EPISODE 1 – The Truth About Pigments and Undertones, with Elizabeth Finch Howell

4th February 2019

Hello and welcome to the INK-Credible Podcast where we will be exploring the world of body art, cosmetic tattoos, and everything in between. For our first episode we are joined by Elizabeth Finch Howell, who is a pigment scientist with decades of experience in the permanent makeup game. She is here to tell us all about pigments, colors, and the science behind how they are made and used. In our discussion, we cover Elizabeth’s history and personal relationship to pigments and tattooing before getting into her career path and how she got where she is today. We look at recent advancements in technology and some of the rules of the industry that have stayed the same. Elizabeth is a staunch believer in the quality of products and has very little room for inferiority in this regard! She weighs in on organic versus synthetic ink and the differences in the color spectrum. She also explains light fastness, bleed resistance, and mask tone. For a fascinating conversation with a true industry expert, be sure to join us!

• How Elizabeth came to be interested in permanent makeup.
• Working with a surgeon using pulsed dye lasers.
• Beginning her own career in the art of camouflaging skin.
• How Elizabeth tattooed her own face.
• Advancements in pigment technology in recent years.
• Understanding light fastness, bleed resistance and mask tone.
• Organic and inorganic tones and the longevity of these.
• Correct usage of the word ‘ink’.
• The process of creating organic and inorganic pigments.
• Comparing pigments’ usage in permanent makeup and body art.
• The high quality of artists that are present in the modern world.
• Some tips for the use of powdered pigments.
• Keeping the recipe for the pigments simple and unadulterated.
• The future of the permanent makeup industry.
• Who needs color theory classes?
• The vital importance of undertone in permanent makeup pigments.
• And much more!

Team Micro — teammicro.com
Dermagrafix — dermagrafix.net
Derma International — derma-international.com
Saint Barnabas Hospital —sbhny.org
Permanent Make Up Magazine — permanent-magazine.com