Tanara Pereira, owner of Eau Claire Body Care, specializes in microblading, a unique cosmetic technique. Carla Cooper (above) gets a Micropigmentation retouch from Pereira.

It’s been said that the average woman spends about an hour a day doing her hair and makeup, so it’s no surprise that time-saving permanent and semi-permanent makeup procedures are taking the beauty world by storm. The latest trend? Microblading.

Microblading is a form of semi-permanent cosmetic tattooing that requires a special tool with a cluster of needles specifically designed to create individual strokes that resemble natural hairs to fill in your eyebrows. While it’s similar to getting your eyebrow makeup tattooed on, there are a few key differences. For example, microblading creates a natural – almost undetectable – sense of perfection to your brows. Tattooing in the traditional sense, however, creates a bolder and usually more made-up look by completely and solidly filling in the brows. Both procedures last for years, but gradually fade over time. Microblading in particular tends to last one to three years.

“Your eyebrows are a big part of your face, you use them for expression, so it’s a big deal, it makes a difference.” – Tanara Pereira, Eau Claire Body Care

If you’re looking to add some oomph to your brows, then Tanara Pereira is your go-to girl. She’s the owner of Eau Claire Body Care and is currently the only person in the area licensed to perform the procedure. She specializes in hair removal services and micropigmentation, which is a fancy word for cosmetic tattooing. This means that as of right now, this is the only place where microblading magic happens in the Chippewa Valley. That being said, microblading is becoming more popular, and according to Pereira we shouldn’t be surprised to see other businesses like hers popping up soon.

Pereira began her career practicing electrolysis in Wisconsin after getting her certification in her home country of Brazil, and she has now been in Eau Claire for almost 10 years. She says that after seeing the interest for microblading in Brazil as well as the confidence boost people got after having the procedure done, she decided to get certified to perform microblading on women here in the Chippewa Valley.

Pereira’s practice dips into both the medical and tattoo industries, making it extremely unique. While she’s technically considered a tattoo artist by the City of Eau Claire, some of her clients are looking for a solution to hair loss from medical treatment, so her microblading services are often considered to be “corrective aesthetic procedures.” Other clients arrive hoping for a more flexible alternative to permanent eyebrow makeup or hope to have their permanently tattooed brows softened. For these clients she uses a special ombre technique to help soften the look of their brows or subtly change their shape.

Not only has she seen the effects it can have on her clients – which range from tears of joy to thankful hugs – but she personally knows how much of a confidence boost the procedure gave her. She’s a true believer in its positive effects and cites the boost in confidence after clients see their new brows as one of her favorite parts of the job. “Your eyebrows are a big part of your face, you use them for expression, so it’s a big deal, it makes a difference,” Pereira says.

Eau Claire Body Care shares space with two separate but related businesses. Pereira and the other two women there consider each other coworkers or business partners and all offer unique, specialized services to make you look and feel beautiful. All three of these ladies have something to offer that most in the area don’t. For example, Brenda Mueller of Clearly You is the only laser technician in the area offering tattoo removal services. And while Laura Ellingboe of Paradise Massage offers massage therapy to many clients with different needs, her prenatal and oncology massages make her stand out from other massage therapists in the area.

You can find more information about microblading on Pereira, Ellingboe, and Mueller’s websites or on their respective social media pages, where they share pictures of their work, and information about specials and deals.