SUNRAYSIA residents are itching to remove their masks full-time but the discomfort of them might not be the only reason.
It seems that cosmetic tattooing and injectables have become increasingly popular with locals able to receive both services in town.
Local cosmetic tattooist Beau Lee has been run off his feet since he first opened his business in town just over 12 months ago.
Teaming up with his partner Brenda Song, he offers a range of services and says Sunraysia residents are particularly interested in lip fillers and lip blush tattooing at Cosmetic Art by Beau in Buronga.
“I am quite surprised by the demand in a regional area,” Mr Lee said.
“We are getting more and more inquiries — it is definitely getting very popular in Mildura.”
Along with their lips, Sunraysia residents are also looking for a more “permanent” change to their eyebrows and many are coming back for tattooed eyeliner.
“Eyeliner and lips are the most sensitive areas so they will often start with their eyebrows so they know what to expect and then will come back for the others,” Mr Lee said.
“Sometimes applying make-up can be a time-consuming process and make-up can smudge throughout the day. It can also be frustrating for people to try and draw on their eyebrows evenly each day.
“Cosmetic tattoo allows for the perfect shape and colour to be created.”
Mr Lee said the biggest misconception about cosmetic tattooing was ideas about permanence.
“It does fade eventually and it is semi-permanent,” he said.
“It is designed to last one and a half to two years, with those wanting a fresh make-up look to get a touch-up each year but those looking for a more natural look to get touch-ups every two to three years.”
When Mr Lee and Ms Song aren’t busy working on their clients, the couple “experiment”.
“We are quite adventurous,” Mr Lee said.
“We like to try out new things on one another and I have also had my eyeliner done and my brows tattooed.”
The couple agree it has many advantages, including being able to give an honest opinion to a client on what it is like to have a certain procedure done.
Mr Lee said he had plans to expand his business but would remain in Sunraysia for the foreseeable future.
“It was during my first visit with Brenda that I fell in love with the area and the good weather,” he said.
“Brenda was flying in and out casually for six or seven months before we made the move to Mildura and, having grown up in a country town, I always wanted to end up living in a regional area.
“We want to be based here for a long time.”
