From extreme contouring to bleached brows, some beauty trends are best left in the past. Unfortunately, some regrettable looks prove harder to get rid of than others, as Courteney Cox reveals during a candid look at her morning makeup routine.
Like many women in the 90s, the Friends actress booked in for semi-permanent makeup, presumably expecting it to be a convenient daily time-saver. Three decades on, it’s aged as badly as the ‘Fat Monica’ episodes, requiring daily camouflage.
‘A long time ago I tattooed the top of my eyelids, and big mistake,’ she says, showing herself applying Victoria Beckham’s kajal liner to disguise it. ‘It’s supposed to be black, but now it's blue, so I always have to wear something to cover that, which is such a drag.’
Her brows are another source of regret, she admits, poking fun at a montage of her old photos. ‘I'm all about brows [now],’ she says. ‘If you look at me back in the day, I had the skinniest eyebrows for like 20 years. I had them on Friends. I had them on Scream. I actually microblade my eyebrows. I put all that [brow serum] stuff on and make them grow.’
Courteney’s brows seem to have bounced back from their skinny era, and that’s not unusual. With a little care and commitment, it’s often possible to bring brows back from the blink, as our guide to rescuing over-plucked eyebrows explains.
However, dealing with semi-permanent makeup can be rather more troublesome, as many women know to their cost.
Why does semi-permanent liner go wrong?
Problems are particularly common if the treatment was done, like Courteney’s, back in the 90s or Noughties. Rogue, shade-shifting eyeliner results are something well-known to Karen Betts, an authority in permanent makeup treatments and founder of Karen Betts Professional.
‘In earlier years, permanent eyeliner pigments were often made with unstable formulations, including high concentrations of carbon black or single-source iron oxides,’ Karen tells GH. ‘These pigments could oxidise over time when exposed to the skin's natural chemistry, UV light, certain skincare ingredients, or poor technique – particularly if implanted too deeply.’
Courteney’s issue is a typical example, she notes. ‘When the pigment oxidises, a crisp black eyeliner might gradually shift to blue, grey tones especially when the pigment formulation or placement wasn't ideal.’
‘Typically, it fades unevenly and loses its original depth, appearing dull, ashy, bluish, or overly cool-toned,’ she adds. ‘It may also look patchy or migrate slightly if applied too deeply or if the skin around the eyes is particularly reactive.’
At best, oxidised eyeliner goes through an awkward colour transition before disappearing entirely (as it’s meant to), but sometimes ‘semi-permanent’ makeup has proved anything but, as Courteney knows all too well.
Is semi-permanent eyeliner risky now?
Fortunately, there’s far, far less chance of semi-permanent eyeliner oxidising if the treatment is performed today, reassures Karen. ‘Today, pigment science has come a long way,’ she says. ‘Reputable artists now use advanced pigment blends that combine carefully balanced iron oxides and carbon. This dual approach provides the depth of colour needed for eyeliner, while improving stability and reducing the risk of oxidation.’
While pigment refinements are an important part of the picture, technical advances still need to be combined with expertise.
‘It’s crucial that clients choose well trained artists who understand how pigment behaves over time and under the skin,’ stresses Karen. ‘These formulations are far more reliable when paired with skilled technique, meaning appropriate depth, correct skin stretch, and precision placement.’
As with all beauty treatments, it’s vital to do your research, take personal recommendations, and not be swayed by deals that sound too good to be true. Often, you get what you pay for.
How to fix oxidised eyeliner
What advice would Karen give to Courteney and anyone else who’s facing a daily reminder of their past beauty experiments?
Beyond applying regular eye pencils over the top, the simplest option is to opt for correctional tattooing, she says. ‘Often, the safest and most effective approach is colour correction,’ she explains. ‘This involves neutralising the unwanted tones and rebalancing them with a custom pigment blend.’ As well as giving a more flattering shade, the shape of the eyeliner can be tweaked if necessary.
If you’d rather erase the liner altogether, that can potentially be an option. ‘It depends on how saturated or misplaced the pigment is,’ Karen says. ‘In certain cases, laser can lighten or remove unwanted pigment, but this must be done with extreme care around the eyes, using protective eye shields and only by trained specialists.’ Again, research is key.
Fortunately, Courteney herself doesn’t appear too traumatised by her liner mishap, and spends the tutorial gently trolling her own lack of artistry. ‘Maybe don’t do this makeup,’ she jokes, getting her own hair stuck in the blusher brush. ‘I don’t know how to help anyone’.
Nonsense. The One Where Courteney Admits She’s Clueless, Then Dilutes Her Mascara With Tap Water is exactly the kind of GRWM content we love.
