Many individuals aspire to wake up with effortlessly sculpted brows and a vibrant lip tint, often seeking cosmetic treatments like microblading and lip blush to achieve this look. However, for one particular beauty enthusiast, this dream turned into a prolonged ordeal. Known as 'mskittenheels' on TikTok, she shared her cautionary tale online, which quickly garnered over 218,000 views, detailing the unexpected long-term reality of her cosmetic procedures.

Back in 2016, she was persuaded by the concept of microblading, a cosmetic tattooing technique that uses a small blade to create fine, hair-like strokes on the eyebrows, alongside a lip blush. She was assured that these treatments would fade within approximately 18 months, offering a semi-permanent solution. Fast forward nine years to 2025, she revealed that the effects of these procedures "still haven't gone."

While the initial "thin and brightness" of the makeup did diminish over time, it crucially did not disappear as promised. The lip blush, in particular, presented an unwanted outcome as it bled beyond her natural lip line, a consequence she attributes to her skin softening with age. This left her with a look she had never desired, prompting her to embark on a difficult and painful removal process. She is currently undergoing saline treatments for her lips and laser sessions for her brows, with several more appointments yet to come.

Her primary motivation for sharing her story is to warn others, emphasizing that "It's so much more painful to get rid of it than it is to have it done." She captions her posts with a stark warning: "Don't be fooled." Despite being marketed as semi-permanent, she now realizes that these procedures are, in essence, "a tattoo on your face." Her biggest takeaway is that microblading and lip blush are not temporary solutions but rather permanent commitments, and their removal is a lengthy and arduous journey.

The TikTok community reacted strongly to her story. One commenter shared, “When I heard about these 10 years ago, I knew exactly how they would look within a few years,” to which mskittenheels replied, “I wish I had that foresight. I'm really regretting mine.” Another person highlighted similar issues with other permanent makeup, stating, “Don’t forget the dreaded upper and lower eye liner that looks like eye shadow now.” The TikToker expressed relief at not having undergone eyeliner procedures, citing concerns about pain, but acknowledged seeing others with similar blue discoloration from such treatments.

When asked about the cost and number of sessions required for removal, mskittenheels recalled her initial microblading session costing about £240 nine years ago, with an £80 top-up a few weeks later. She candidly advised against the procedure given her painful removal experience, but also noted that others have had positive outcomes, suggesting that the results might largely depend on the technician and the technique employed. She remains on a determined path to eliminate the permanent makeup.