Today we’d like to introduce you to Monika Salazar.
Hi Monika, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I think I’ve always been intrigued by the beauty industry. From a young age, I was fascinated by the process people go through to make themselves feel better, look better and the work they put in for themselves. And that looks so different for everyone. I used to think “Man, I can’t wait to grow up and be able to play with that stuff.”
It definitely started with my love for doing my own makeup in my high school years. Watching all the YouTube tutorials, doing my makeup at 3 am just because I got a new idea or wanted to try something out. I like to think of myself as a pretty creative person but when it came to art and drawing, that just wasn’t me. I more so felt confident using my creativity by painting a face or shaping some new eyebrows. I naturally just leaned into knowing I would somehow, someway be in the beauty industry.
I started a Cosmetology program while in high school in Killeen and really liked it. But it didn’t feel like it was my way into that world, it kind of just felt like I was doing it because I had to. I didn’t enjoy doing hair but I loved the IDEA of it. After graduating, I decided to not go forward with taking the final practical exam and instead moved to Austin to get a boring degree at ACC. I had no idea at that point what else the beauty world consisted of. Once I started making some friends and meeting other women, a lot of them were Estheticians. And I honestly really had no idea what that entailed but once I looked into it and saw the jobs these women had… PFFT, I was hooked! Take me to school yet again and get me my license! I felt empowered and driven!
I received my Esthetician license in 2017 and immediately started working as a waxer. I waxed for a couple of years and waxing will always be like my first love but it was time to move on. Most of my regulars at that point were just coming back to me because they liked the way I shaped and waxed their eyebrows. I went through waxing jobs, lashing jobs, spa/salons, etc. Nothing felt like it could be a lifelong thing for me. Microblading started to really blow up on my social media so I decided I’ll take these brow skills to another level! Plus, I’ve also always loved tattoos and the idea of tattooing makeup was so insanely incredible to me so I searched for the right course and started my cosmetic tattooing journey in 2019.
Now I’m currently working at Pigment Tattoo in North Austin alongside some really great tattoo artists. I started here in 2020 and quickly began to realize this is what I should be doing. It never feels like work, it’s never exhausting or boring to me. After years of continued education and shadowing people, I can now offer a wider range of services for my people. I mainly do brows and lip blushing recently tattoo freckles have become a big thing and we also have a laser tattoo removal side in the shop so I do that in between my tattooing days! I’m super grateful to be here at this shop and am constantly learning from the tattooers different things that I can apply to my cosmetic tattoos. Nothing but love here!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
A smooth road with some speed bumps definitely! A lot of trial and error just trying to find where I fit and feel comfortable. There’s so many opportunities as an Esthetician it’s hard to differentiate what can be the best move for yourself. Finding the right clientele can also be tricky. It takes time, work, consistency, and PATIENCE. At the end of the day, I love where this road has taken me and the lessons I’ve learned, ready for anything now!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I do cosmetic tattoos! Tattooing eyebrows, lips, and freckles to make you feel done up 24/7. I especially love to create a natural-looking yet defined brow, just enough to make it “yours but better”. Most of my people love the microshading technique I can achieve with hair strokes and a little shading in certain places. I think some people can feel intimidated by the fact of tattooing permanent makeup but I really try to take a natural approach to it. I want you to look and feel amazing but I don’t always want it to be super apparent that you have your eyebrows or lips tattooed. I personally have a pretty low-maintenance beauty routine and I myself have certain cosmetic tattoos to just enhance what I already have! The beauty of cosmetics.
I also do laser tattoo removal for those who are looking to change something up or get rid of it altogether. If you have a tattoo that doesn’t resignate with you anymore, it’s such a great option to get something you feel happy about seeing!
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Doing laser removal, I see a lot of old permanent makeup tattoos from 10+ years ago. The inks and pigments were made completely different than the inks we use now. They would tattoo eyebrows with the basic black ink they used for almost any tattoo! Now, those brows are more than likely an off color of blue or grey. Knowing how the pigment heals in the skin after years of exposure is so important. I think people are educating themselves and their clients more nowadays. Hopefully, in another 10+ years all we’ll be seeing are gorgeous, properly faded brows and lips with no crazy colors! Color theory skin and needle knowledge are just going to continue to improve from here on out.
Pricing:
- Microblading – $400
- Microshading – $450
- Powder Brows – $500
- Lip Blush – $350
Contact Info:
- Email: operations@browswithmonika.com
- Website: https://browswithmonika.square.site/
- Instagram: @BrowswithMonika
- Facebook: facebook.com/BrowswithMonika
- Other: Pigment Tattoo website: https://austintattooandlaser.com
Image Credits
Sean – Bagged Goods Media
