Ruth Swissa Professional Permanent Makeup and Swissa MedSpa — Local services in Calabasas

SEE UPDATED REVIEW BELOW BEWARE; you will sign a contract, pay a lot of money and have nothing to show for it. $1350 later I have no so called "permanent makeup" eyebrows ! As soon as you step foot in the door you'll be handed a contract to sign. You'd think you're buying a car. I've been to other permanent make up artists in the area and they don't require a contract. There's a reason she forces you to sign one. Her work doesn't last and she needs to rip you off little by little. Here's how things work with her. At first she's very charming. Her "initial" price is somewhat comparable to others in the area. However unlike with the others you will require multiple touch ups at $350 each because her technique doesn't last and intentionally so. It's a money making scheme which forces you to return over and over again and everytime you do you're out another $350. Hence my loss of over $1350. This is how she gets you. She will claim you won't need a touchup for a year or more but you'll be back there very quickly. Then she will say "everyone's skin is different", "You're the one who told me to do it that way", etc. I tried to work things out with her for months, almost a year but she strung me along making me think she would do the right thing then immediately went on the attack and refused to refund my money or fix my eyebrows. She is a self professed permanent make up artist for the "stars". Maybe "stars" can afford to pay OVER AND OVER AGAIN but most can't. She's not for the regular person. Not only does she not care if she does a good job for the average client but her true price is not affordable for the average person. Stay clear or get taken to the cleaners.SEE UPDATED REVIEW BELOW UPDATE: Ruth, thank you for your letter clarifying the amount and offering me a fraction of what I spent ,$340, to remove all my reviews from social media as one of the conditions to accepting your offer. Your letter proves I had to come in 9 times from 2/2012 to 1/22/2014 and pay $1350 an alleged "discounted rate" as you put it. In her letter she states I received a $1720 discount for the times she didn't charge me during the 9 visits. Therefore admitting that had she charged me the cost of maintaining my alleged permanent eyebrows would actually be $3070 for a period of less than 2 years. Note: she didn't offer not to charge me for some of the visits out of kindness or good business sense, it was because I insisted on not being charged due to the lack of quality of her work; the eyebrows not lasting. What's interesting is she also included my 5/11/2015 visit as a discounted visit when she did absolutely nothing to my eyebrows but look at them. The 5/11/2015 visit was due to a letter she sent me pretending to offer for me to go in to allegedly remedy the situation. Instead when I walked in she was on the defensive brought one of her assistants into the room, which she had never done before, and tell me how she wasn't going to fix anything because my eyebrows were fine. Yet she considers not charging me for that visit a "discounted rate". I also noted she never took pictures during that session. If my eyebrows were fine why not post them on her website as work that lasted? If the website allowed me I would post my pictures showing how my brows didn't last as well as her letter. Contact me if you'd like to see them. You can get a true permanent tattoo for a lot less or have an eyebrow hair transplant for $2950 and not have to take time out from work for 9 or so visits and spend $3070 for nothing. If you have a lot of money to waste go for it. Otherwise, think long and hard before signing that contract it might cost you a...

“The most beautiful women wear makeup in such a way that it looks natural” (Quote from my Mother)

I am amused and flattered when my husband tells me “ You’re so beautiful, you don’t need make-up”…

WELL!!!! While I’d like to believe that’s true…I know it’s NOT!!! And what he doesn’t realize is, that it’s thanks, in large part, to the amazing job that Ruth has done in restoring the fading color back to my face!

At 50 years old, experiencing inevitable changes in my body & subsequently, frame of mind, I decided it was time to OFFER MYSELF a REAL GIFT!!! I went to Ruth to get my eyebrows done – my husband was concerned about me looking like some other women we’ve seen, who clearly have freaky tattoos stenciled on the face! Alas! He loved the results…so much so, that I have in the years since then, restored the full pink color to my fading lips, and also, most recently, had eye contour enhancement. This means: NO MORE eye brow pencil (which would always melt or wipe off in no time!), NO REAL NEED for lipstick (unless I want a different color than my own natural), and NO NEED to line my eyes, unless I want a more pronounced/dramatic look.

I WAKE UP AND GO!!! (Well, I still brush my teeth… then go!)

The processes are quick, a little uncomfortable during procedure… (but worth it – remember “you have to suffer for beauty!” another quote from my Mother…who, btw, is 80 years old, and gorgeous – & also a client of Ruth!)

Ruth is an artist, and an amazing human being – she is in it with her whole heart…she TRULY cares for her clients happiness, not just to make a buck! (By the way – her pricing is VERY reasonable – do your homework – you’ll see! Not to mention - the savings on constant make-up purchases...and time to apply - gone!) She LOVES her work, as well as her clients, and you feel it when you are there, in her lovely boutique salon.

I have never written a recommendation for anything/anyone (about my "treasured finds", out of concern they will become ruined or changed by over-popularity – ya…it happens!), but I am making an exception here, because, Ruth is so deserving of praise…and if you are considering doing something to make yourself feel better about your appearance…THIS IS WHERE YOU SHOULD GO!!! You will LOOOOVE it!

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I had been thinking about getting permanent makeup done on my eyebrows for a while, but was afraid to go to “just anyone”. I had seen some pretty scary jobs on people, and was a bit apprehensive. One day, I saw a story on the channel 5 news about Ruth Swissa, who they said was an “artist” when it came to permanent makeup. Then, I couldn’t stop thinking about doing it. I checked out her website a couple times, and one day I was so done with my daily attempt to get my eyebrows to look somewhat decent that I decided to go for it and make the call.

I felt instantly comfortable right from the start. Ruth and her staff make you feel like you’re at a friend’s house. There were so many shades of brown, and Ruth knew exactly which one would look the best. I’m not going to lie, it hurt a little, but nothing like getting a tattoo, and the numbing gel did help. For the first time, my eyebrows were even! At first, I was a little worried because it looked a little dark when I was done, but when I went home, I realized that no one noticed. Even with the white petroleum shine on my eyebrows that first week, it just looked like I had makeup on. There is a care instruction sheet that they send home with you, and there is a section that says DON’T PANIC – be sure to read that. After you follow the care instructions, a few days later pieces will come off…don’t panic!! - I kinda did :) You’ll be left with BEAUTIFUL eyebrows!!

Something I wasn’t expecting – I have melasma, (dark spots on my face) and I was told that it was hereditary and there was probably nothing I could do about it. I had tried all kinds of over the counter products, and even some bleach from a dermatologist, but I still ended up trying to cover it with concealer and makeup, which didn’t really work. Ruth was able to help me with this too. She recommended a product for me, and it’s fading the spots!!!! After one month, I don’t have to use the concealer anymore!

As far as the touch up visit, this time it didn’t hurt much at all. I thought my eyebrows looked fine before, but what a difference the touch up makes. I LOVE my...