Elizabeth Velez got eyeliner tattooed on her eyelids ten years ago simply because she felt it would save her energy and time. Millions of people are being warned by her cautionary tale, which has recently gone viral on TikTok, that “semi-permanent” makeup may not be as temporary as it appears.
Velez made a reservation at 29 to have inked eyeliner drawn to her upper and lower lash lines to bring out her green eyes and shape her straight lashes. She hoped she would go home feeling stylish after being encouraged by a coworker’s flawless results.
Instead, she says that she “immediately” regretted her actions!
@ifm0m10 year eyeliner tattoo update. Just don’t don’t do it. What was I thinking? #eyeliner #regrets #beauty♬ original sound – IFm0m
She told People magazine that two two-hour sessions of numbing cream didn’t help much, while having the painful procedure.
“The worst part was how many times [they] over the same tiny area,” she stated, talking about the way she tried to keep her eyes open as the tattoo artist repeatedly dragged the needle across her eyelids.
The healing process wasn’t kind either; the bruised, red, and swollen lids stayed for a week, far longer than projected. And when the swelling went down? The final results did not have a balance.
She noted, “I regretted [the tattoo] very quickly because it wasn’t straight.”
Industry advertising says eyeliner tattoos are semi-permanent and will disappear in three to five years. Yet, more than ten years later, Velez’s top-lid tattoo is still clearly visible. Her upper liner has not much changed, giving her what she calls a “day-old makeup” look morning after morning, while her lower lash line began to fade within a year (and she resolved to skip the touch-ups).
Her TikTok has now gotten over a million views.
In it, Velez said, “No one ever shows [results] five years down the road when it starts to spread and change colors.” Laser removal sounds like too much of a risk. She acknowledged that “Having a laser that close to my eye is scary, and I don’t think the risk is worth it.”
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Now, as a mom, Velez has taken cautious steps regarding body image and beauty since that impulsive eyeliner mishap. She is hoping to lead her kids away from long-term treatments gently, but she will not dictate the choices they make because “it’s their life.”
I finally got it done! 👁️🗨️ Permanente eyeliner tattooed on my eyelids 🥹 I was nervous about the procedure, but it turned out to be completely painless 🫠 Happy with the result! 🥰 What do think? ☺️ pic.twitter.com/kEd9mVbJdf
— Nina 🇺🇦 (@ninaselyna) April 19, 2024
Despite all this, she also refrains from talking badly about herself in front of her kids. “I grew up in a very non-body-positive time, and I (…) want them to know how lucky they are for everything they have in life and to not focus on one little insecurity.”
Even though Velez’s tattoo regret may have initially started as a beauty faux pas, her story has since gone viral as an example of how getting “semi-permanent” facial tattoos can be a commitment for life.
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