Monarch Signature Facial: Glo2 (formerly OxyGeneo) Illuminate

Glo2 Illuminate: featuring Vitamin C and Kojic Acid

Go2 Illuminate unifies skin tone, improves pigmentation, and rejuvenates the skin.

This luxurious treatment is based on an innovative Glo2 OxyPod technology – combining breakthrough concepts in biology, chemistry, and technology within a single capsule.

The Glo2 Illuminate OxyPod includes Kojic Acid and Vitamin C for an even skin tone effect, as well as Opuntia fruit Extract and Carrot extract for moisturizing and smoothing the skin.

Utilizing the powerful vitamin C serum completes the treatment effect with powerful brightening ingredients such as Tree Bark extract and Amina acid derivatives, and moisturizing ingredients and nutrients like Triglycerides, Jojoba and Argan oil complex and Vanilla and Horsetail extract complex.

Book your Monarch Signature Glo2 Facial today!

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Thank you, and please vote!

Thank you so much to everyone who voted for Angela at Monarch in this year's preliminary voting round of the Independent Weekly Best of 2017. I'm so grateful for the loyalty my clients show me every day.

The final round of voting is open through midnight of May 8th. You can vote at www.indyweek.com where you'll find me as Angela at Monarch Brow Studio under the "Health & Body" section > Aesthetician.

Thanks, again!!

Angela

Vote for Angela at Monarch Brow & Facial Studio!

Vote for Angela at Monarch Brow & Facial Studio!

Now featuring Josh Rosebrook Skincare

I’m excited to announce that Monarch will now carry Josh Rosebrook skin care products. These products are so pure you could eat them if you’re locked inside during a winter snow storm. Maybe don’t do that. Maybe just put them on your skin and notice the fabulous results instead. From the luscious smelling Cacao Antioxidant Mask to the avocado/marula oil based Active Infusion Serum, every product is packed full of active organic ingredients that are guaranteed to produce radiant skin. No parabens, no sulfates, just organic plant-based goodness. I’m personally in love with the Active Enzyme Exfoliator with its finely milled walnut shell scrub, papaya enzymes, and cornucopia of brightening herbs. It smells delicious, and my face feels so soft and glowy after my 10 minute home treatment.

Enjoy a relaxing facial at Monarch Brow & Facial Studio with esthetician, Angela Hugghins. Easily book online at www.monarchbrowandfacials.com.

Josh Rosebrook Skin and Hair Care.

Josh Rosebrook Skin and Hair Care.

Eyebrow rehab. Halp!

Last visit home for the holidays we found a treasure trove box full of printed photos. So many great memories and so many eyebrow coifs to laugh at. It’s funny how you can tell which decade a photo belongs to by the eyebrow style. There were my full, wooly brows from middle and high school, and then the 90’s happened. Apparently, the 90’s decade was a hair thief. Thanks, Gwen Stefani. Luckily, even after all the destruction, I was able to grow *most* of them back in. Some folks didn’t get so lucky. (And this is why we’re thankful for new micropigmentation aka brow tattooing techniques!)
Coming off an eyebrow plucking bender? Let me help you. Is your face stuck in a previous decade? Please, take my hand, and together, we’ll get through this.
You can easily make an eyebrow resurrection appointment with Angela online at: www.monarchbrowandfacials.com

Need some extra help in the brow department or tired of drawing them in everyday? Check out my blog posts on microblading for eyebrows.

To book your free consultation, follow this link to the Monarch booking page.

Eyebrow shaping guidelines

Eyebrow shaping guidelines

Micropigmentation Basics

Micropigmentation (microblading, shading, powder brows, ombre brows, nanobrows, hybrid brows) is a semi-permanent type of cosmetic tattooing. You want to carefully choose the right Artist because *it’s your face!* Not only are we talking about good style and shape, we’re talking about choosing an Artist who deeply understands the science and technical precision necessary to create eyebrows that look natural after healing, as well as a year or two later. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for, and when you see a high price tag on cosmetic services, you’re paying for expertise. This is not the time to turn to Groupon for a deal.

Micropigmentation is an umbrella term covering many techniques of tattooing. Many people think Microblading is something different than tattoo work, however it is a type of tattooing utilizing a special hand tool called a microblade. Ink is picked up on the blade and deposited as the hair-stroke line is created in the skin. Shaded brows, or sometimes called “powder brows,” is a soft, misty application of ink in the form of tiny dots made with a rotary tattoo machine. The two together is often called a “hybrid brow.” If the hair-stroke line is created with the machine it is called “nano brows.” So many terms!

Now let’s talk about what semi-permanent means. Tattooed eyebrows are designed to fade over about two to five years with a refresh every year or two to keep them looking superfresh. On a more technical level, this means that the pigment is not deposited as deeply as a body tattoo, which is referred to as permanent ink. Getting the depth correct is a skill that requires consistent practice and experience with all different types of skin. The deeper the deposit of ink, the longer it lasts, but then we have to consider the color of the ink as it ages at that depth. While it may last longer, it may not age well at a deeper level. So with brow work, we’re depositing slightly higher in the skin so we have more control of the pigment color as it ages.

Different areas of the eyebrow require varying depths of pigment deposit due to changes in skin density. For example, the skin at the head of the eyebrow is tougher than the skin at the tail of the brow. Slightly more pressure is required to achieve a lasting hair stroke at the head of the brow. If the same pressure is applied on the brow tail, the lines could blur or turn cool over time.

An experienced Artist looks at your skin coloring, texture, condition, and oil production to determine the correct pigment shade for your eyebrows. In another example, we have two people with the same coloring but different types of skin. The oilier-skinned person will require a warmer shade of pigment to compensate for the oil production, which changes the pigment color over time.

The micropigmentation process takes two sessions to complete, typically scheduled 8-12 weeks apart. (Session one is an hour-and-a-half and session two is one hour.) The initial healing stage lasts for about a week where your skin is working hard to heal the wounded area. The remainder of the time between sessions allows the ink to fully encapsulate and settle in the skin. Ample time must be given so as not to overdarken ink that may still be transforming in the layers of the skin. Conversely, too much time between appointments and the ink prematurely fades. Touching up at just the right time means your ink will stay for a year to two years (skin conditions permitting, your mileage may vary) before needing a refresh. See the below photo for an overview of the healing stages you can expect to experience.

Please do not consume alcohol 24 hours prior to your brow tattoo appointment. Discontinue other blood thinners such as aspirin, ibu, prescription thinners, fish oil, CBD, weed, vitamin E for three days prior, as well. Refrain from cardio exercising the morning of your appointment. Normally, the skin does not bleed much, if at all, during the process except if blood thinners have been consumed or heart rate has been elevated through exercise before the appointment.

After your brow sessions you’ll need to refrain from sweaty exercising for a week, and no chlorine or salt water on the brows as well. Sweat and chlorine can inhibit the pigment from properly encapsulating in the skin during the healing process resulting in uneven results. Please take this into mind when making your appointment. Beach vacations with freshly tattooed brows will yield spotty coloration.

Consultations on a date prior to your initial appointment are highly encouraged, but not required UNLESS you have had previous microblading, shading, or any other tattoo work in your brows. Please be honest because I will know immediately if you’ve had work done before. Corrections and/or coverups are a special situation and may need more time or even a session or two of saline ink removal prior to implanting new color. If the old ink is still too present in the skin, new pigment will not implant properly greatly effecting the outcome of the desired color.

Every set of eyebrows I create are unique and designed just for you. Your face shape, eye size, and bone structure all factor into the final brow shape you and I choose together. Whether you like your eyebrows thin or thick, highly polished or bushy, I can create an enhancement that’s perfect for your face.

To book your free consultation, follow this link to the Monarch booking page.
A little background about the Artist: I received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from Baylor University and enjoy many types of creative work, from drawing to sculpture.

 

micropigmentation stages of healing and aftercare instructions.

Hello from Monarch Brow & Facial Studio

Hello, world, it’s Monarch Brow & Facial Studio!
With the finishing of the third week of business, I’m so happy to say it’s been a success. Many thanks to all who’ve come to visit, made appointments, and helped me make this transition so easy. Much gratitude goes to Citrine Salon in Chapel Hill, my former workplace for over six years, for love and support throughout the process.
I’ve been doing a lot of eyebrow microblading and will be blogging about the process soon. Lots of before and after photos to look forward to.
Come get cozy with a customized facial, add on a reflexology treatment, or get your brows made fabulous. I look forward to seeing you!

Angela Hugghins
Owner/Licensed Esthetician
Monarch Brow & Facial Studio
304 W Weaver St, #104
Carrboro, NC 27510

Customized beauty and relaxation services for Carrboro, Chapel Hill, Durham, RTP, and Raleigh, NC.