Just got done getting my eyebrows done today and I was nervous as heck! My hair stylist told me about April from one of her clients. Her blonde client's eyebrows looked so great I had to get mine done right away! I booked my appt with April for the next week and then started reading and asking around about the pain, etc... I began to get very nervous reading about the pain and bad experiences people had at many places! People I know that have gotten it done before told me it just feels like scratching and it's not that bad. I am a big baby when it comes to pain and warned April when I got there :-) I got there and April was just finishing up on a patient and didn't have to wait for too long, but even if I did I understand that she's the only one in her office that does the tattooing, so I expected to wait. She got me numbed up for the full 45 mins and we discussed what I wanted and she drew what they would look like. After we perfected look, the tattooing began. At first it felt like she was taking an electric shaver to my brows, didn't hurt at all! Then as the process went on, being the baby that I am, it did start to hurt like a normal tattoo to me anyway. So if you've ever got a tattoo before it feels like that so expect some pain but it is tolerable. I am extremely happy with the results and can't wait till they heal to see the true color and total look. I will post before and after pictures when they heal. I will say don't be afraid to ask lots of questions, April will answer them all. I probably sounded really paranoid and mentioned I was nervous many of times :-) (This is the only reason why I gave 4 stars instead of 5 was because I felt like I had to ask a lot of questions since I didn't know much about it at all and it just came natural to April since she's had so many clients, but a little more explaining of the process would help out a beginner client like me) Update......... It has now been 9 days since the procedure and I wake up every morning and think WOW, why didn't I get this done sooner! I LOVE my eyebrows and couldn't be more happy. As far as the healing process, yes the first 4 days or so they are pretty dark, but once the scabbing from the tattoo fell off by day 7, they look AMAZING! Thanks April, I may have many friends coming into see you. They all love my eyebrows! =) read more

Permanent Makeovers - Here are my results, couldn't be more happy! Thanks April! - Makeup Artists Near Me

Made this purchase for my cousin who was graduating school. I was with my cousin when she called on speaker phone to set her appointment. My cousin's call was promptly answered by a friendly and helpful person, and an appointment was set at a convenient time. My cousin described the process to her eyes and lips as pretty painless. A number of days later when everything healed and set in, everyone could not stop commenting on how beautiful she looked. She told me that she is very thankful that I got such a practical gift for her. I have no issue recommending this place to other family and friends. read more

Unfortunately, my "permanent" makeup did not last ... unlike my friend's tattooed eyeliner that she has had for nearly 20 years, mine disappeared within 1.5 years. When I had it done, she was extremely skilled and accommodating and I was very impressed with the amazing application job she did, but just know that the ink is not actually permanent, which was the goal for me. It is not a process I would go through regularly to refresh - I wanted a one and done like my friend's. read more

Hello, I am also thankful to Occeana V, and Charlotte D.! The reason that I am in here, is because (like Charlotte D.), i have not received a phone call back --and I was starting to "wonder" if there was "really" a business here (or if they just wanted to take my "Groupon" money --with no service, rendered). I do not like to go around making negative reviews --but, I don't want other people to be taken advantage of. I was really looking forward to meeting up with April, because her webpage looked so nice. However, I can't seem to meet up with her, so that I can decide for myself. I am sorry to hear that Occeana V. went through all of that pain, without any results. Thank you both for posting! read more

I too purchased this service, and I concur with all of the other reviews. Terrible service,terrible results... and extremely unprofessional and unpleasant from start to finnish. STAY AWAY!!!! read more

I bought a Groupon for a permanent eyebrow makeup procedure. I called earlier this week to set up an appointment and went in for my procedure today. I was very pleased with how professional, informative and friendly April was throughout the entire process. She exhibited her artistic expertise while being receptive to my requests on how I wanted it to look as well. On another note, I was surprised at how little the procedure hurt compared to a regular body tattoo. I barely felt it at all even though my skin tends to be sensitive more often than not. I'm so excited I don't have to draw my eyebrows on anymore and I can't wait to be fully healed to see the true results! P.S. Make sure you check out the Filtered Reviews too because I feel there are a lot of 4-5 star reviews which depict the same positive experience I had with April. I would definitely recommend her. read more

I did a lot of research before I decided to contact April Sampson in 2007 to do my eyebrows. It is very important to me that I review their whole portfolio and find pictures of clients with the same issue I had and see before and after pictures. Taking a person's word on whether they can duplicate what you are asking for isn't good enough for me. She does a lot of permanent makeup corrections from other artists mistakes. She also SOLELY does permanent makeup and therefore this is her expertise. Alongside, she's an attractive woman!! You want someone who looks good themselves trying to make you look good!!! I wouldn't want an overweight gym instructor to train me to lose weight, why would I want an unattractive person trying to make me look good? My first procedure with April was in 2007. I have short and thin eyebrows and had to draw/fill in the ends before I left the house. She did such an amazing job in making sure that my eyebrows would look NATURAL!!!! She even did my lash enhancement for me and added eyeliner for such an amazing combo deal with the eyebrows. 2010- I went back for a touch up- went on too many sunny trips and faded out my brows. Even when they were fading it was natural and no one noticed, but I did of course and needed April's touch! Jan 2014- Was looking for April's contact info because I needed a touch up (I need to start using hats more often to keep from the eyebrow fading) and saw all these horrible reviews and couldn't believe it! I felt the need to write a review on yelp. Just went in yesterday and the service is still great. I want my eyebrows a little thicker with hair strokes and so far so good. Should have taken an antihistamine before the eyeliner touch up because I looked like hitch with my swollen eyelids. Day 2 is better than Day 1. Eyebrows look so great and I am glad I trusted her with going a little thicker. Will be going back in 6 weeks for follow up retouch and added hair strokes for dimension. You will be provided with a follow up care instruction to ensure YOU do the right thing to keep the artwork looking good. When you call, ask about pre procedure instructions. She has a new office in Newport Beach. Please check out her website for more pictures and information. http://www.orangecountypermanentmakeup.com/ read more

Just had my lips permanently tattooed with liner and I couldn't be happier! April is the best ever and her assistant Rebecca is amazing as well! Highly recommend this company! Not going to lie a little painful , however the end result is absolutely worth it! read more

Permanent Makeovers - Permanent liner, with no lipstick on...LOVE IT! - Makeup Artists Near Me

I am 100% satisfied with April Sampson. She transformed my look and changed my life. I suffered from large, white scars on my face and April did a procedure called camouflaging in which she filled in my white scars with color. She matched the color perfectly and did a great job blending my scars with the rest of my skin. My skin is now more even in color and I can go in public without hiding behind tons of foundation. She not only met my expectations, she exceeded them. If you want something permanent and perfect, you should only allow April to touch your face! read more

I had Permanent make up done by April over a year ago. I gave a honest review of my experience when purchasing the Groupon. Now April has sent me an email THREATENING TO SUE ME IF I DON"T REMOVE MY NEGATIVE REVIEW!!! This is a copy of the email, anyone else getting treats from April for BEING HONEST?! April Sampson orangecountypermanentmakeup@gmail.com 2:59 PM (1 hour ago) to me ATTENTION: Davis, Charlotte Phone: XXX-XXX-XXX Alt. Phone: xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.com URGENT MATTER Dear Charlotte, It has come to my attention you are displeased with your service experience as you stated on yelp. I am sorry to hear about this and apologize. Please give me the opportunity to express my concern by allowing me to complete the permanent makeup process. Please contact my office as soon as possible to make arrangement to rectify the situation I strive to please every client to insure they have a good experience and result. Your negative yelp review have affected me personally and professionally. The defamatory remarks left against me have caused defamation of character as well as public slander, bigotry, hate speech, harassment and malic. I am left with no other option than to pursue legal recourse against you. I have retained an attorney to file a lawsuit and take legal action against any party affiliated with these defamatory remarks on Yelp and additionally to collect damages for loss of income. Again, I am willing to do whatever it takes, for however long to re-establish a better outcome and result to the situation and cease this abomination against me and my company. It is mandatory to attain an attorney to represent any cyber communication through Yelp, causing my company further loss, and the generalization of causing harm to me and my safety. I hope to resolve this situation immediately, before legal action takes place. Please remove your comments and contact me to conclude this matter in an agreeable way. This will be my final attempt to resolve this situation, before the legal process begins as a prelude to the violation of my company and me personally. By the law of California, all must be adhered by the courts; before any decisions are made. I am unfortunately left with no other option than to allow the court to decide who is in the wrong. If you are willing to negotiate the removal of your Yelp review, in exchange for permanent makeup, I am willing to arrange a meeting with my attorney present to abide by all California state laws as a witness to your agreement. If you are unable or unwilling to remove the review by MONDAY - JULY 29th 2013, you will be served a lawsuit for damages. Please contact me at your earliest convenience. April Sampson Orange County Permanent Makeup 949.630.0535 Charlotte D. - Wildomar, CA - 4/27/12 - 1 star rating Thank you to the person who wrote the first review under Orange County Permanent Make Up. I too bought the Groupon Deal. I have been calling everyday since only to get an automated service. I have left messages and am not receiving a call back. After reading the review other review, I am not sure I even want a call back. I do expect to have a say in how Permanent eyeliner is applied to my face, and I do expect it to be permanent. I am going to request a refund from Groupon. read more

My friends pooled together and got me permanent eyeliner and lash enhancement as a 29th birthday present (nothing says we love you like eyeliner tattoos) and it's honestly one of the best gifts I have ever received! The best way I can describe the effect of permanent eyeliner is that it brings up my baseline. Even if I am tired, in sweatpants, and feeling a mess, it looks like I tried a little bit to put myself together, and makes my eyes look awake and "pop" more. What girl wouldn't want that! I called in to make an appointment with April, who does the tattoos herself, and it was easy enough to book. They are only open on weekdays, so be prepared for that. I am SOO glad I chose April for my permanent eyeliner and lash enhancement and didn't let the yelp ratings scare me away. Looking at the filtered reviews and the pictures on her website, in addition to seeing the results on my friend, were enough to convince me to go for it! I've had permanent eyeliner before, as had my sister, mom (3 times), and many aunts. Let's just say it's familiar territory. That said, the results that I and my friend got from April are the best I have EVER seen. just BEAUTIFUL work. She made the eyeliner a wonderful thickness, without looking costumey. it was natural,but enhanced, and I wake up feeling beautiful, but not made up. She knew to keep the upper and lower liner from meeting, to make the eyes look more open. April also has more before and after care instructions than anyone else I've ever seen. She truly wants the procedure to succeed and come out at its best. Listen to her tips and you will not be disappointed. I've gotten so so many compliments from the eyeliner procedure, and cannot imagine life without having had this done. And if you are thinking of not getting the lash enhancement, don't cheat yourself -- it's worth it to make your lashes really stand out! And the pain, not that bad. The swelling will go away in a day or two. Follow the tips and you will be good to go. April truly has so much talent, and I am even thinking of getting my brows done by her now. She knows her stuff. Make an appointment with April, and wake up beautiful everyday! TRUST ME, it's worth it. Tip: There are often specials run on April's website, so call her or take a look. Each procedure includes a touch up, if needed. read more

I wish I would have read the Yelp reviews! Everytime I look in the mirror I cry. I wanted the scars on my Areola's from a breast lift to be camouflaged and she left me with a dark brown ring and a horrible infection because she dug me so deep. I was on Antibiotics for 8 days and it was horribly painful. I didn't know at the time that any reputable cosmetic tattoo artist does a patch test to match color and makes you wait a month to see if the color matches. She simply rubbed a little of the tattoo ink on my skin and said, "that looks like a match!" I should have listened to my gut, which was telling me to run! April also quoted me the price of $500.00 an hour and charged me $599.00 I waited four months to write this review to give it time to heal and the color to settle and it still looks like I have target ring around my areola. I can't even let my husband look at my breasts anymore, I'm so self conscience. There are competent permanent makeup artists out there can can help fix the problems she has caused me. I'm doing saline solution treatments. It's painful but it's lightening the ring around my areola. You can't use lasers on cosmetic ink! It turns grey, just a heads up. Just research before you do cosmetic tattooing. I wish that I would have. I don't want anyone else to go thru what I went thru! I wish I could post a picture of my nipples, then you would understand my horrible dilemma. read more

April Sampson "Orange County Permanent Makeup" botched my lips so badly that when she was done with the permanent lipstick I looked like a clown and the lipstick went above and beyond my natural lip line. It has been over 1 year now and I have had 5 painful treatments to remove her mistake and it is still not completely removed. The worst part is I can only go for removal treatments every 12 weeks to avoid scarring and discoloration. For over a year I have been ashamed when I look into the mirror and regret making such a bad choice in picking April to do the job. Daily I think of April when I look in the mirror and it sickens my stomach with the results even after all the repairs that I have done. I have spent a lot of money and that in itself is very disappointing as well. Unfortunately I have scarring and discoloration that will never go away. I would never recommend April Sampson to anyone! April also quoted me one price and when she couldn't finish the job on the first session she told me afterward that I would have to pay full price again to complete the job and would give me a discount if I paid cash. What was my choice, to walk around with half tattooed lips? Don't through caution to the wind or you will live to regret it. If I had read her Yelp reviews beforehand I would not have gone through with the procedure! read more

I bought the Groupon deals as well. Went to my appointment completely nervous. I should have stuck to my gut instincts about the place and April. Completely unprofessional, results are subpar, and the numbing cream did not work! I asked for natural hair strokes for my brows and got three lines straight across one side and some lines on the other. One side is completely not even visible and the other is so uneven. I really regret having my brows done. Period. Don't go here!!! read more

i got the groupon deal, thinking i scored. boy was i wrong! i called right away to book my appointment. left a message. got a call back almost 2 weeks later. i couldn't remember the time, so when when the day rolled around i called early to ask for the exact time of appointment. i left a message. got no call back. i left extra early, just to make sure i wouldn't miss it. i ended up arriving an hour early. i walked in to an empty and quiet waiting room. i heard people in the procedure room. after a couple minutes an man walks out and said i'd get helped soon. after 20 or so minutes he and a southern lady walk out. apparently she was a friend of april and the man was a masseuse. anyway. finally another client lady walks and and sits next to me. turns out april was running late and her southern friend was there to help. after waiting for what seemed forever, april comes in and works on the other lady (her appointment was before mine). when she finally put her attention on me, and i said i had makeup on so she could see how i wanted my eyebrows she began to say that she didn't have time to "map out" my brows and plus it would cost more than the $200 groupon. i was like "what!?" i have faded old tattoos, can't you use those as guides?"!!! (she didn't bother to ask for details or inspect my eyebrows at all) after she attempted to get rid of me (i should have taken it!!!), she did do my eyebrows. which turned out to be horribly uneven, faded, and not like i asked. she did sucker me into getting an "eyelash enhancement" for another $50. you can barely see it. she recommended a touch up for another $200. i made the appointment. which was for today. i called to cancel, and got a DISCONNECTED MESSAGE!!!!! that's when i finally came on here to see what people were saying about her. wish i would have checked BEFORE i bought the groupon. i've learned my lesson! ugh! UPDATE: (12/29/12) this is in response to april's reply below. the masseuse was in your main procedure room using the same bed you use for your clients (i was there, not you). the southern lady was texting you and communicating to me and the other client about your lateness and sitting in the little office. sounds like a friend of yours to me. plus, you asked her to apply the numbing gel on the other client whom you saw before me. the poor girl was super nervous about it, seeing she wasn't an official assistant or anything. she reassured her saying she's "had many procedures done, and knows how to do it" with her cute southern accent. it's great you have some people officially working for you, as you clearly needed the assistance. as far as my eyebrows, i clearly said i wanted them thicker. they definitely did not turn out thicker. the color was also just as faded and uneven as they were previously before seeing you. maybe the horrible pink eye i got as i was healing from your procedures were the reason they turned up that way.... why didn't i mention this before? i thought that maybe i caused the pink eye, but perhaps the fact that you didn't bother to remove my mascara before tattooing my top lids had something to do with it. i looked into the price of good quality pigment (ink), and they are not $50 a pop. and you definitely don't use a whole bottle for a pair of lines on the lids. c'mon, we're not stupid. plus, so many of these so called positive reviews that are filtered out are most likely fakes. no pictures, and only one or two total reviews from these people making these 5 star reviews. sounds fishy to me. and yelp agrees. read more

I will never do business again with April Sampson or Orange County Permanent Makeup. This Girl is rude, and unprofessional, something is not right with her. She described her groupon clients as being "Cheap" Kept telling me to bring cash. She was shaking which made me really nervous working so close to my eyes. She left the room, said she would be right back, and was gone almost an hour. Lousy lousy service. BEWARE, get a refund from groupon and stay away read more

After reading all the reviews, I am a bit startle that I didn't experience anything negative other than the wait time. The procedure was painful but no pain, no gain. Went back for my touch up today. Happy with the results! So sorry to see all these customers having bad experiences with April. I am a Yelper & often turn to yelp to try new things. I would have never gone to April had I yelp her first. But I discover her through Groupon. Even with the groupon deal, she ask for an extra $100 to do the eyelash & another $200 for touch up.... I agreed so she deliver so I paid. I guess you do get what you pay for. Overall, she save me so much time getting ready now. My brows & liner looks awesome! Gotten a lot of compliments:) read more

I found this place through Groupon and had wanted to have my uneven, sparse eyebrows filled in and made to look thicker for a long time. I bought the Groupon deal and finally made the appt. I have several tattoos so I wasn't too nervous about getting the work done but the fact that it was on my face made me nervous. I was pretty adamant about wanting them to look a certain way...very natural, not fake or drawn on and in a certain shape. I did my homework and researched lots of before and after photos. I knew I wanted it to look like little hairs or hair strokes...not a solid block of color as I do not wear a lot of make up. I did not have my eyebrows plucked prior to the appt nor did I wear any makeup, I figured they would do the shape that was the best for my face. After spending a lot of time with April and the artist (can't remember her name) shaping and balancing with a pencil they finally agreed on an end result and began the tattoo. It was fairly painful...it is a tattoo after all! Note: Do not chew gum (or talk)...it makes the tattoo lines crooked! After all the work was done, examined, touched up and finally approved by April, I was warned that for the first few days it would look like someone drew them on with a sharpee pen...and that's the truth! Everyone in the office was very complimentary and thought they looked great but what I saw did not look like me at all...My eyebrows were the exact opposite of natural looking! I kept telling myself that April said they would look like this at first then they would fade more than 50% and look like powder and fine hairs eventually. As I was getting ready to leave and was scheduling my touch up, I was a little taken a back when I was charged $60 for 'designing" custom eyebrows. Apparently they forgot to tell me before that when you ask for a specific shape or look other that just following your existing eyebrow line you pay for it. Had I know that before i would have come in with eyebrows already drawn on the way I wanted them. That was really my only negative... I thought that staff was friendly and professional, I felt comfortable the whole time I was there. I felt like they listened to me when I explained what I wanted for the most part. It has been a week since the tattoo and I still have some scabbing and healing and it is still fading (they said 7-10 days) I will go back for my touch up in a couple weeks and I am hoping that it will make them look more natural with some depth in the color bringing out the hair strokes. I am getting used to having more defined perfect looking eyebrows...now I just have to wear more make up to match! read more

Read the filtered reviews before freaking out. I purchased the groupon. Read yelp after paying-scared the crap out of me, I didn't want to even go to the appointment I made... April sat me down, I told her I didn't want to even come, that I was nervous and wanted to leave. She showed me the filtered reviews, which are great btw. She was very nice, calmed my fears, listened to what I wanted.- its my face after all!! I did eyeliner top and bottom and I couldn't be happier. Give her a chance, she really is good. I walked away happy and glad I did this. I will go back to her for sure for more work. read more

I had a really nice experience with April and the staff at Orange County Permanent Make-up. She was knowledgeable and informative about the procedure. Made me feel as ease from the beginning to end. I was very pleased with her work. My eyes look fabulous! Thanks April read more

I bought the groupon last week and on Tuesday April did my top and bottom eyeliner. It hurt, but everyone I know that's had it done says that! My right eye hurt more than the left I think because I opened it and my eye watered, probably removing some numbing cream! I flinched a few times in pain but tried very hard to hold still!! At the end everything looked great except on my right eye she didn't run the liner all the way to the end!!! There is an obvious gap on that side and when confronted she said "that's what your touch up appointment is for". Ok?? So when I was leaving I was informed that the touch up appointment cost another $150 and she was annoyed I didn't read the Groupon better. That detail was buried in the groupon and I honestly thought I read carefully! I even called her office before I bought the groupon to ask questions (like how long it lasts, time it takes, etc) and they said nothing about a touch up appointment 30 days later! I wish I would have had her fix my eye before I left because if I have to pay $150 JUST for her to fill that gap I'll be upset! If the liner doesnt atick or if othwr issues arise then its worth it to me to pay the additional $150 to have the job done right, but I wish I would have known upfront that it would be a $300 task, not $150. (Her discussion response on groupon was that only 1/5 people need touch up 30 days later, but she said in person that its always a two step process). To be honest, had I read these reviews first I would NOT have done this!!! However, I'm happy with it so far (day three) - minus the gap on the right eye of course!!! They advertise that customer satisfaction is their priority and when I emailed them about the gap (with pics) their response was that they will fix it in the touch up appointment and that I will be happy with the result. Again, I have to pay the $150 to have it fixed - customer satisfaction?! What if there are issues after the touch up appointment...am I going to have to pay another $150 to get it right?? I will absolutely post another review after my touch up appointment to report on everything - I'm very hopeful that I will be a happy customer in the end!! read more

I had my permanent eyeliner done by Orange County Permanent Makeup. I was very nervous because it was my first tattoo. I was a little more painful than I expected but the pain went away quickly and now I don't have to use eyeliner anymore. I wake up beautiful. Love it! read more

I had my eyebrows and lip liner done by April, and could not be more happy! Her willingness to make everything perfect for me, and meet all my needs was refreshing! Her main goal was for me to be happy with the results, which I definitely am. She was even able to give my eye brows a natural looking arch, which I had always wanted! She was also able to even out my uneven natural lip line. Her bed side manor was impeccable, and it was worth every penny. I highly recommend her to anyone and everyone. It's one of the best things I have ever done, it was a gift to me! Definitely a 5 star review! read more

In all fairness, i just have to say I too left a message and I got a call back the same day. Though I haven't had any service done there yet, i was pleased by how they tried to accomodate me in trying to squeeze me in before I go on vacation. Even calling me when another day opened up. Karen K. read more

The first time I went to April was back in 2007 and she did my eyebrows for the first time. They turned out great!! A year or so later, I ended up going to Iran and heard they do a really good job on eyebrows, so I got a touch up there and they ruined the beautiful, natural, soft look that April had done. I went back to April and she tried to fix it as best as she could. Then I decided to wait to really let the color of my old tattoo fade as much as possible. I moved to LA and really needed to get my eyebrows touched up, but I was afraid of having anyone other than April even come close to my eyebrows. It's now almost 2013, I've been so busy and haven't had the time, but I finally called and made an appointment for yesterday. She is in a different location, but the quality of the work is exactly the same - exceptional! Seriously, I took half day off work to have her work on my brows. She did an amazing job as always. She is a perfectionist, which is what you want in a technician. She is kind, warm and really puts you at ease. I LOVE her and would highly recommend her to anyone. She's actually passionate about what she does and really cares about her business. read more

I went there for eyelash enhancement. Loved April. She is just great and I am getting so many compliments. It did not hurt like people have told me. read more

First, I'll begin by saying that up until recently this business WAS located at 747 Dover Dr., NB, CA 92663 sharing office space with MAKING FACES. Unfortunately MAKING FACES was getting poor reviews that were really for ORANGE COUNTY PERMANENT MAKEUP. As of right now, Making Faces only has ONE poor ONE star review dated April, 2012 that is meant for Orange County Permanent Makeup. There was ANOTHER ONE STAR poor review dated October 2011, but that mysteriously disappeared off of the Making Faces reviews. I set up Orange County Permanent Makeup on its own in Yelp so that it isn't reflected under Making Faces since they no longer share office space. OCPM is now at 1501 Westcliff Dr.#200. I purchased a Groupon for "Natural-Looking Permanent Eyeliner on the Upper and Lower Lash Lines". I called and spoke to April Sampson of Orange County Permanent Makeup. She was a bit brusque in her speaking manner (such as: "Girl make sure you take 2 to 3 Benadryl before coming so you don't ruin my inks by watering them down"). There are more professional, nicer ways to get the same meaning across. Groupon stated that less than 48 hour rescheduling was subject to $50 fee BUT April said that if you had a Groupon you could never reschedule or you would forfeit what you entirely paid ($150). On the day of the procedure, I naively started to tell her how I wanted the eyeliner and she said I DIDN'T GET TO CHOOSE HOW I WANTED IT; the Groupon stated it was for 'Natural' looking and that it would be a thin line. Okay, I thought, that's fine, I do not want to look like a Vegas show-girl. Besides, do you really want to argue with a person holding a sharp tool that's about to work on your eyes? The last thing I wanted to do was antagonize her. As she started to work on my eyes she said that this was just the first step and in order to make the eyeliner truly 'permanent' I'd have to return in a month and PAY AGAIN. Otherwise the eyeliner would be gone in about 6 months. She dabbed some goop on my eyeballs to reduce the pain she said. I asked how bad the pain was and she said it was tolerable and then went on to 'mock' another Groupon holder for complaining about the pain. Okay, I thought, message received "Don't complain about pain". So, I didn't move except for one tiny involuntary flinch. It is painful. This is typical. And you do NOT want to move and risk her hurting your eyeballs. My eyes were very red and very swollen for about three days; I even had broken capillaries in the whites of my eyes which was temporary (most have cleared). I took a quick look in the mirror before I left and I could barely see the bottom eyeliner and couldn't see much of the top. I thought maybe it's because my eyes were so swollen. When she saw me look at myself she said it would lighten up about 50% (lighter than it was!). It actually lightened about 75%. I followed her limited directions and didn't allow 'water' to touch my eyes for 5 days and dabbed Vaseline on the tattooed lines. At which time the scabbing started to fall off; typical. What remained in the bottom lash-line was such a small line people have to get really close to my face to see it. The top eyeliner has been dubbed "invisible eyeliner' by my co-workers because you can't see anything unless you lift my eyelid and then you can see a tiny thread-like line along my eyelashes. I believe this is referred to as 'eyelash enhancement' and not 'eyeliner'. Either way, it's nearly invisible. The whole point of permanent eyeliner is that it's permanent (not have to pay again and go through the painful procedure again to make it truly permanent). It was advertised as 'PERMANENT' on Groupon, so I foolishly thought it would be permanent. The MAIN point of permanent EYELINER is that it's EYELINER. I still have to put on my eyeliner makeup every single morning like I did before. And I do wear VERY little. I can't imagine the disappointment of women who were expecting the thicker eyeliner like most women are now wearing. The pain and expense (and risk) would have been worth it had it been truly permanent and truly eyeliner. I am now in the habit of checking 'yelp' before trying any business. Unfortunately I was unable to find one for Orange County Permanent Makeup before buying the Groupon. Not until after going did I realize she was under Making Faces (they have since parted ways). I signed up to Yelp just so I could add a review for this business and hopefully spare others. Does she even deserve one-star? Yes. At least she didn't damage my eyes. read more

Ok, DO NOT here. If you purchased a groupon, then return it. I should have listen to the reviews on this site, but I didn't because I normally don't wear much make up, so when I read the review about how you can't even see the painful 3 days eyeliner tatoos that I had done, I thought to my self "it will be perfect for me because I don't wear too much eyeliner anyway". I also paid extra $50 for "eyelashes enhancement" where she said she would tatoo between the lashes to make your eyes stand out...well, after $200 and 3 days of swollen eyes. No one can tell I had anything done. All of the ink came off! So save your money. Find an Asian friend and ask them if they know a place because all of my Asian family members has gotten it done for $100 for top and bottom liners. Oh, and she doesn't accept credit card. She told me to go down to the bank (she is located on top of a bank) and withdraw $50. So since I don't bank with US Bank, I had to also paid the extra fee. read more

I am very impressed with April and the work she did on me. I received upper and lower eyelid tattoos and she did the eyelash enhancement free of charge. I was able to get in right away and the staff at the front desk was very professional and courteous. I am very pleased with the overall experience. If I had any recommendations at all it would be to have soft music in the treatment room as well as the waiting room. And I would have appreciated a paper on after care. I bought this through groupon and I would recommend her to others. read more

I got upper and lower eyeliner done and ended up in ER for a scratch in my cornia and infection..... the pain you don't want to experience....EVER! It seems most of her clients are from Groupon... which is a red flag in itself. First, you should know she doesn't let you choose the shape or color. She does it one way for everyone. She put the numbing cream on my lids which got in my eye and stung like hell but she said it'll just go away. She started the procedure without removing my makeup or cleaning the area which I thought was odd....I would imagine that would be a cause for infection right there. I expected the procedure to be painful but it hurt like hell. After the procedure, she didn't give any eye drop or rinse my eye or anything and I had a blury spot in my right eye. She said to just rinse with saline water when I got home. By the time I got home, my right eye was in major pain and I tried rinsing it over and over but finally I went to the ER because I knew something was wrong. It turns out I had a long horizontal scratch across my eye! After the ER and Opthamology bills not to mention the pain I went through, I am posting this to prevent anyone else from going through this experience. Beware! read more

I was highly recommended by a friend who had her eye brows done. I noticed April's "look" was slightly disturbing as her head was shaved and she mentioned she was not undergoing chemo. She said she forgot her wig. Also, her lips were way over done with filler so it made me question her judgemnet on "asthetics". I went ahead and allowed her to do the $400 procedure and the shape came out great. At the end of the tatoo treatment, I was charhged $800 and signed the credit card slip unknowingly. When my friend and I got in the car she said "did she ask if you were paying for your 2nd touch up treatment"? I guess I did not hear that and was not given a reciept to check. So, I called the following day and April said I should have said something at the time and that it was too late. I was forced to pre pay for the "touch up" appt. My brows are so dark that I dont need or want a "touch up" I just was my $400 back!!! Small claims I guess as my credit union was unable to reverse something I signed. BEWARE if you go to this crazy lady! Not a nice way to conduct business!!! read more

I had my eyebrows and the lash enhancement done by April on April 9, 2013. I was led to her by a Groupon. I've had my eyebrows done about 13 years ago and was happy with the results that time but they always had to be "fixed." April's website was very reassuring and informative so I arrived not worrying about her skills but just remembering how much the other cosmetician hurt me. Didn't need to worry, she numbed my brows (and later my eyelids) and measured my brows, discussed their placement (I have one higher and she fixed that) and let me pick the color. I am very happy I don't have to spend 15 minutes creating eyebrows every day! They look great and I'm happy she suggested the lash enhancement too, love it. Be SURE to keep the tattoo covered in vaseline type ointment like she says. It took 5 days for the eyebrows to lose a thin "peel" of color and I never did get any scabs. The color left was exactly what she promised. If you are getting this done for a special day or vacation I'd suggest doing it about a month before to have the color a bit lighter and you are able to shower etc. like normal. read more

I have to admit, reading the reviews posted here had made me a bit hesitant, but as I've known the owner of Making Faces for years, and she spoke highly of April, I decided to purchase one of the advertised Groupons for permanent eye liner. Now that I've had it done, all I can say is.... I don't know where some of these unkind reviewers went, but it definitely was NOT the same treatment I encountered! It was a very pleasant and professional experience from the moment I walked in the door - I was welcomed graciously, the procedure was thoroughly explained to me, my questions were answered in detail and the numbing cream was applied well in advance of the procedure, which was a bit uncomfortable, but not "horrendous" as some have indicated. And the results are SO WORTH IT!!! I'm excited to go back for my touch-up as I know it will be the finishing touch on a great job! I am so happy with the results, and I can't believe how much time I save not having to do my own eyeliner anymore! People at work have even commented that my makeup always looks fresh even at the end of the day!..hahahaha..little do they know my secret! My advice to anyone thinking about going to OC Permanent Makeup...Don't listen to the negative reviews. If you are a bit leery, call the office and talk to April or Riley..the number is NOT disconnected and they will put your fears to rest. They are not pushy or hard sell, these ladies are artists who want to enhance what you already have.. So go for it..I wish I'd done it years ago! read more

I was a groupon client. At no time did April make me feel cheap or try to sell me on other services. In fact, I went in for eyebrows and asked her about doing eyeliner too. She said she wouldn't recommend eyeliner for me as it would really close in my eyes. I valued her opinion especially because it would've meant more money for her. I brought up some of her other services and I asked about the eyelash enhancement. She agreed on that and did my upper lid. I couldn't be happier with it. It definitely looks like I have thicker lashes!! As far as waiting- yes I waited for the numbing cream to take effect. While eyebrow tattoos will still be painful (its on a bone!!!) the numbing cream DOES help with the pain. AND WOW....I NEVER FELT ANY pain on my eyelid. April warned me it would feel weird and like something was going in my eye, and she was right. It was a weird sensation but I had no pain on my lids. She was very patient with me and would tell me to take a deep breath right before she started :) Her work was so good, no one realizes I had my eyebrows done! BECAUSE IT LOOKS NATURAL, not because it has disappeared :) I have been shadowing and penciling in areas for years and now I DON"T HAVE TOO!!! I have an appt to go back for a touch up AND at my request for lash enhancement on my lower lids. As for her office, its nice, clean and peaceful. I just didn't know where it was at the bank building so I called and she said come on up the elevator! As for groupon being a warning sign?? I am not sure what that reviewer is implying as I have found a ton of great deals, great products and new places of business I have routinely gone back to all thanks to Groupon!!! read more

April did a wonderful job on my eyeliner and I go back next week for the touch up. When I see the final result, which I am hoping will be a little more noticeable than what I see now, I will write another review and most likely give her 5 stars. The procedure is quite uncomfortable and I thought I was staying still, but I guess I did not. I am thinking they should give a little more info on that potential scenario and also, for those who are a little more sensitive to these type of things, perhaps a double dosage of the numbing ointment would help! I will ask when I go in this next time! But, all in all her staff was nice and she is very professional. read more

Thank you April. I am very happy with my eyeliner. My friend Tori had you do her eye liner and she is also thrilled. I wish I new about the follow up appointment. I traveled from northern California to have this done. looking forward to having other procedures done. everyone I have told thinks they look fabulous. read more

I just had my "Lash enhancer" done by a beautiful and talented artist today. I am sorry about reading the bad reviews on here as I didn't research this place out before going. I hope they don't discourage any of you as I am a very pleased and satisfied customer. Yes, I just had it done and we will see how the out come will be after it all heals, but I have to disagree with the reviews. April was very professional in every way. We did play phone tag on trying to set up an appointment up, but she ALWAYS called me back. I hope all of you that have appointments will be as satisfied as I am. Thank you April for just being wonderful....... read more

I purchased the Groupon and had no problem making the appointment. I was seen on Friday and I didn't have to wait. I had the permanent eyeliner scheduled and April said I would be a good candidate for the eyelash enhancer, which I agreed to. After 20 to 30 minutes with the numbing gel, the procedure was done, and yes it was extremely uncomfortable. I had 2 days of swelling and my right eye did get infected, but after 5 days my eyes look good and stand out and I still don't have any other make up on. The pain was worth the results. read more

I was thinking of some light filling in of my brows after chemo left them sparse, and maybe some eye lining now that my eyesight isn't what it once was, but after reading the responses to some of the reviews here, there is no way I would go to this place. If it were my business, and one of my customers was unhappy with my service, especially when permanent makeup is such a scary thing to do, I'd want to do everything I could to make people glad they trusted me with their business. You can't please everyone you work on, but you can at least address their complaints respectfully, and when they can't do that, I'm left with the perception that I might not be treated any better in person. Thank heaven I came here first before making an appointment. Thanks to each of you who left honest, unbiased reviews detailing your negative experiences, it helped me make my decision. The idea that it's actionable to leave a negative, honest account of your perception of your experience with a business is simply laughable. People are free to waste their time any way they like, including pursuing frivolous lawsuits that can't be won and wasting the courts valuable time, but whether or not they choose to sue you, as long as you told the truth about your 'perception' of your experience, you're okay. It's not against the law to leave a negative review as long as you are telling the truth about your perceptions of your experience, so ignore silly threats about litigation if you don't remove your review. If it were against the law to leave a negative, truthful review, we wouldn't have a Yelp in the first place. Thank you, fellow Yelpers, for sticking to your principles, refusing to be bullied into silence and making it easier for us all to make fully informed choices about which businesses to visit. I'm leaving three stars because I'm not sure it's fair to leave only one based on how they treat some of their other customers, and I don't want to unfairly skew their statistics. read more

Found this place compliments of Groupon. April Sampson did NOT do my eyebrows rather another young woman did. She was very pleasant but I suspect was still in training as the only time I saw April was when she came into approve the other's work and changed it. Then charged additional $60 for "freehand" drawing my brows which ended up crooked in addition to one being thicker than the other. I wanted brush stroke style and was told no. Even though she supposedly color matched the brows to my hair, it is now more than two weeks later, the color is still too dark and I will not be going back for a touch up - at least not there. For the time being I am correcting the arch on one brow and filling in theother to make them match. I also paid an additional $60 for eyelash extender which is similar to eyeliner. She proceeded to do this while I was still wearing a contact lens and had to ask her to stop. Finally, they accept cash only - a bit strange I thought - which entailed me having to go downstairs to the bank and pay a $3.00 charge to use the ATM. April was getting to run another add in Groupon. I think she is using those of us who do that for her new assistant to practice on. Two stars was generous. read more