Betsy Shuki Studio

Betsy Shuki Studio is a permanent makeup studio in Fort Lee, New Jersey, led by owner Betsy Shuki. The studio works on semi-permanent brows, eyes, lips and skin, and every service is booked by appointment.

Brows are the core of the menu. Microblading uses a handheld tool to draw fine strokes that imitate brow hairs. Combo brows pair microblading with machine-applied powder shading across the body of the brow, and powder brows use microshading to place fine dots for a powdered, ombre finish. Brow shaping follows the Golden Ratio Method and includes tweezing, waxing and grooming. Eye, lip and skin services cover semi-permanent eyeliner, lip blush, and semi-permanent beauty marks and freckles.

A first microblading visit takes about two hours and begins with a consent form and a custom pencil brow design. A topical numbing cream goes on beforehand and stays on for around 15 minutes. Microblading, combo brows and powder brows are each a two-step process, with the second session about four to eight weeks after the first, and sometimes a third touch-up.

Touch-ups are grouped into three tiers by how long it has been since the last service: Tier 1 for clients 4 to 8 weeks out, Tier 2 for 2 to 6 months, and Tier 3 for 6 to 12 months, with Tiers 2 and 3 needing more work. The studio recommends a touch-up every six to eight months and semi-annual touch-ups for everyone. It says one application alone does not hold retention, so new clients are asked to book a Tier 1 touch-up four to eight weeks after the initial session. Touch-up pricing applies to existing clients only.

The studio says its services are provided at an exceptional level and reports more than 3,500 transformations. It also says its work has been featured in publications including Glamour, InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Vogue and Bustle, and describes its owner as a trailblazer in the industry. These are the studio's own statements. Clients with previously tattooed or microbladed brows need a consultation or a clear photo of brows without makeup before booking, and corrective work is by approval only. Clients must be 18 or older, and some conditions or recent treatments may disqualify a client, with a doctor's note possibly required for recent chemotherapy, Accutane or diabetes. Results vary with skin type, healing, lifestyle and aftercare, and healed results cannot be guaranteed.

Microblading is done by hand rather than with a motorized device, and the studio says the pigment is placed in the basal membrane instead of deeper in the skin.