Over the past few years, cosmetic tattooing has become the number one solution for beefing up overplucked, sparse, or nonexistent brows, redefining your lip line, and creating semi-permanent eyeliner. Expert Emma Grundy takes style director Louise Hilsz on a tour of her new studio, Leora, to learn why her bespoke treatments are in hot demand.
Emma is a perfectionist. Her love for cosmetic tattooing and the wider beauty industry means she is at the forefront of trends. With each treatment, she aims to bring lasting confidence to her clients, the kind that helps you feel your best every day. For Emma, cosmetic tattooing starts with a personalised consultation, so each service is bespoke and tailored to suit your features and fashion style. Here, she shares Leora, her expertise and her new cosmetic collection.
How long have you been in the beauty business?
I have been in the beauty business for over 8 years.
What was your inspiration behind Leora?
Leora is inspired by the beauty and resilience found in women and the desire to enhance natural beauty. The name Leora evokes a sense of light and brightness, which reflects our goal of improving each person's unique features through confidence and self-love.
What does Leora mean?
Leora means "light" or "I have light" in Hebrew. It symbolises brightness, which relates to the themes of beauty and confidence.
What treatments do you offer at Leora?
Eyebrow feathering, soft powder brow, lip blushing, lash enhancement, brow tinting and shaping.
Emma’s cosmetic brow, eyeline and lip blush tattooing.
What is your area of expertise?
All cosmetic tattooing, including eyebrows, lip blush and lash enhancements.
What are the trends when it comes to cosmetic tattooing?
Many people opt for a more natural appearance in cosmetic tattoos, such as soft powder or lip tints that enhance their natural colour rather than bold, heavy pigments.
What is lip blushing?
Lip Blushing is a form of semi-permanent cosmetic tattooing that enhances the colour and shape of your lips. The technique involves depositing pigment into the lips to create a more defined outline and a tint of colour, which can help correct asymmetry and give the appearance of fuller lips. Lip blushing is generally for anyone seeking a more defined and pigmented lip.
What is the prep and downtime? How long does it last?
Avoid blood thinners, caffeine, and alcohol before your appointment. Moisturise and keep your lips hydrated in the days leading up to your appointment. Expect some swelling and a little tenderness afterwards. This usually subsides pretty quickly. As lips heal, they may peel around day three to five. The final colour takes weeks to settle in fully, so patience is vital. After two appointments, your cosmetic tattoo lasts around three to five years.
Emma Grundy at Leora Studio on Auckland’s Ponsonby Road.
What are the brow trends?
Bushy brows, full, natural eyebrows with a slightly untamed look continue to trend, emphasising a more relaxed and effortless appearance. Soft powder brows are slowly becoming one of our most popular treatments. This treatment is a minimalistic approach to cosmetic tattooing, embracing more of a "clean" brow look, with just a little fill-in to enhance their natural shape. A brow gel is also a must for that fluffy, defined, sleek look.
Who can have brow tattooing? What is the prep and downtime?
Brow tattooing is suitable for anyone seeking a fuller, more defined eyebrow. This includes people with naturally sparse brows, hair loss conditions, or wanting to save time with their makeup routine. Before the treatment, it’s best to avoid caffeine, alcohol, blood thinners and certain medications that increase bleeding, and stop using retinol-based skincare. The initial healing phase can take about two weeks. During this time, it's important to stick to your aftercare instructions, which include not wetting your brows, sweating heavily, or going to saunas. Keep the brows dry and clean, and apply our antiseptic cream. After the initial procedure, a follow-up appointment between four and six weeks is essential.
What about eyeliner tattooing? How long does it last?
We offer lash line enhancement, a technique that improves the appearance of the lash line to create the illusion of denser lashes. It's a great option for those who want a subtle effect that lasts 12-18 months.
Tell us about the Leora cosmetic range?
Our brand focuses on creating high-quality products and services designed to empower individuals to embrace their natural beauty. We have recently launched our Leora peptide lip gloss, which is enriched with sheer butter, peptides, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid for hydrated and smoother lips. We also offer a Leora hi-def brow gel, which is water-resistant and buildable and helps sculpt, control, and shape your brows all day. Both are staples in any beauty routine.
Leora Brow Gel, $42. Leora Peptide Lip Gloss, $45.
What are you working on right now when it comes to newness?
Developing and expanding the Leora cosmetic range with an emphasis on our newly released peptide lip gloss.
What are your beauty rules?
I must have seven hours of beauty sleep, icing my face, LED red light therapy, regular saunas, and my holy grail skincare buy, Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Glow Moisturizer. And our Leore lip blush tattoo.
What's your best beauty advice?
Always take your makeup off, even after a big night, and, of course, use SPF 50 on your face and neck every day all year round.
Leora founder, Emma Grundy with her dog Willow.
Celebrating 25 years of tropical, plant-based skincare.