Playing around with makeup is so much fun, and there are so many makeup-lovers out there who like to experiment. But if you already have a go-to look that you wear most of the time, getting it done as permanent makeup is a great way to save yourself time and energy.
And permanent eyeliner is arguably the treatment that will shorten your morning routine the most. But if you’re not that into the basic black, you’re probably wondering what permanent eyeliner colors are available.
Let’s explore what your color options are, and why some of them may not be such a good idea.
What Permanent Eyeliner Colors Are Available?
Even though the majority of clients who get permanent eyeliner go for black, you can actually get permanent eyeliner in a wide range of colors.
Basically, the only limitation is what pigments are available. Most artists who offer the treatment only have pigments in blacks and browns, since that’s what most clients ask for. They probably don’t stock up on colors that are very rarely chosen.
Plus, those who aren’t experienced with doing non-basic permanent eyeliner colors may not be willing to risk something not turning out right, so it may be more difficult to find an artist if you want some non-conventional color.
Which Color Choices Are Good and Which Are Not?
Okay, let’s just make one thing clear – the choice of permanent eyeliner color is a matter of preference, and you can do whatever you want at the end of the day.
But you should be made aware of what can go wrong and consider all aspects of the treatment before you choose a color – especially the permanence of the results.
So, let’s go through each of the permanent eyeliner colors and see why they may or may not be a good option.
Black Permanent Eyeliner
Here’s a fact that might come as a surprise – you should never get straight-up, pitch-black eyeliner tattooed.
Cool, black pigment without any admixture of warm brown does not behave well in the skin. This has to do with how the body breaks down PMU pigments. As the immune system attacks the pigment molecules, some components go, and the cool components remain.
Seen through the skin, they look bluish or greenish.
This can happen after several months, or several years, but chances are it will happen at some point if the pigment color isn’t adapted properly. Of course, some formulas are of higher quality than others, but the risk is still there if there’s not even a tinge of warm tones in it.
If you’ve researched the treatment a bit, you may have come across pictures of navy or grayish permanent eyeliner being removed. In most cases, the original pigment color was black, and it eventually turned bluish.
So if you want a really dark color that looks black, let the artist add some warmth to it. You’ll still get the look you want, but it will be more sustainable and look good even as it fades.
Image source: Instagram @lorenaobergskincare
Deep Brown Permanent Eyeliner
The safest option!
You can get lighter brown, which can look stunning on green eyes especially, as the cool green is contrasted with warm brown. But you can also go darker and get a shade that looks almost black, but actually has a brown base.
Browns behave much better in the skin than black pigments once they start fading. The point of permanent makeup is to let it fade away gradually, and if you get the treatment done right, the results should look relatively good even when the fading kicks in.
Image source: Instagram @hanna.pmu
White Permanent Eyeliner
White eyeliner is actually a trend that seems to resist time. It keeps popping back up in the beauty world periodically, bringing back 60s vibes whenever it does. It also has devoted fans, and a portion of makeup-lovers wear it on a daily basis.
The benefits of white eyeliner done with regular makeup are numerous: it’s a statement, it makes your eyes look wider and brighter, and it looks especially good on darker skin tones. But getting it done in its permanent option is not a good idea.
First, it’s a non-conventional choice and you may like it now, but can you really promise yourself you’ll like it a couple of months or years down the line?
But the bigger issue has to do with the pigment formula. White pigments more often than not contain titanium dioxide, a white pigment that doesn’t behave well in the skin. Titanium dioxide is very prone to color changes, and it tends to turn yellowish or greenish easily.
On top of that, it darkens and turns gray when touched by a laser beam, so laser removal or any other laser treatments cannot be done over it.
In the past, PMU artists would attempt to correct black eyeliner which blurs or migrates by tattooing white over it. This never turns out well and should you find yourself in need of dark eyeliner correction and an artist suggests this, say no. You’ll have to get the whole thing removed.
Image source: Instagram @masterremove_kamalineda
Purple Permanent Eyeliner
Purple is a popular color for eyeliner, and clients who ask for purple permanent eyeliner are actually relatively common.
Since basic purple is a cool color, it should be warmed up a bit for permanent makeup, to avoid unattractive fading – the same case as with black pigments. So if you want purple, we advise going more for a plum shade, with warm tones added to the mix.
The dark plum color is a relatively safe choice, since it can look subtle and nicely blended.
Image source: Instagram @permanent_polyakova
Colors of the Rainbow
The least conventional choices are rainbow permanent makeup colors – blues, greens, even reds, pinks…
These are done quite rarely, and it’s very hard to come across examples. But if you find an artist who has the supplies, and you’re absolutely sure you won’t regret it, you can get it done. It can look really nice if done right!
However, we have to note that these colors can behave unexpectedly as they fade, and since PMU in colors of the rainbow is done so rarely, we can’t really say how the fading will go. So we advise you to think this decision through carefully.
Image source: Instagram @enhanced_cosmetics
NOTE
A permanent eyeliner style which seems to be gaining more and more popularity is permanent eyeshadow, a sheer, a less saturated shade which doesn’t have defined edges, but rather looks like, well, eyeshadow. If you’re set on getting a bright color, perhaps this style would work better.
Final Note
We definitely love when people use makeup to express themselves and their creativity, but if you like your makeup more out-there, like doing your eyeliner green or pink or orange, perhaps it’s not the best idea to get it tattooed on. Trends change, our preferences change, and although PMU pigments do fade, they can stay visible for 3 years, or even longer.
Cover image source: Freepik
