Permanent cosmetic makeup is the art and science of implanting the ideal color for you in the right place so your face can look better naturally. The color is placed into the dermis, or inner layer of the skin. Because the epidermis - the skin's outermost layer - is always shedding and renewing itself, you are actually seeing the color through a thin veil of skin. Immediately after your procedure, the color will appear darker than the final result because it is in both the epidermis and dermis. The color in the top layer will flake off during the healing process.