This brow embroidery technique from Korea gives you feathered, natural-looking brows compared to microblading

Researching brow enhancement procedures? Odds are, you’ll be faced with jargons such as microblading, microfeathering, and microshading along with your “eyebrow embroidery” searches.

To put it simply, microblading is just another term for eyebrow embroidery – both of them mean the same thing, which is why they are used interchangeably. Over the years, microblading has spawned techniques like microshading, which gives you a soft, natural powdered look that looks like you had applied eyebrow powder on your arches.

While microblading has been the go-to technique for brow embroidery in recent years in favour of the traditional permanent brow tattoos that fade into a not-so-pleasant bluish-green colour over time, a newer variation of the method called microfeathering seems to be gaining popularity of late.

But, what makes microfeathering more in demand these days? And how does it differ from the OG version of eyebrow embroidery? Keep scrolling as we share with you the differences before diving in further with our in-depth review of a microfeathering treatment!

Microblading vs. microfeathering: What’s the difference?

First things first, you ought to know that both of these semi-permanent techniques are similar in the sense that they deliver super-fine, delicate hair-like strokes that look natural and realistic in a way that the first-gen permanent versions from your mother or grandmother’s era never did.

Microblading is usually done with a handheld blade that creates little cuts on the eyebrows, which will then be filled with pigment to create tiny hair-like strokes. Compared to the first-gen permanent versions, the difference lies in how deeply the ink is injected into the skin, which means the deeper you go, the longer the tattoo stays.

Since traditional eyebrow tattoos are meant to last, tattoo artists would use a coil machine to deposit the ink deep into the dermis. On the other hand, microbladed brows are expected to fade over time so brow artists will use small blades to make little incisions on the eyebrows instead.

Simply put, microfeathering is a variation of microblading. With microblading, brow artists are typically creating a new eyebrow shape. Meanwhile, microfeathering works with your existing brow hairs and shape as a base and fills in with pigment as needed.

Microfeathering also involves making tiny incisions on your brows before depositing pigment, but the pigmented strokes are much finer and more natural-looking compared to microblading which can still appear quite obvious.

This means that microfeathering is ideal for those who want to add more texture and dimension to their existing brows since it’s virtually undetectable – if done right.

DV reviews: Feather Stroke Brow Embroidery at Limmy’s Nail and Beauty Lounge

To find out how microfeathering in real life, we sent one of our teammates down to try it at Limmy’s Nail and Beauty Lounge. Here’s what she has to say about her experience with Feather Stroke Brow Embroidery that’s offered at Limmy’s Aesthetics, the newly opened outlet in Orchard Central.

Reviewer: Kuan Yee

Upon completing the standard forms, my brow technician Rosy began drafting two options of what she thought would be my ideal brow shape based on my existing arches.

I’m no stranger to brow embroidery treatments but over at Limmy’s, I was surprised at the measuring method used here – Rosy actually used a ruler and a thread to measure various points on my face to ensure that the symmetry and alignment of my brows are correct and proportionate. It was very interesting to me and gave me the feeling that the outcome would be very precise!

Between the two options that Rosy gave me, I went ahead and chose the one that was slightly curved at the tail of the brow instead of the straighter design. After dotting the outline of my new brows, Rosy proceeded to apply numbing cream first since it needed at least 30 minutes to take effect. The numbing cream felt super prickly when it first touched my skin but before I knew it, that sensation had disappeared.

While waiting for the numbing cream to do its thing, Rosy prompted me to mix the colours I want for my new brows. I have heard of establishments that allow you to pick the colour of your choice (without mixing) but the previous salon I went to didn’t even have that option for me, so the ability to choose and mix my desired brow colours at Limmy’s definitely earned extra brownie points in my book.

After listening to Rosy’s recommendation which she made based on my skin tone, I went with a combination of Chocolate and Grey Coffee shades. The numbing cream needed a little bit more time to settle, so Rosy took the opportunity to explain what Feather Stroke Brow Embroidery is to me.

Originating from Korea, she said that this technique produces a very natural-looking result that largely depends on how well your skin accepts the pigment deposited into it, so it typically requires more touch-ups than microblading or brow tattoo to achieve the natural finish.

Once the 30-minute waiting period was up, my brows were ready to be sliced! Since I’d only done microblading sometime ago (the most recent one that I did was microshading, which gave me a really bad headache afterwards because of the powdering tool), I must say that my nerves were starting to creep up on me.

Even though I tried my best to hide it, Rosy was definitely an attentive lady and she didn’t fail to reassure and comfort me every step of the way, which made me feel safe to put my brows in her hands.

Safety and hygiene are definitely high on the priority list here at Limmy’s, as Rosy took the time to further sanitise the small blade even though it came sealed in a new individual pack. You’ll also be glad to know that no blades or materials are reused at Limmy’s so each customer gets a fresh pack of tools and materials for each session.

Truthfully, the sound made by the tool was definitely scary and it didn’t help that the numbing cream started to wear off halfway through the procedure. As the discomfort increased, I wasted no time in informing Rosy who then quickly applied medical-grade anaesthesia on my skin to relieve the soreness.

Unlike the numbing cream that was put on initially, this medical-grade version needed only five minutes to take effect and before I knew it, Rosy had already continued making tiny incisions on my brows.

To say that Rosy is attentive felt like an understatement because she’d automatically top up the anaesthesia on the treated area whenever she saw me twitching with discomfort – I barely had to even open my mouth to tell her. This definitely left a good impression on me as the brow artist at the salon I patronised previously merely told me to bear with the pain as she went on to design my brows.

Once all the incisions were made and the pigment was deposited, Rosy further applied more pigment and left it on for roughly five minutes to allow the colour to permeate the skin.

She then wiped off the excess pigment before squeezing and dabbing blood out – I was told that this step (which was something I’d never experienced elsewhere) helps the brows heal faster.

Finally, Rosy applied a generous amount of aftercare cream before sending me off with the same aftercare formulation that I need to apply twice a day.

She also shared some aftercare tips for me to keep in mind, such as not letting my brows touch water for the first 24 hours, no rubbing of brows, and of course, no picking or scratching on the scabs when the healing process kicks in.

Before saying goodbye, Rosy recommended that I return for a touch-up within two months.

Personally, it was the little touches that I’d experienced during my first session at Limmy’s that won me over. From the attentiveness and professionalism of my brow artist to the constant use of anaesthesia, these definitely made the entire experience a whole lot better and less stressful.

Thanks to these extra touches that most of us tend to take for granted, it helped made the pain very bearable for me even though I have a really low pain threshold.

The interesting measuring method, as well as the education on various brow enhancement techniques, were also worth mentioning because it made me felt like my brow artist is dedicated to the craft and is very passionate about giving her clients the beautiful brows they deserve.

Three weeks after my first session, I started experiencing flaking and scabbing in my brow area which was perfectly normal but surprisingly, there weren’t any uneven patches that I had to worry about. The only thing that I need to consciously keep in mind was to resist the urge to pick at the scabs.

Close to two months since my first appointment, I returned to Limmy’s for my scheduled touch-up session and I must say that I’m genuinely impressed with the results. There weren’t any uneven patches on arches.

My brow artist wasted no time to fill in the areas that have lightened during the healing process but remained attentive as ever to my pain tolerance and made sure everything was in place to ensure my comfort, which probably explained why the touch-up session took longer than the first appointment.

After both the sessions, I could already see that microfeathering gave me a more natural look than microblading, so I simply can’t wait to see my actual brows when they’re fully healed.

If you’re thinking of enhancing your brows, I highly recommend you check out the Feather Stroke Brow Embroidery at Limmy’s Nail and Beauty Lounge or Limmy’s Aesthetics.

The brow technicians here are so skilfully trained and meticulous that they will not let you leave until they’ve perfected the ideal pair of eyebrows for you!

What else you need to know about Feather Stroke Brow Embroidery

The award-winning Feather Stroke Brow Embroidery is priced at S$688, but first-time customers can enjoy it for just S$299. It is available at Limmy’s Nail and Beauty Lounge as well as Limmy’s Aesthetics.

Address: 88 Rangoon Road, #01-05, Singapore 218374 |
181 Orchard Road, Orchard Central, #03-16/17/18, Singapore 238896
Contact: 9836 0125 (click on the number to send a WhatsApp message) or book online here
Opening hours: 11.30am – 9.30pm (Mon to Sun)
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This article is brought to you by Limmy’s Nail and Beauty Lounge.