Quick answer: Nikol shares an honest, personal take on why so many women—and celebrities—seem to look increasingly alike: trend-chasing and cosmetic procedures that erase what makes each face distinct. Her message is individuality and education—enhance your own features, and fully understand any procedure (and consult a qualified professional) before you commit. She even recreates the viral "tattooed freckle" trend with makeup to test it, then shares why it isn't for her.
Key takeaways
- Individuality reads as modern. Enhancing your own features looks fresher than chasing a one-size-fits-all trend.
- Educate before you alter. Nikol urges research and a qualified, certified professional before any procedure—permanent makeup, Botox, surgery, or strong acids.
- Permanent makeup is permanent. As a former permanent-makeup artist, she cautions that "semi-permanent" can be misleading and that tattooed pigment may shift over time.
- Not anti-procedure. It's "to each their own"—her point is informed choices, not fear or judgment.
- The freckle experiment. She faked the trend with makeup (not a tattoo) and decided it wasn't the move.
Hey ladies! Nikol filmed this one mid-makeup, thinking out loud about something that's been nagging at her in the beauty world lately—the feeling that everyone is starting to look the same. Here's her honest take, plus a little experiment she couldn't resist trying.
Why does it feel like everyone looks the same now?
Nikol's honest opinion is that trend-driven beauty—from copycat makeup techniques to popular cosmetic procedures—can quietly nudge people toward one homogenized look. She says she can hardly find a celebrity who still looks like themselves, and it worries her that it's starting to feel normal. This is her personal perspective, and reasonable people will disagree; her aim isn't to judge anyone's choices but to champion individuality and makeup that enhances your own features instead of erasing what makes you, you.
What did Nikol want you to know about permanent makeup and "tattooed freckles"?
The trend that set off this whole conversation was tattooed freckles—permanent makeup implanted to mimic natural sun freckles, marketed as looking youthful and "just back from vacation." Drawing on her years as a certified permanent-makeup artist (2011–2020) and aesthetician, Nikol pushes back on the "it's semi-permanent, it'll just fade" framing. In her experience, permanent makeup places pigment into the skin, and where that pigment sits matters a great deal—placed too deep, she's seen it blur and shift in tone over the years, which is why some older tattooed brows can look gray or blue.
She's careful to say this isn't medical advice, and she isn't anti-procedure. Her real message is education: understand what any treatment does to living tissue, ask a qualified, certified professional, and know that another person's results are no promise of your own. That goes for permanent makeup, Botox, surgery, and even the over-the-counter acids in your bathroom cabinet. If you're considering a cosmetic procedure, please consult a licensed professional first.
What does "aging as yourself" actually look like?
While she talked, Nikol was doing the kind of soft, natural look she loves—the opposite of a dramatic transformation. She started with eye primer and a matte neutral eye from her Strong Brew palette, added a smudge of waterproof dark chocolate eyeliner lifted at the outer corner, and a coat of volume mascara to open up the eye. For the base she reached for BB cream in light medium for a sheer, glowing finish, then a natural lip and a little cream blush. The whole point: look refreshed and like yourself, not like a copy of a trend.
What happened when she tried the freckle trend—and the verdict?
Instead of tattooing anything, Nikol recreated the freckle trend with makeup only, as an experiment. She used a peachy color corrector to even out her own pigmentation first, then dabbed brown mascara onto her skin with a small pointed brush to fake freckles, and even tried the trend of placing cream blush under the eyes for a "baby-doll" effect.
Her verdict? It looked, in her words, more like a Halloween costume or a mask than a fresh, sun-kissed glow. Makeup washes off—so it's a harmless way to test a look—but she wouldn't tattoo freckles at any age. Woven through a heartfelt tangent about appreciating the time we get (inspired by a passage from Karen Salmansohn's writing), her bigger reminder is this: think about where a trend leads long-term, get back to basics, and don't trade looking like yourself for looking like everyone else.
The bottom line
Nikol's takeaway is simple—be informed, be individual, and let your makeup enhance the face you already have. Trends will keep coming and going; your features are the constant worth celebrating. If you'd like to build a soft, enhance-don't-erase routine of your own, explore the makeup collection, or browse face and eyes for the natural, everyday essentials Nikol reaches for most.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nikol against cosmetic procedures?
No. Nikol is clear that it's 'to each their own,' and she'd choose a procedure herself if it were medically warranted—like eyelid surgery if drooping skin blocked her vision. Her point isn't to judge anyone's choices; it's to encourage education and individuality rather than following trends blindly.
What does Nikol say to do before getting any beauty procedure?
Educate yourself and consult a qualified, certified professional first. Whether it's permanent makeup, Botox, surgery, or even over-the-counter acids, she urges you to understand what the treatment does to living tissue, ask the right expert, and remember that someone else's results are no guarantee of your own.
What is the 'tattooed freckle' trend?
It's permanent makeup—pigment implanted into the skin—done to mimic natural sun freckles, marketed as looking youthful, sun-kissed, and 'just back from vacation.' Nikol, a former permanent-makeup artist, questions the trend, noting that tattooed pigment is not truly 'semi-permanent' and can change in tone and shape over time.
Did Nikol actually get freckles tattooed on her face?
No. She recreated the look with makeup only—dabbing brown mascara on with a small brush and adding cream blush under the eyes—purely as an experiment to test the 'youthful' claim. Her verdict: it looked more like a Halloween costume, and she doesn't recommend tattooing freckles at any age.
What does Nikol mean by 'aging as yourself'?
She means enhancing your own features instead of erasing them to match a trend. A soft, natural makeup look—defined eyes, a glowing base, and natural color on cheeks and lips—can help you look refreshed and like yourself, rather than a copy of a template everyone else is chasing.
