Tatter-a-fact® PMU Podcast

Send us Fan Mail This week, we're revisiting one of our favorite episodes of Tatter-a-fact,  a conversation that feels just as relevant today as when it first aired. When life feels overwhelming, it's easy to believe optimism means pretending everything is okay. But real optimism isn't about ignoring reality. It's about acknowledging life's challenges while believing you h...

Send us Fan Mail For years, Teryn Darling believed she wasn't smart enough. Not because anyone ever told her she wasn't—but because she struggled in school and quietly allowed grades to define her worth. In Chapter 3 of Tatter-a-fact: The Story Series , Teryn shares one of the deepest insecurities of her childhood and the realization that changed everything: intelligence isn't measu...

Send us Fan Mail Long before Girlz Ink. Before PMU. Before pigments, podcasts, stages, mentorship, and entrepreneurship... there was a kid in Maine trying to figure out how to make her own money.  In Chapter 2 of Tatter-a-fact: The Story Series, Teryn Darling shares the story of her earliest hustles, from babysitting and collecting cans to riding her bike to a local farm before sunrise to pick pea...

Send us Fan Mail Chapter 1: The Red Wagon I spent years believing I wasn't smart. I thought smart people got good grades. I thought smart people were in accelerated classes. I thought smart people understood math and science. That wasn't me. Meanwhile, at twelve years old, I was pulling a little red wagon through my neighborhood collecting cans, building work ethic, resourcefulness, inde...

Send us Fan Mail Some conversations age well, and this is one of them. With everything happening in the PMU industry right now, we felt this discussion about clients, professionalism, bad reviews, refunds, boundaries, and business growth was more relevant than ever. In this episode of the Tatter-a-fact PMU Podcast, Teryn Darling speaks on the real side of being a permanent makeup artist, the parts...

Send us Fan Mail Taxes… not exactly the most exciting topic, but one of the most important if you’re a PMU artist or business owner.  In this throwback episode of the Tatter-a-fact PMU Podcast , Teryn Darling breaks down the fundamentals of taxes, organization, and financial responsibility specifically for permanent makeup artists and small business owners .  From quarterly tax payments to trackin...

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful throwback episode of the Tatter-a-fact PMU Podcast , we sit down with tax expert and entrepreneur Marc Rizzo to talk about something most permanent makeup artists avoid, but absolutely need to understand : finances. From taxes and write-offs to investing, debt, and building long-term wealth, this conversation is packed with real, honest advice that can completely...

Send us Fan Mail Why do so many permanent makeup artists still struggle with inconsistent healed results, even after investing in training? In this episode of the Tatter-a-Fact PMU Podcast , Teryn Darling is joined by special guest Rose Prieto of @beautyandbrowlounge for an honest conversation about the PMU education gap that many artists don’t realize is holding them back. Together, they break do...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Tatter-a-fact PMU Podcast , Teryn Darling sits down with award-winning PMU artist and educator Brittany Wallins to talk about the controversy surrounding microblading in today’s permanent makeup industry. They discuss how misinformation spreads online, why some techniques get unfairly criticized, and why education, skin analysis, and ethical decision-making...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Tatter-a-f6act PMU Podcast , Teryn Darling sits down with Marielle Rebecca of BROWHAUS INK for an honest, no-fluff conversation about the realities of permanent makeup. They break down client expectations vs PMU reality, pigment myths, technique fundamentals, filtered social media standards, and why there are no absolutes in PMU (except safety and ethics). T...

Send us Fan Mail In Part 2 of this powerful conversation , Teryn Darling is joined again by Alex Mechenici of Alex PMU Academy to unpack the truths the permanent makeup industry doesn’t always want to hear . From trend-driven techniques and social media misinformation to pigment science, photo editing ethics, and long-term healed results, this episode challenges PMU artists to think critically, wo...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Tatter-a-fact PMU Podcast , Teryn Darling sits down with internationally respected PMU educator Alex Mechenici for a powerful, science-driven conversation every permanent makeup artist needs to hear. This episode goes beyond trends and social media brows and dives into pigment science, saline vs. laser removal, aged results, and critical thinking in PMU educ...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode #120 of Tatter-a-Fact , Girlz Ink founder Teryn Darling returns with Part 2 of a powerful, honest conversation on mindset, money, and navigating economic slowdowns in the permanent makeup industry . If you’re a PMU artist feeling slower bookings, financial pressure, or self-doubt , this episode delivers real-world guidance—not toxic positivity, fear-based narratives, or...

Send us Fan Mail Is business slow in the permanent makeup industry right now? You’re not imagining it and you’re not alone. In Episode 119 of the Tatter-a-Fact Podcast , Teryn Darling is joined by Sarah from Girlz Ink for an honest, grounded conversation about the current PMU slowdown , the broader economy, and what permanent makeup artists should be doing right now to stay strong and prepared for...

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful episode of Tatter-a-Fact , Teryn sits down with Candice Falcon , an industry leader in medical tattooing, 3D areola restoration, scar camouflage, and FTM gender-affirming tattoo work . Candice shares her artistic philosophy, her high standards, and why medical tattooing requires far more than basic PMU skills. Together, they dive deep into compromised skin, breast...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Tatter-a-Fact , Teryn Darling sits down with Carla Ricciardone of Sculpted Studios, global PMU educator, color-theory expert, and pioneer of dark lip neutralization for a powerful and unfiltered conversation about what truly matters in Permanent Makeup today. Together they break down the science behind pigments, color theory, needle choice, and machine movements...

Send us Fan Mail In TAF #116 , Teryn breaks down one of the BIGGEST struggles in Permanent Makeup: oily skin — and why it affects stretch, grip, pigment implantation, numbing absorption, and ultimately… your healed results . For 25 years, artists have been told to “just blot more,” “stretch harder,” or “work faster.” But none of that fixes the REAL issue: surface oil AND subsurface oil working aga...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Teryn Darling sits down with industry veteran Robin Hays Velez, a PMU artist with over 32 years of experience, to talk about what it really takes to last in permanent makeup. From pigments and needle choices to burnout, ethics, and regulators… nothing is off the table. If you’ve ever wondered what’s true, what’s hype, and what actually matters for long-term succes...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Teryn Darling sits down with Chantal Chadderton , founder of PMU Pros , a 4-day international PMU expo and conference in Durban, South Africa, bringing together top educators, artists, and brands from around the world. They talk about what really makes a great PMU conference, quality education, supportive community, ethics, organization , and a whole lot of passio...

Send us Fan Mail Think you know your pigments? Think again. In this episode of The Learning Curve Series , Teryn Darling dives deep into the pigment learning curve, breaking down the truth about iron oxides, organics, and hybrids so you can finally understand why your pigments behave the way they do. Learn what really causes gray brows, migration, and fading , how particle size and carbon black im...

Send us Fan Mail Think one needle fits all? Think again. In Part 2 of The Learning Curve Series, Teryn breaks down the myths, the learning curve, and the freedom that comes with mastering liners, shaders, and mags. So you can achieve beautiful results on every skin type and every style (powder brows, lips, eyeliner, areola, and more). What you’ll learn: Why one needle can’t meet every client reque...

Send us Fan Mail Switching to a new PMU machine can feel like starting all over again. Suddenly your healed results look different, your depth feels off, and frustration sets in. But that’s not failure, it’s the learning curve . In this episode, Teryn Darling walks you through what really happens when you pick up a new machine: the vibration feels strange, the stroke is different, the voltage does...

Send us Fan Mail If you want a long, thriving career in PMU, consistent healed results, confident color choices, and the ability to pivot on tough skin, this episode is your blueprint. Teryn breaks down the core fundamentals every permanent makeup artist must master (and keep revisiting): skin science, pigment theory, needles, machines, hand movements, stretch, depth, and saturation strategy. Whet...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Tatter-a-Fact PMU Podcast , Teryn dives deep into the truth about topical anesthetics in permanent makeup,  what works, what doesn’t, and what every artist needs to know to keep clients safe and results beautiful. From melting and migrating formulas that ruin mapping and stretch… to the real facts on whether anesthetics affect pigment retention … to the rise...

Send us Fan Mail In today’s episode of the Tatter-a-Fact PMU Podcast , we’re diving deep into a question every permanent makeup artist will face at some point: “My client is allergic to nickel… should I still move forward with the procedure?” With 25+ years in the industry and over 20,000 procedures under her belt, Teryn shares her real-world experience , breaks down the science behind nickel in P...