We recently connected with Christina Hulka and have shared our conversation below.

Christina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?

Unfortunately the biggest trends in MY industry is the repetitive deceptive marketing tactics! The definition of deceptive marketing “is the use of false and/or misleading information to capture the attention of the consumer through the usage of false information to persuade buyers into a business transaction that will not typically be beneficial to you but “yes” beneficial to the one doing the deceptive advertising.” So, what do I mean when I say this? Many artists in my field continue to use marketing terms to mask the fact that we are creating a tattoo.

Many people believe that permanent makeup is not a tattoo process. However, Permanent makeup is in fact a tattooing process. Any time color is implanted into the skin with a needle you are creating a tattoo.
For example terms such as lipblush, ombre lips, aquarelle lips, and lipstaining is the result of deceptive marketing despite all of the previous methods being subversive marketing for one procedure…. a lip tattoo! There are many different looks that we can achieve with a lip tattoo!
The same applies to “microblading”, which is still marketed as “semi-permanent”. This technique of tattooing is similar to that of methods which are known generically as “prison tattoos.”

However there has been a positive side effect in the fact that more and more artists are adapting to using the machine method thanks to higher quality of work being prioritized over these marketing methodologies. The machine method is making a resurgence within permanent makeup, it was avoided for some time to again avoid the stigma associated with tattooing. Now that tattoos have become more and more common, permanent makeup has benefited from that by proxy. Better quality machines, pigments, numbing solutions, etc. have all come along thanks to advances in the tattoo industry over the last decade.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I created Inked & Blinked 6 years ago at 18 years old, with the idea of creating a safe place for women to get tattoos!

Inked & Blinked isn’t my side hustle or hobby, it’s my career! I love helping women feel more confident through permanent makeup, with the added benefit of saving them tons of time and money in the long-run.

I believe that I stand-out in the permanent makeup industry, and more specifically within my region because I’ve continued to expand my skill set outside of just permanent makeup such as services 3D Areola tattooing to serve breast cancer cancer survivors, or other women that may have had to undergo mastectomies, or plasma fibroblasting to help tighten up skin that may be loosening. Permanent eyeliner, lips, brows and freckles are my bread and butter! My skills only continue to strengthen with the countless continual education around the world. Continuing to expand my horizons, as well as honing in on all of my fundamental services allows me to serve my clients to the best of my abilities!

I’m proud of the quality of my work and all that I’ve achieved. Knowing that my clients are walking around everyday, wearing my art on their faces, as strange as it sounds, is immensely fulfilling. Not only clients without tattoos, but being able to repair and replenish clients who previously had work done.

Ready to knock off part of your daily makeup routine? Tired of your eyeliner smearing off? Permanent makeup is a great solution to continue to always wake up with makeup!
Hundreds of women leave Inked & Blinked feeling more confident, beautiful and ready to conquer the day!

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

My clients know that I’m a very straight-to-the-point kind of artist! I don’t participate in the deceptive marketing trend when advertising any of my procedures! I’ve built my business’s reputation on the pillars of quality, honesty and giving realistic expectations. When coming into my studio, expect to leave having your features enhanced rather than masked over.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Every single one of my clients 18-89 years old have continued to live their lives literally wearing my work on their face! Thanks to my work being constantly visible and successful, it’s made word-of-mouth marketing the most effective form of marketing for my business. Instagram, facebook, google and brochures are great however, nothing beats word-of-mouth!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.inkedandblinked.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/inkedandblinkedpmu
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inkedandblinked/

Image Credits
Kendall Nicole Photography