Building Your PMU Arsenal: Essential Products for Beginners from an Apprentice's Perspective

My name is Felicia Maldonado and I was born and raised in Aurora, IL. My obsession with permanent makeup began 4 years ago after I took my 100 hour microblading fundamentals course. From there I knew that I wanted to know everything about permanent makeup. My many questions surrounding the PMU field eventually led me to becoming a Girlz Ink apprentice, where I have been learning and growing my craft.

As an apprentice learning to be a versatile artist and becoming well rounded is very important. For me it starts with knowing your products and your core fundamentals of PMU. Here are my top two beginner bundles that I would recommend for anyone starting out in permanent makeup.

I’m drawn to the Beginner Starter Kit, specifically with Course Access #2.

 Included in this kit:

• Machine & Movements Online Course
• The Needle & The Prick Online Course
• Beyond the Epidermis: The Ultimate Color Theory Online Course
• Bishop PMU Pen
• Critical Connect Universal Battery Shorty
• Dump Bags
• Aqua Starter Brow Kit
• Zensa Topical Anesthetic
• Brow Ruler
• Brow String
• Girlz Ink Brow Pencils
• After Inked
• OMG Needles Variety Pack
• Tea Tree Toner
• Pigment Seal

This kit gives you everything you need for a few procedures or even just to practice on your practice skins. The Aqua Starter Brow Kit gives a wide range for many different skin tones making it ideal for someone who is starting out in PMU. I also love that it comes with the Fundamentals Courses on how machines and needles work. Understanding the core fundamentals in our industry can help any artist achieve great results on many different skin types. 

I'm also drawn to the OMG Sample Variety Pack of needles.

Included in this kit is 1 of each of the 12 configurations below if available:

• 1 Round Liner - Size .25/#8
• 1 Round Liner - Size .30, #10
• 1 Round Liner - Size .35/#12
• 3 Round Liner - Size .25/#8  
• 3 Round Shader - Size .25/#8  
• 3 Round Shader - Size .30/#10
• 5 Round Liner - Size .25/#8
• 5 Round Shader - Size .25/#8
• 7 Curved Mag - Size .25/#8  
• 8 Round Shader - Size .25/#8  
• 9 Curved Mag - Size .25/#8 
• 14 Round Shader - Size .25/#8

In my apprenticeship here at the studio, learning how to manipulate different techniques with larger needles has been fun. That’s why I would recommend the Needle Variety Pack so that artists can start to ask questions about larger needle configurations. Figuring out what needles work best for you are important to getting great results.

I think that it starts with being curious and trying new needles and training ourselves on what works best for us.