Lip Blush Tattoo Essendon, Melbourne
$500 · about 2 hours · colour top-up $250
Lip blush is a semi-permanent cosmetic tattoo that gives your lips soft, natural colour and a little definition. At our Essendon North clinic in Melbourne's north-west, it evens out uneven tone, restores shape that has faded with age, and means you wake up with a hint of colour already there and no lipstick needed. We start every appointment with a consultation to find a shade that suits you, and we numb your lips thoroughly before we begin. From $500.
Book a Lip Blush ConsultationLed by Sara Haghighi, founder and lead skin & laser therapist · 10 years' experience
Mon–Thu 10am–7pm · Fri–Sat 10am–11pm · Sundays by appointment · walk-ins welcome for consultations · 154B Keilor Road, Essendon North
What lip blush is
Lip blush, also called lip blushing or a lip tattoo, places fine deposits of pigment into the lips to lift their natural colour and shape. Done well, it looks like your own lips on a good day, healthier and more defined, and nothing like lipstick or lip liner. It suits pale or uneven lip tone, lips that have lost their definition, and anyone sick of reapplying colour all day.
It belongs to the same family of cosmetic tattoo as lip liner work. If you are weighing up cosmetic tattoo in Melbourne, a consultation is the quickest way to see what would suit your lips.
The appointment, step by step
- Consultation and patch test. We look at your lips, talk about what you want and test your skin.
- Mapping and colour. We draw the shape and agree on a shade together before any pigment goes in.
- Numbing. Numbing cream keeps you comfortable, and it is $30.
- The tattoo. We work the pigment in gently, layer by layer, until the colour is even.
- Aftercare. We show you how to look after your lips and send you home with clear instructions.
The first appointment takes around two hours. Your lips will look bolder and feel a bit dry for the first few days. Then they soften to their true colour as they heal over one to two weeks.
Lip blush healing, day by day
Everyone heals a little differently, so take this as a general guide. Your therapist will tell you what to expect for your own lips.
- Day 1 to 2: Lips look swollen and tender, and noticeably darker and stronger than the final colour. They may feel tight or slightly warm.
- Day 3 to 5: Swelling eases. Lips feel dry and tight and the flaking starts. The colour can look patchy.
- Day 6 to 10: Flaking and peeling carry on. Leave it to come off by itself. The colour often looks faded or almost gone, and that is normal.
- Day 10 to 14: The surface settles and the softness comes back. Colour starts to bloom again as the skin renews.
- Week 4 to 6: The colour looks much closer to the healed result. This is when we decide whether a top-up would help.
How long does lip blush last?
Lip blush lasts one to three years before it fades gently. Lips fade faster than skin elsewhere because they renew so quickly, and sun, smoking, strong exfoliating lip products and your own skin type all play a part. Most people book a colour top-up at six to eight weeks to finish the job, then another down the track when they want a refresh. The top-up is booked separately and costs $250.
Lip blush starts at $500, with a colour top-up at $250. Have a look at the full price list, browse all cosmetic tattoo, or read about lip liner tattoo.
Lip blush vs lip liner tattoo
Lip blush puts soft colour across the whole lip, so it changes your tone and gives a gentle tint. Lip liner tattoo defines the outer edge only. It sharpens the shape and helps if your lips look blurry or uneven, while the colour of the lip stays as it is. It is a little quicker at 1 hour 45 minutes and costs $380. Some people want colour and shape together and choose lip blush. Others prefer the lighter touch of liner. We will go through both with you at your consultation.
Choosing your lip blush colour
The best shade is usually close to your natural lip colour, just a little richer. Pigment heals lighter and often shifts slightly once it settles into the skin, so we pick a colour that will look right when healed, not only when fresh. We think about your skin tone, your natural lip colour and the finish you want, from a barely-there tint to a clear rosy colour. If your lips are darker or pigmented, tell us. We may suggest a warm or deeper shade, because a cool pink can heal looking muted or unexpected on some lips.
Aftercare
- Keep your lips clean and dry for the first day, and dab away any fluid with a clean tissue.
- Apply a thin layer of the healing balm your therapist recommends. Thin is enough, and too much can slow healing.
- Don't pick or peel flaking skin.
- Steer clear of hot, spicy or salty food and drinks, and use a straw for the first few days.
- Skip swimming, saunas, steam and heavy sweating for about a week.
- Stay out of direct sun, and wear a lip balm with SPF once you have healed.
- Hold off on lipstick, lip scrubs and exfoliating lip products until your lips are fully healed.
- If you can, sleep on your back for the first couple of nights.
Who should wait
Lip blush is not right for everyone at every time, so tell us before you book if any of this applies to you.
If you get cold sores, tattooing can trigger an outbreak in people who carry the virus. Speak to your GP or pharmacist about antiviral medication to take before your appointment. We can't treat lips with an active cold sore or any other infection.
Most cosmetic tattooists recommend waiting until after pregnancy and breastfeeding.
If you have a bleeding disorder, diabetes or an autoimmune condition, or you take blood thinning medication, talk to us first. You may need to check with your doctor. And if you have had lip filler or injections recently, it is generally best to wait until the swelling has fully settled.
We go through your health history with you at the consultation.
Touch-ups
Lip pigment often looks lighter once healed, and it is common for some patches to take colour unevenly the first time. A touch-up at six to eight weeks lets us even out the colour and fine-tune the shape. It is $250 and takes about an hour. After that, many people refresh their lips every year or two, depending on how fast their colour fades.
Lip blush near you in Essendon
We are at 154B Keilor Road, Essendon North, a drive of about 15 minutes from the Melbourne CBD. People book lip blush with us from Moonee Ponds, Niddrie, Strathmore, Ascot Vale, Airport West, Keilor East and Pascoe Vale. Lip blush appointments run Monday to Saturday and Sundays by appointment, and you can drop in for a consultation any day from Monday to Saturday. The number is 0450 000 083.
Price
Lip blush
2 hrs · $500
Soft, natural colour and definition.
Lip blush touch-up
1 hr · $250
Usually at six to eight weeks to perfect the result.
Numbing cream $30. Full details on our price list.
Want to see your lips mapped before you decide?
Book a free consultation at our Essendon North clinic. We will sketch the shape on your lips, talk shades with you and go over your health history, and you can leave without booking the tattoo. Afterpay is available in clinic.
Lip blush FAQs
It is a semi-permanent cosmetic tattoo that adds soft, natural colour and subtle definition to your lips. It shapes them gently and doesn't look like lipstick.
Typically one to three years, fading gradually. A top-up keeps the colour fresh.
We put numbing cream on first, so most clients find it very manageable.
Allow around two hours for the first appointment. That covers choosing your colour and mapping the lips.
From $500, with a colour top-up at $250. A free consultation comes first, so you can choose your shape and shade. The price list has the details.
Lip blush is one style of lip tattoo. It uses fine, soft deposits of pigment for a natural tint, which is quite different from the solid, bold colour many people picture when they hear lip tattoo.
Lips are swollen and darker for the first couple of days, then dry and flaky from about day three. The colour can look faded around days six to ten, then comes back as the skin settles over two weeks. Most people see their final colour by four to six weeks.
Most people go for a shade close to their natural lip colour, a little richer. Pigment heals lighter than it looks when fresh, so we choose with the healed result in mind and agree the colour with you before we start.
Lip blush tints the whole lip with soft colour. Lip liner tattoo defines the outer edge only and leaves your natural colour alone. At your consultation we can talk through which suits your lips.
Often yes, with some preparation. Tattooing can trigger a cold sore, so talk to your GP or pharmacist about antiviral medication before your appointment. We can't treat lips during an active cold sore.
Most cosmetic tattooists recommend waiting until after pregnancy and breastfeeding. It is a precaution, and we are happy to book you in once that time has passed.
Don't pick at flakes, and avoid spicy or salty food, hot drinks, swimming, saunas, heavy sweating, sun, lipstick and lip scrubs until your lips have healed. Your therapist will give you the full list.
Fresh pigment always looks stronger than the healed result. Orange or unexpected tones can happen when a shade doesn't suit the natural lip colour, which is why we choose colour carefully and review it at your touch-up.
No. The touch-up is booked separately at $250, usually at six to eight weeks, to even out and perfect the colour.
Yes. Aura Skin Boutique is at 154B Keilor Road, Essendon North, about 15 minutes from the Melbourne CBD, and clients also come from Moonee Ponds, Niddrie, Strathmore and Ascot Vale. You can walk in for a consultation Monday to Saturday.