If there is one thing that Charmaine Betty Llerena is so much proud of about her profession, that would be enhancing one’s beauty and letting one shine through.
An award-winning microblading artist, Master Betty Brows, fondly called by her wide client base in the Philippines and in the UAE, shared how her microblading journey came about and sought to beautify high-profile clients in Hong Kong, Singapore, and in Dubai.
But before embarking on an overseas journey, she, too, was a dreamer when she was younger. Working abroad, according to her, was a dream. She recalled applying for a waitress job when she was just 21 since she holds a bachelor’s degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management. However, her plans didn’t materialize, so he ended up working in Manila, particularly in the sales and customer service industry.
When she got married and had two kids, she decided to settle in General Santos City, wherein she found herself working as a sales executive and events coordinator at a hotel. It was also at that time that she started her own soap business and became a bridal make-up artist, which paved the way for her to conduct a series of make-up tutorial events.
“I was driven to share my skills every time just to inspire ladies to always be the best version of themselves as I always believe that making yourself beautiful doesn’t hurt anyone since I always have this mantra ‘look good, feel good and do good’ and ‘focus on yourself because you matter’,” she said.
Everything went well while she was simultaneously running a small soap business, accepting wedding events and bridal make-up clients, until microblading became the trend. Betty then collected microblading tools and practiced with some of her friends.
Her enthusiasm for the booming business was also a breakthrough in her career. Her mentor from the International Academy for Aesthetic Sciences asked her to join a microblading competition in Jakarta, Indonesia, where she emerged as the champion and the only representative from the Philippines.
“That was when I proved to myself that hard work with passion and dedication pay off, and it doesn’t mean because I am a mother, I can’t no longer be great and do great things,” Betty added.
The mother of two revealed that she used to ‘devalue’ herself because she was already a mother and assumed that single women were more capable than her.
“Perhaps I was wrong, and I’ve realized that my kids are not a hindrance to my dreams and to the things I wanted to achieve in life. Instead, they are my fuel to push me to get to the place where I wanted to be, they help me to believe in myself that I am capable of doing a lot of things, that everything is possible,” she further added.
Her microblading journey opened a lot of opportunities for her, such as judging competitions in Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia. She has also attended masterclasses in Vietnam and other South East Asian countries. Betty is also sought by various high-profile clients from Hong Kong and Singapore.
Moving to Dubai and weaving dreams
While Betty has already established her name in the microblading industry, she was no longer interested in moving overseas. However, when fate called, she answered with keenness. She believed that with years of continuous learning and mastering her craft, it was about time to bring them on a global scale.
“I am equipped with the skills I have, which I find something unique and truly delivers amazing results as what I can see from all my clients,” she said,
Moving to Dubai also allowed her to raise the Philippine flag in the aesthetic industry in the region.
“Being in the beauty industry is both a challenging and fulfilling experience,” she said.
Her current profession as a microblading artist involves cosmetic tattooing, specifically in enhancing eyebrows, treatment of dark lips, uneven skin tone, permanent eyeliners, and permanent lipstick, among others.
Betty revealed she hated herself for her imperfections. She had acne-prone skin, uneven skin tone, small eyes, thin eyebrows, and dark and grayish lips.
“These things are the ones I was dying to treat, and these are some of the reasons why most ladies are putting on make-up and, for some reason, they go to salons,” she said.
“To be honest, I have all the conditions as my clients. So trust me, I know how it feels to have a pair of sexy brows, brighter pinkish lips every single day without lipstick on, to have brighter eyes because of permanent eyeliners, clear skin free from acne, manageable and softer, clearer skin condition,” she added.
Betty loves the feeling of giving pleasure to herself by making herself look good and more beautiful by enhancing her facial features, which she wants other ladies to feel.
For almost seven years now, the microblading expert has built confidence and trust among women and helped them to be the best version of themselves.
“Their smiles after transforming their eyebrows, lips, eyes, and skin are priceless. It’s a very satisfying feeling of fulfillment that no amount of money can ever exchange. It’s more satisfying than the money they pay for it. The goal here is to make them happy first, and I believe money will follow,” she said.
Betty was grateful to a number of people who she bumped into and who helped her achieve her goals in Dubai when she was settling in.
Betty, who has only been living and working in the emirate for over a year now, said that she felt anxious during her first two months because she didn’t have a single family member in the area. Through social media, she was able to cope with it.
Today, Betty does her own business as a freelance semi-permanent make-up artist and is currently affiliated with various local clinics as a beauty therapist.
When asked about her plans, she said he would continue helping women to be their own bosses and become the best version of themselves, and conquer the Middle East through her ‘Betty Arabia’. She also looks forward to opening a beauty school wherein she could enrich the knowledge of those interested learners so they could have their own businesses in line with beauty services.
“Dubai is just a start for me, there’s more to come, and I know there’s a lot of things that I can do,” she added.
Betty advised her fellow OFWs to keep going despite all the hindrances.
“Trust me, God will never give us something that we can’t handle; He knows you better than me; He is higher than your struggles. Also, keep learning, keep doing your best, keep planting seeds of knowledge and new skills that you will carry along with you forever,” she said.
“Just in case you find yourself wondering if you should give it a go to learn something, don’t hesitate. Listen to your inner voice; if there’s a will, there’s a way for it to achieve,” she added.