Trends, Truth & Responsibility in PMU | TAF #122 Artwork

Tatter-a-fact® PMU Podcast

Teryn Darling is a legend in the Permanent Makeup industry. She's dedicated 20+ years to the craft of permanent makeup and in that time she's grown her company, Girlz Ink, into a global brand and industry standard. Teryn's overcome a lot of adversity and has done pretty well for herself in the PMU world! She's developed her skills as a cosmetic tattooer and to do that she had to develop her skills as an entrepreneur and business woman. Expect smart, sharp conversations. Teryn doesn't hold back so these episodes will be interesting, honest and real! She loves talking business and digging deep to get to know people; how, why and why not they do things.

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Tatter-a-fact® PMU Podcast

Trends, Truth & Responsibility in PMU | TAF #122

February 20, 2026 • Teryn Darling • Season 6 • Episode 122

0:00 | 2:01:42

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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, work responsibly, and return to strong fundamentals.

In this episode, we cover:

The dangers of trend-based PMU techniques
Why Instagram results don’t always reflect healed work
Hair strokes, hyper-realism & techniques that don’t age well
Pigment ingredients, color shifts & long-term outcomes
Photo editing, filters & unrealistic client expectations
Accountability, ethics & responsibility in PMU education
Why fundamentals matter more than viral techniques

If you’re a permanent makeup artist navigating education overload, unrealistic expectations, and fast-changing trends, this episode will help you refocus on ethics, longevity, and excellence in PMU.

🎧 Be sure to listen to Part 1 before diving into this episode.

🎸 Composition and guitars - Russ Letizia
🥁 Drums and studio engineering - Mike Zerbe
🎼 Recorded at The Compound in Las Vegas, NV

Teryn Darling

Host