The Divinity of Algorithms
Sometimes, Instagram ads can be irksome. For Carolina Zarate, the algorithm was divine intervention.
At 17 years old, the engineering student was unfulfilled. Finding a passion for makeup, Carolina still felt there was a missing element. A perusal of social media landed her on an advertisement about permanent makeup (PMU). After tunneling through research, she knew she wanted more.
Today, she is a PMU professional with a thriving educational platform – and she just happens to study medicine at a prestigious medical school in Colombia. Yet Carolina is sharing a wealth of education beyond PMU, whether it is scam prevention or enlightening the public about living with autism.
The Venezuelan is carving her own entrepreneurial experience while facing tribulation and insurmountable loss. From two years ago, when she decided to work for herself and to start her own brand, to now, she boasts one of the biggest male clienteles in the PMU universe because of her dedication to eradicating stigmas and championing fairness. She epitomizes Perma Blend beauty, in and out.
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Q. Many people want to be their own boss but don’t know how to make the first move. What was the moment that made you realize you wanted more?
A. I was at my first ever PMU congress, which I was not able to afford myself. I was only there because I won a ticket through an Instagram contest and as I saw so many successful women and men who were able to afford it, I started to realize that I was not being rewarded enough for my talents and my effort. This is not even talking about money -- sometimes we just want a “congratulations, you are improving and giving the best of you,” and [I] realized that the only person who could fulfill that need was myself.
Q. Is there a business experience that is most memorable to you?
A: There are two moments:
1. The pandemic. My mom died [in] February, and the pandemic came in March here in Colombia, and my business had been open for only 5-6 months. Before that, I was just an employee in somebody´s else business and had no savings at all. We couldn´t afford to close and my husband and I got into an economic crisis, but then… the miracle came. The people who owned the place where we used to be located condoned one month of rent, gave us a 50% discount, and one client, who is now one of the [people] I love the most, said, “Hey! I know this is a hard time for business now, so I want to pay a couple treatments in advance,” and she basically saved our business.
2. November of 2021, I saw the offer from Perma Blend to become an ambassador. At the time it felt unreal. Now, I feel such a good relationship with the brand in general that I love and defend each pigment as Mama Bear, because I love how ethical they are when promoting the products, hiding no secrets [about] the components.
Q. What has been the most difficult part of PMU education?
A: As an educator, to deal with the fact that not all professionals are ethical. The result is people not knowing whether to take another course [and try] to learn this beautiful profession because their first attempt was a disappointment. And I get it, as I have suffered [from] this as well; as a student, being scammed by a professional marketer impersonating a true PMU trainer, which is very common nowadays.
Q. What surprised you the most about being a business owner?
A. How hard it is. I love being an entrepreneur and the freedom when it comes to money, but it’s not synonymous to sweet vacations in Bahamas every weekend. Actually… I haven’t got vacations in a while now. The good part? I’m going to be able to retire young and go for those Bahamas vacations at some point without worrying about the work once I come back. (Hopefully)
Q. In your bio, you mentioned that you have “level 1 autism.” How often do you find yourself educating people regarding Asperger Syndrome?
A. ALL THE TIME. [People say] that I fake my autism because I don’t look autistic enough, my goal is to allow people to realize that an autistic person can also look as “neurotypical" as I do because of a defense shield we create called masking.
Q. What social stigma does society need to get over?
A. Men CAN get PMU without being a part of the LGBTIQ+ community; 75-80% of our clients are men asking for PMU lips, so I think we´re getting there. And that if your clients are part of the LGBTIQ+ community, especially trans men or women, it is not okay to gossip about them with your team. People can tell when you do that, and they deserve as much (and even more) respect than the rest of your clients. Their lives are hard enough outside in the world. Give them a safe environment to be themselves.
Q. PMU is a pretty personal experience. How are you making your online platform digestible for students?
A. Reels! Reels! And… Yes! More Reels! I’m a medical student and have found way too many things in my career that are related somehow to PMU, so we are creating informative reels all the time about health related to PMU. We’re trying to teach very complex subjects [in] a more easily digestive way.
Q. What Perma Blend pigment color describes you?
A. Can I be all of them? Haha. Well, I think I’m bold, strong and definitely different. I adapt to situations when I must. I think I’d probably be Fiery Fuchsia, which is one of my favorite pigments to mix and boost [with] other colors.
Q. What are some key differences when mixing pigments for masculine clients?
A. You don’t want a pigment that is [either] too red or too pink with a guy. [They think] it would be kind of “suspicious” and they usually don’t want anyone to tell they got something done. You want something in between and with some opacity so it doesn’t pop too much, and it looks more natural. With women, we are usually looking for that color pop that will stand out and look more sexy.
Q. How did you become confident with mixing pigments?
A. By wanting to have exclusive results. I’m a natural competitor; it runs in my veins. The only way to get that exclusivity was by making my own mixes. So, I did. Of course, I didn’t test them on clients at first. I started mixing in cups and testing what looked good with what -- using it with [different skin substitutes] to have a better idea of how it would look. Then, finally, [I] started using them with clients. It was (and it still is) a full hit. I wasted tons of pigments, but it paid out and I do not regret it at all.