The Microblading Experience
Before I Begin
I wanted to share something with you all. When I booked my microblading appointment, I always new I was doing this, with the mind to eventually share results and all the tales from my experience. In honesty, I thought it would be an easy blog, sharing my positive experience and with some great pictures to post but… I had second thoughts after my first appointment with Nez Hasan and negative experience. I know Nez has some influencer and celebrity friends. I was a bit worried, that by blogging about my truthful experience, I would face a severe backlash. You know the power of social media bullying and trolling!
But… the whole reason I started blogging was to be authentic to myself, and to my audience. I wanted to share experiences, products or events some of you may not have access to but wanted to know about. I then decided I would share my blog about my personal microblading experience.
Before I start, I wanted to say, whatever I write about is MY own personal experience and not reflective of anyone else’s. If anyone is a Nez supporter, please do not come at me, because anyone who works in the professional industry of providing services to real customers, will know that there is always the chance of positive and also negative reviews based upon their individual experiences. Please read the whole thing before making your judgements. Thank you.
Pre-Appointment
Quite a few friends of mine know that I had been debating whether or not, I should get my brows microbladed. For those of you who have never heard of it, microblading is a semi-permanent tattoo technique that creates hairlike strokes to the brows. If you have oilier skin, the microblading won’t last as long (6-8 months), as someone with a drier skintype (1-2 years) *according to general guidelines on Nez’ website.
I’m a complete tattoo and cosmetic procedure virgin, so this was a BIG decision for me to make. Plus the idea of any needle or blade piercing my skin, literally makes me SOL (shudder out loud). I did my research into a couple of companies and people, but eventually came across a professional called Nez Hasan. It obviously helped that she was recommend by people respected in the beauty industry such as the Pixiwoo sisters, but the main reason I chose her was because I saw her pictures and she seemed to have an art of recreating beautifully natural and real hairlike brows.
Upon emailing her company, I spoke to a friendly Sophie (who I imagine is like a PA), who told me it was £500 or £600 for a priority booking. These costs are for the main appointment, and the top-up session 4 weeks later. Sophie sent me a patch test via post and since I didn’t have an allergic reaction, I decided to proceed with the priority booking. They take a non-refundable deposit of £100 in advance, with the remaining balance being paid at the first appointment. So far, so good!
Approximately 9 days before my appointment, I received an email from Sophie stating that since they had moved to a new salon, they didn’t have a card machine or bank transfer up and running. She therefore requested that I pay the remaining balance of £500 in cash on the day of my appointment. I don’t know about anyone else, but this made me feel extremely uncomfortable. My first thought was well, that sounds a bit disorganised and then, I wouldn’t feel safe carrying £500 cash on me through London. I responded to Sophie stating that I would rather pay by card and hopefully their card machine would be working by the time my appointment date arrived (9 days later), and/or I would pay by bank transfer.
Two days (48 hours) prior, as per instruction, I stopped taking caffeine, alcohol and Nurofen. I was very proud of myself as I had a few beauty events to attend prior to the appointment and this always means complimentary champagne…BUT, I managed it! For the sake of beautiful brows, I was happy to give alcohol up for two days! It wasn’t explained why on Nez’ website but elsewhere I read that it’s because it can increase bruising, bleeding and excess scabbing.
The Appointment
The day of the appointment arrived and I was extremely nervous. The new salon is now close to Kensington High Street station (5 minute walk) and this was convenient for me as it’s only one tube journey. The salon was really easy to find and when I walked in, I was very impressed by the beautiful and stylish decor. It was very “instagrammable” but in a tasteful way. I recognised the person behind the counter as the manager (introduced on Nez’ insta story), who looked like a model.
Since I had arrived 10 minutes early for my appointment, I was asked to complete the consultation form (first time clients) and asked whether I wanted coffee or tea to drink. This confused me because we weren’t allowed to drink any caffeine 48 hours prior to the appointment but maybe the manager wasn’t aware of this? Either way, I kindly declined and asked for a glass of water instead. As I was waiting in the reception area, Turkish music was playing (where Nez is from) and I was asked by the manager whether I minded Turkish music. Of course I didn’t, and it was much better than some music you hear in the charts these days! Yes, I sound like an old biddy but it’s true!
Though my appointment was at 2.15pm, and though Nez’ previous client had come out on time, Nez came out 5 minutes later. Nez greeted me like a friend by kissing me twice on the cheeks, and asked if she could take a quick break. Since I was in no particular hurry, I was completely fine with this. She left the salon and some time later, came back in and led me to the room where the procedure would take place. As soon as we entered the room, she asked me to lay on the bed. I was surprised by this, because I was expecting a quick chat about my consultation form and what I wanted before laying down, but I trusted her and just did as I was told.
She immediately started to sketch a ‘template’ on my brow area. Whilst doing this, I could smell cigarettes on her fingers. This then gave me an indicator of what she had been doing outside when she had asked for a break. I used to work in the beauty industry and one of our biggest no-no’s when dealing with clients was cigarette breath or fingers. My team always knew to wash their hands, chew gum and spritz some perfume straight after smoking.
Shortly after sketching the template, Nez asked me to sit up so that I could have a look in the mirror. It looked very thick and I asked her whether this would be the actual width of my brows, but Nez said it was just a guideline and that the finished results wouldn’t be as thick. I was reassured by this and was told to lay down again. Nez told me that she would apply the darkest pigment in black. I told her that I didn’t want a really strong colour, but she said that if we went a shade lower, it would look ashy on my brows. I didn’t feel like I had a choice and again, trusted her decision.
Without any explanation, Nez started to microblade but I didn’t realise it was without the pain numbing cream in the first application. In her FAQ’s it states clearly that there is a “slight discomfort” but it is “almost painless'“. Let me tell you, this is complete BS. I was in so much pain, and clenching my fists so tight throughout the first application, that when I was finally able to relax, my hands were drenched. I am not kidding, it was awful and worse than I had anticipated. Nez was trying to make some small talk during the first application but I couldn’t even respond because I was scared if I opened my mouth, I would scream out. You can literally feel the blade cutting into your skin every time she drew a stroke/ line.
In case anyone thinks my pain threshold is low, I can assure you it’s not. I have quite a high pain threshold and and can withstand many things but this was an awful feeling and I couldn’t wait for it to be over. Only towards the end of the first application, Nez asked if it hurt and when I said ‘a lot’, she said she wondered why I had been so quiet. All of this is acceptable to an extent, as the pain probably can’t be helped but I wish she had talked me through it from the beginning so that I was more prepared. Secondly, she really left me speechless when at one point, (whether due to switching tools/ taking a break/ who knows), she ended up balancing the metal tool (blade I presume), on my throat. Though it was only for a few seconds, I thought this was unprofessional as she could have used the bed or table for this.
During my treatment, a man arrived to do some filming of the salon. In the middle of my brows, she went outside to instruct him about how she wanted the filming to be done. I didn’t mind this, as it was a respite from the pain, but at the same time it confused me. I understand it is her business but surely this was a role for the manager? I felt that these instructions should have been passed onto the manager, for her to deal with and pass on when the filming guy arrived.
After the first application, Nez applied numbing cream to my brows before going over the first sections, and it made the biggest difference. Whereas I could feel each slice before, now it just felt like an ‘out of body’ experience and all I could hear/ feel were scratching sensations instead. The pain went from 8/10 to 2/10 and was much much more bearable. Soon after, Nez got me to sit up again and have a look at my brows in the mirror. She reminded me that it is much darker than the final result, and gave me instructions for aftercare including cream and wipes.
The brows although dark, did look good for the initial stage and though dark, I was expecting this so wasn’t a big issue. Nez asked to book the next top up session in advance (4 weeks later) and as I looked at my phone, I realised only 30 minutes had passed from what was supposed to be a 1.5 hour session. I was quite surprised by this and wasn’t sure if I was robbed of my time with her. I wasn’t sure if my session was shorter because she was in a rush, or whether it was because she hadn’t done a consultation with me. Yes, I had filled out a consultation form, but that was by myself and took me 5 minutes in total.
After booking my next appointment, I went outside to pay and Nez’ next customer was waiting outside. The manager told me that the remaining balance was £500 to pay but I couldn’t see a card terminal. I told her I would be paying by card if possible and she told me that their card machine wasn’t working. She asked me if I had cash and when I said I didn’t, she asked me if I could go withdraw some. I told her even if I withdrew cash, I couldn’t withdraw £500 in one go as there is a limited amount with ATMs. The manager then asked me to complete a bank transfer.
Since this was a gift from my husband, I asked him to complete a bank transfer. Since it was a new account, he had to call the bank and do it via telephone transfer. Whilst waiting for this to go though, Nez and the manager were constantly speaking to one another in Turkish. It reminded me of Vietnamese nail salons, when they constantly speak in Vietnamese in front of you. Though they’re probably not talking about you, psychologically you feel as if they are.
After payment was confirmed by my husband, I told the manager the same. She then asked me to produce evidence of this payment. I was taken back by this because surely they should have access to a system where payments are visible. I told her I couldn’t produce a “screen shot” (as she had requested) because it was a telephone transfer and wasn’t showing up on his statements yet, however if she just directly checked the account, she would be able to see it for herself. The manager then went to speak to Nez and asked her to check her bank account. Nez initially stated that she couldn’t check her account details as it was a new phone, but eventually after a LOT of to-ing and fro-ing, she managed to check and confirmed she had received the payment.
I couldn’t believe the faff with payment and at one point, it almost felt like there was a stand-off between myself and the manager, as she wanted me to produce evidence of payment, and I was standing there feeling speechless as I couldn’t just conjure something from thin air. They have a laptop on counter, and other than emails, there should be access to the bank account to check for transactions, ESPECIALLY when there is no working card terminal machine. It just felt unprofessional and disorganised.
I then asked if they could send me an invoice for my husband to confirm receipt of payment. The manager said she couldn’t provide a receipt because the card terminal wasn’t working.. (I AM AWARE OF THAT!), so I told her I am aware and that she could just email me the invoice when she could. At first she appeared reluctant telling me that the bank transfer was proof of the payment, but I told her I wanted an invoice if there was no physical receipt they could provide on site. It again left me feeling frustrated that I was having to beg for a receipt after paying £600 in total to one company. If it were as simple as a bank transfer being enough proof of payment, why does every other professional company provide physical receipts to their customers?!
As I left the salon, frankly speaking, I felt really shit about the whole experience as a package. The painful first application and the battle with payment at the end, had left me feeling exhausted and completely stressed out. By the time I re-joined my husband, he could see I wasn’t myself and very low in mood. This is not how I expected to feel leaving, especially after I had specifically chosen to have my brows done by Nez. I felt annoyed that at no point whatsoever, did the manager attempt to apologise for the inconvenience of payments or even thank me when the payment was made. These are basics for a professional business. Though I have a follow up appointment in 4 weeks time, it made me feel apprehensive about it, instead of excited. I hoped the follow up appointment would be a much more positive experience.
The Follow-Up
Due to the previous negative experience, I sincerely hoped I would have a much better experience I could write about. I didn’t feel 100% well on the day, but didn’t want to cancel on the day and therefore still went. I arrived on time, and as soon as the manager saw me, she was about to smile but then her smile faded as if she recognised me from before. She coldly told me to take a seat. I waited a short while (whilst Nez finished up with her previous client) and then was asked to come to the room. Though she asked me ‘hi, how are you?’, it felt cold and this time, there was no welcoming double kiss. I told her I’m fine, and asked her the same, to which she replied she was ‘fine, thanks’.
Again, she asked me to lie down on the bed straight away. She removed my eyebrow makeup and could see I still had some gaps, which she said she would fill in a little bit. Nez again started to draw the template and I had a feeling she wouldn’t say anything first, so I asked if she would be using pain relief cream. Nez said she wouldn’t be and it isn’t necessary as it was just a top up and so would be quick. She then asked me if it hurt that much, and I confirmed it did. Nez refused to accept my answer stating it doesn’t hurt, and I again told her it does. I told her I had my fists clenched throughout the entire first application and when released, my hands were drenched from sweat (I don’t sweat easily, trust me!) Instead of showing empathy or some professional courtesy in regards to this, she literally laughed and responded with “silly girl”.
I found this to be extremely patronising and almost rude. She is only 3 years older than me and just confirmed in my eyes, that she didn’t take me seriously as a client. Straight after this comment, Nez started microblading my brows and again, I was reminded of the pain without the numbing cream. I asked her why she doesn’t use it and she said it’s because the cream changes the texture of the skin and this can affect the results, but I felt that she should really give her clients the option and if necessary, just apply it for the sake of relieving pain. People are individuals and can experience pain differently.
Pretty much as soon as she started to microblade my brows, the manager came into the room and stayed for a good ten minutes at least. They were literally talking over me in Turkish and this made me feel so uncomfortable. Not only did I feel they could have been talking about me (how am I truly to know) but I also felt it was unprofessional as I was clearly in discomfort and she did nothing to alleviate that; too caught up in her conversation with her friend. Whatever it was about, I’m sure it could have waited till after my appointment, especially because in her own words, it was just a top up and would take a short amount of time.
After my treatment finished, Nez got me to check my brows and I said it was fine. She quickly produced the pigment wipes for me and was waiting for me to leave even though I had obvious black makeup smudges under my eyes from my eyes streaming during the procedure. I asked her if I could use a tissue, and she said I could, or even the micellar water at the sink. I felt her impatience and quickly removed the makeup residue from under my eyes. As I left the room, she handed me the appointment card and told me to hand it to the receptionist but again, I felt the coldness from her. She said bye to me but didn’t thank me.
As I walked to the reception desk to hand over the card to the manager, I waited for some kind of ‘thank you’ or ‘hope to see you again’…just SOME KIND OF professional etiquette, but instead the manager unsmiling said “you don’t need to pay”. Nez echoed this by saying, “yeah you don’t need to pay as the top up is included”. I was fully aware of this and just wanted to give them one last stab at last minute kindness or positivity but nothing! As I walked away from the desk and towards the front door, the manager didn’t say ‘thanks’ or ‘bye’. Nez was standing at the front door looking out at something and though I said bye to her, she completely ignored me and didn’t say it back. I was completely speechless and to be honest, really upset by the situation.
I’m not normally a girl to let people treat me like this but due to the pain and experience I had just had, I felt really weak and overwhelmed by the situation. I couldn’t believe how cold and frankly rude they were in the second session. I had a fleeting thought of saying something in the moment but in my heart of hearts, felt they would have just ganged up on me, in true mean girl style. I hadn’t received professionalism from them throughout, so how could I suddenly expect it in the end? I called my husband straight after leaving the salon, and when he asked if I was okay, I suddenly felt a lump come to my throat. I couldn’t believe I felt shit leaving the salon again, after a second time and feeling humiliated.
The Results
The day after the first session
The day after the top up session.
Final Thoughts
I booked with Nez as the Pixiwoo sisters recommended her and seeing the photos of treatment results on her Instagram page. I think it would be very easy for her VIP clientele and friends to say that they had a different experience to me, but I am simply stating the facts of what happened during my two appointments. I’m also certain that Nez and the manager would have been more on their ‘A-game’ if it were a celebrity or VIP client. Maybe they took a look at me and thought I would be easy-going about everything/ maybe a pushover, and therefore didn’t need to worry about whether I would end up satisfied with my experience.
Anyone that knows me, knows I’m an extremely good reader of people and my initial impressions are strong. On a personal level, I think Nez and the manager are probably nice, especially to non-customers and their loved ones. But on a business level, they need to make sure they remain consistent with their professionalism and for all customers, whether VIP or not. At the end of the day, I was also a paying customer, and paid the full £600 (£100 more due to a priority appointment). Instead they treated me like I had paid £10 through a Groupon voucher. More importantly, I felt the dramatic shift in their attitude to when I was a paying customer in the first session and in the second, which was a free top up.
During my first appointment, Nez spoke about how tired she was due to the new salon opening, not having lunch since it opened three days prior and suffering from the long commutes. I could feel that she was genuinely tired but at the end of the day, it was a brand new salon and I was a new client. I could understand her sharing her stresses if I was a regular client, but I was surprised she was sharing it with me on the first appointment. I get it’s extremely difficult to run your own business and I know many people that do, but unfortunately with your own business, you have to graft and sacrifice much more than anyone else. I feel that she is in an extremely good place and should feel blessed.
Nez clearly has a LOT of talent in what she does, and has worked hard to be where she is now, but this is not where she should start to slack or become complacent. She is clearly tired and overworked and if this is the case, I feel that it is maybe time for her to train up someone else to her standards and then hand over the reins, with her managing from a distance.
As an artist, I can recommend Nez based on her skills but based on customer service, not at all. Regardless of whether I am VIP or not, she should have given me the same experience as the rest of her special clients, because I am STILL a customer. Based on the fact that I gave her business and she essentially earned £600 for one hour of work (less than an hour to be exact), she should have at least thanked me once but she never did, and nor did her manager.
More importantly, Nez and her manager acted unprofessionally overall and left me feeling completely shit and overwhelmed by the whole experience. I genuinely thought it was going to be the easiest and positive blog, but never in a million years did I expect the treatment I received. If you want to get your brows micro bladed, and don’t give a DAMN about customer service, book with Nez. But if like me, you want quality in both (which is not a lot of ask for), I do not recommend Nez Hasan’s services. This has taught me the valuable lesson that even if a beauty expert you admire recommends someone, do more of your own research and proceed cautiously. They WILL be treated differently to you.
Since the Pixiwoo sisters recommended her, Nez Hasan’s business has really bloomed and instead of treasuring new customers, it’s a shame she has become arrogant by not treating people equally. If this attitude continues, she will unfortunately find a shift in her business and it won’t be as successful anymore. I truly believe in what goes around comes around, so I hope she and her manager are able to change their ways and reflect on best practices for their own sake and business.
EDIT:
I tried to send Nez honest feedback about my experience and how she made me feel. I did this because I wanted to give her a chance to understand where they went wrong, and hand on heart, if she had responded professionally, I wouldn’t have taken the matter further. Instead, she responded like a sulky teenager, and at the height of defensiveness and emotion. It was not professional in the slightest.
I responded back, knowing she would respond back (even though it didn’t require a further response) because she strikes me as the kind of person who wants the last say. As predicted, she responded back because she wanted the last day and it wasn’t professional, much like her first email. In summary, she stated that I am wrong, I am exaggerating, ALL her clients love her, I’m the first person to have an issue with her (not true - check Google and Facebook reviews) and she is AMAZING at what she does. Wow…
I left her a poor review on Google and true to herself, she again responded badly with a long response and again extremely defensive and unprofessional. Unnecessarily at the end, she rather sarcastically thanked me for my 1* review.
Until next time xo
