Having the Courage to Start with Thuy of Brownude

Summoning the courage to start is something that no training can give you, but a trainer can definitely inspire you. Thuy of Brownude in Edmonton, Canada has trained many permanent makeup artists, and she shared with us how she started in the Permanent Makeup industry. It turns out that sometimes the line between being totally prepared and just going for it despite your fears is blurry. Read on to find out how Thuy began her journey as a Permanent Makeup artist

Tell us about yourself! Your background, history & the nitty gritty of all things you!

I may not look like it, but I can literally eat all day. I could eat up to eight meals a day; I want to thank God for giving me high metabolism. I have a shopping problem, like credit cards should be taken away.

I've been in beauty since 2003. I first started off with hair, but I knew that hair was definitely not for me one month in. Once I was done here, I tried to stick it out. I spent all that time in school so I  was going to open my own salon. At that time I wasn't a makeup artist yet, but I was playing around with makeup and doing shoots here and there.

How did you first get into the beauty industry? The PMU industry?

When lash extensions became the craze, I went to go get it done myself. I thought Wow, this makes such a big difference. And it was just eyelashes. Then I decided to take a course and then I opened the second studio in Edmonton, strictly doing lash extensions. It became quite popular and I sold my share of the company when it was at an all-time peak, which was a perfect time for me because I was pregnant with my son.

When I moved to Edmonton, I was debating to do permanent makeup or lashes, but I was kind of scared to tattoo people’s faces. When I gave birth to my daughter, the first two years were hard. She cried all day long, no matter what I did; if I held her, if I put her down, she just cried all day long. I told my husband that I literally need a few hours to myself before I go crazy. And so I took a PMU course and I rented a room in a hair salon, and the rest is history.

What does courage mean to you?

It took me probably six months to get out of my comfort zone for tattooing. I used to come home sometimes and wonder “Did I do it wrong?” It was nerve wracking, especially at the beginning of your career, when you have a very particular client and you’re fighting them tooth and nail to let them know that “This is not your ideal shape.” I’ve had so many requests like that: clients who want extremely long tail or really arched eyebrows. You want to make everyone happy, but you can’t. So you have to just say “No” and hope they don’t leave you a bad review. That’s out of your hands, so I just let it go.

For more inspiration, follow Thuy @brownude on instagram!