Downtime
Immediately after the tattoo eyeliner procedure, Rita administered eye drops to flush out any pigment that might have entered my eyes. She then took “after” photos (my eyes were quite watery at this point), and I was all set. (Note: The “before” and “after” labels in the photo were accidentally switched.)
Immediately Afterwards:
Stepping out of the Sydney Permanent Make-Up Centre, I was a little concerned about the hour-long drive home on a very hot, sunny day, even with full air conditioning. However, it turned out to be fine, aside from the lingering raw, dry eye sensation. It was actually much better than if I had been crying – there was no swelling at all, and my vision was perfectly clear, just slightly more sensitive to light than usual. The eyeliner looked fantastic immediately, and naturally, many selfies were taken!
For the first 10 hours post-procedure, I experienced no swelling. It wasn’t until right before bedtime that the edges of my eyelids began to puff up, feeling like little speed bumps.
But the next day, the swelling really kicked in.
I went to work looking like this, complete with sunglasses indoors. A friend even sent me a picture of Quasimodo!
By the afternoon, the swelling had subsided enough that a student merely commented that I looked tired and jokingly asked if he was the cause. I actually was incredibly tired because having dry and swollen eyes all day is surprisingly exhausting. Here’s how my eyes looked 28 hours after the initial procedure:
By the following day, my eyes were almost back to normal, with only a hint of swelling remaining. The tightness from the scabs forming made my eyes appear slightly smaller than usual.
So, if you’re considering tattoo eyeliner, be prepared for about a day of downtime where you might not want to be photographed. After that, it becomes quite unnoticeable! The scabbing and crusting were black, so they mostly blended in and resembled glossy eyeliner unless viewed very closely.
Tattoo Eyeliner Aftercare Instructions
Here are the aftercare instructions I received for my tattoo eyeliner:
- Avoid mascara for 7 days. Use baby oil for mascara removal after that period.
- No eyelash tinting, perming, curling, or lash extensions for 2 weeks.
- No makeup in the tattooed area for 5 days.
- Avoid sun exposure, soap, saunas, chlorinated pools, and salt water for 2 weeks.
- Apply healing cream 3 times a day for 2 weeks using a cotton tip.
- Use eye drops as needed for the first few days.
- Do not pick or peel any crusting.
- Avoid hydroxy acids or retinoids on the treated area for 1 month (and continued use afterward will accelerate fading).
Similar to brow microblading, the color of the tattoo eyeliner initially darkened, then softened and lightened over the following 10 days. It’s recommended to wait about a month after the procedure before assessing the final results and scheduling a touch-up appointment if needed.
I applied Vaseline and coconut oil with a cotton swab to my eyeliner for two weeks as instructed. I did experience a little crying during that period, resulting in some salt water exposure. The scabs mostly came off on the cotton swab during application, and because the eyeliner line was thin, there was minimal itching – just a tight sensation until the scabs started to crack a few days later.
I usually wear Ortho-K contact lenses overnight, so I skipped wearing them for a couple of nights and was slightly nearsighted on Day 2. However, after that, my routine returned to normal. Overall, the healing process for tattoo eyeliner was significantly less bothersome than my microblading recovery.
Tattoo Eyeliner Final Results and Thoughts
Here’s how my tattoo eyeliner looked two weeks after the procedure:
I am genuinely thrilled with both the tattoo eyeliner process and the final results. The procedure itself was far less painful and intimidating than I had anticipated, and the healing process was considerably easier compared to microblading, which covered a much larger area.
My eyelids are naturally very oily, causing regular eyeliner to smudge and transfer to my lower lid throughout the day. This tattoo eyeliner stays perfectly in place through workouts, tears, and the Australian summer heat. While I still might add a bit more eyeliner for special occasions, for everyday makeup, this has been a game-changer.
Sydney Permanent Make-Up Centre is located in Five Dock, Sydney, and they offer a wide range of cosmetic tattoo procedures beyond just semi-permanent eyeliner. You can find more information on their website and see more of their work on their Instagram account.
Disclaimer: This tattoo eyeliner service was provided as a gift for editorial consideration, but this review reflects my honest opinion. For further details, please see my Disclosure Policy.
