Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Shariat Overmyer.
Hi Michelle, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
As someone who struggles with anxiety, it still amazes me that I jumped headfirst into this career. The first time I heard about microblading was from my sister in 2013, and I was immediately intrigued. In high school, I was always drawing eyes and brows (terribly) on my notes, and being half Iranian, I grew up surrounded by these beautiful thick brows I was inspired by. The only problem was, in 2013, cosmetic tattooing wasn’t as widespread in the US as it is now. The only courses I could find were far away and expensive, and since I was both living with my parents and struggling with some health issues, it just wasn’t the right time.
In early 2019, I was working as a makeup artist when a friend told me about a microblading course right here in Austin. That same feeling of wanting to explore this intriguing skill came back to me, so I put my fears aside and signed up for training. My incredibly supportive partner and I had been struggling financially, so our only option was to put my course and all of the start-up costs on a credit card in the hopes that this actually pans out. I’m so thankful for the friends, referrals, and complete strangers that are now my friends, who have trusted me. I wouldn’t be where I am without them. It honestly always means the world to me when someone trusts me to tattoo their face!
Over the last couple of years, I’ve been able to continue my education, add to my services, build awesome clientele in both Austin and the San Francisco bay area, and I am now working alongside some of Austin’s best cosmetic artists at Fresh Cosmetic Studio.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I think anyone who is in this highly saturated field would agree, getting into cosmetic tattooing is not a smooth road. It’s not the easiest skill to learn, start-up costs are extremely high, and building clientele is its own hurdle. Out of nine girls who were a part of my initial training, only three of us are still in permanent makeup. Most courses just don’t prepare you enough to literally cut open people’s faces!
Mentorships are also hard to come by in this field, so I had to do a lot of learning and research on my own. That first year and a half were rough, I didn’t have anyone to talk to about my work and with that came SO MUCH self-doubt. Many nights were spent anxiously laying awake, but for the first time in my life, underneath that self-doubt, there was still the drive to keep going and keep honing my skill. The more I was able to let go of that doubt and tap into to my artistic intuition, the more I actually started to feel proud of my work. After two years, I am finally at a place where I’m confident in my work, I’m consistently getting healed work that I’m proud of, and I’m finally able to start paying off my start-up costs.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Brow Joon?
As a cosmetic tattoo artist, I specialize in natural-looking brows and freckles that accentuate each individual’s bone structure and style, including brow feminization and masculinization. My goal as an artist is to not only create badass brows and freckles that actually feel like they’re yours but to provide a space for all that is as safe and comfortable as possible.
It’s very important to me that clients are able to make informed decisions, which is why I take the extra time to educate, explain the process, and explore every option available. Every client deserves to be in charge of the decision-making process. Although it’s not as permanent as traditional tattooing, these still face tattoos and it’s the client’s face after all!
Aftercare is extremely important with cosmetic tattooing, which is why I provide an essential aftercare kit with every tattoo service. But the earth is extremely important too! Everything in the kit is made with vegan, clean ingredients and comes in reusable containers. Clients have everything needed for a successful healing process and cute containers to keep afterwards!
One of the things I’m most proud of outside of my work is my business name, brow joon. In Farsi (Persian), joon is a term of endearment that is also used as slang for babe. It makes me so happy that I’m able to pay homage to the beautiful culture I grew up in, and clients love it too!
Can you talk about how you think about risk?
This whole job is full of risks! Cutting into someone’s face is risky, starting a business is financially risky, allowing yourself to tap into your artistic abilities even feels risky. Risk is a major part of doing anything worthwhile. Is it scary? Of course! But without taking risks, life would be pretty stagnant.
Pricing:
- Initial Microblading Session – $500
- Second Mircoblading Session – $200
- Microblading Refreshers – $300
- Freckles – $200
- Virtual Consultations – $30
Contact Info:
- Email: browjoon@gmail.com
- Website: browjoon.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brow.joon/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/browjoon/
- Other: https://g.page/brow-joon?share
Image Credits
Headshot – Hannah Campbell – https://www.hannahcampbellphotography.com/
