Meet Tanny Diep | Permanent Makeup Artist & Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tanny Diep and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tanny, how does your business help the community?
As a Permanent Makeup Brow Artist and Educator for the last 5 years, we’ve seen a tremendous growth in this industry. Eyebrow tattoos used to be very taboo, look very harsh and last for 10-20 years. The industry has evolved tremendously in terms of technique, pigments, and how natural tattoos can look. We’ve worked with clients of all ages, skin types, hair color, and even clients whom have lost their hair from cancer or suffer from alopecia. They say eyebrows can change your whole look, but people don’t realize how much it can also affect your self-esteem and confidence.

When people look good, they feel good which can be a trickle down effect for everything else going on in their life. Some of the clients we’ve worked on haven’t seen their brows in years, either from over-tweezing or natural hair loss with age. That boost of confidence does wonders for their morale and how they carry themselves daily. We’ve helped cancer survivors and alopecia patients feel like themselves again, which can play a part in helping them heal from the trauma of chemotherapy. All in all, waking up with eyebrows will save you time and give an extra boost of good vibes every day.

This career has been life-changing for us in many ways. We are fulfilled with the work that we do but it’s been a journey in itself as an entrepreneur. We are empowering others by teaching them permanent makeup techniques and how to create the same career path. We’ve trained over 1000+ students worldwide and many of them have gone on to open their own businesses and also be able to teach others to do the same.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Here at Sway Brows, our goal is to create the most natural looking tattooed brows, custom designed for each individual client. . We try to adhere to the client’s natural facial features and bone structure as much as possible so that the brows look the most natural (and not too obvious that it’s a tattoo). We are known for our hairstroke pattern design which creates a natural sway in the way it follows the client’s hair flow.

We are most proud and excited about the progress this industry has made and how we’ve played a role in making Microblading more mainstream. As a leader in the industry we are staying current with new techniques and continuously working on improving our craft. Microblading used to be the only method of tattooing hairstrokes but now there have been major advancements in the tattoo application process. The latest technique is called Nano Brows, which are hairstrokes drawn with a permanent makeup device (tattoo machine) vs using the manual technique with a handheld tool.

November of 2023 will mark 5 years in business for us and when we look back on this journey we would say it’s been anything but easy. You have to have a very tough skin and a lot of humility when it comes to being a Tattoo artist. You are working with client’s directly and are tattooing something quite permanent on their face. The biggest challenge is to not give up when you’ve made a mistake. Practice is imperative to being successful and also understanding that it takes more than just artistic skill, you have to also be a savvy business person and always remain professional even in difficult circumstances.

We’ve learned to silence our ego and to always be a student. There is a vast amount of information to grasp within the realm of permanent makeup and one training can get you started but continuing education is a key factor to growth. We’ve taken over 10 trainings and have been certified in multiple brow techniques from hairstrokes to shading, Lip Blushing, Permanent Eyeliner as well as Tattoo Removal and Scalp Micropigmentation.

The key to our success has been consistency. Dedicating ourselves to our practice, showing up 100% for our clients and students, as well as being present on our Social Media Platforms daily. These are all muscles that need to be exercised and we all start as novices. It’s like going to the gym once a month for a couple hours vs doing a 30 min workout every day for 30 days, which do you think will create more recognizable results?

We have amassed over 145K organic followers on instagram, taught all over the U.S. and internationally in Europe and Asia, Presented at multiple Permanent Makeup Conferences, worked on thousands of clients and also trained over 1000+ students worldwide. Our Brand mission is to make the world a more beautiful place through permanent makeup and empowering others to do the same.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love living in Los Angeles/Orange County because there are so many things to do and places to eat. I love the arts and city but also enjoy nature and we are a hop, skip and jump away from the hustle and bustle of downtown, beaches, desert, and mountains. I love exploring the arts district and little Tokyo area of Downtown LA, visiting the museums such as the BROAD, LACMA and the Getty. I love visiting the Griffith Observatory for a nice walk through the botanical gardens and catching a view of the Hollywood hills.

Foodwise, I am vegan and Los Angeles has the greatest variety of food options for vegans and non-vegans. For the best Vietnamese food, I would go down to Orange County in the Garden Grove area for restaurants like Au Lac and Hoa Sen. For the best burgers, I would go to Monty’s In KoreaTown. For delicious Vegan Italian, Pura Vita in West Hollywood or Redondo Beach. Long Beach’s Second Street has some great eats as well as being close to the beach for some relaxation.

Huntington, Redondo and Manhattan Beach has a ton of shops and restaurants as well as a long strand on the beach to go biking or skating. I also love shopping in the Beverly Grove area and people watching in Hollywood.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
We’d like to give a shoutout to Beauty Angels Academy International, based in Boca Raton, FL and founded by Kler Rosenberg. Kler was the first instructor we trained with when we learned the art of Microblading. She founded Beauty Angels 4 years ago and we are one of the original team of trainers who helped launch the academy. Beauty Angels Academy has provided a structure for us to teach others how to become Permanent Makeup Artists and Entrepreneurs. The mentorship we’ve received from Kler has been paramount in our success. Thank you Beauty Angels Academy for your continuous love, support and guidance! We would also like to give a shout out to all of our colleagues, fellow Master Trainers as well as students who have cultivated such a positive and uplifting culture in the Beauty Angels Community.

Website: swaybrows.com

Instagram: @swaybrows

Linkedin: Tanny Diep

Facebook: facebook.com/swaybrows

Yelp: Sway Brows

Youtube: Sway Brows