Some skills can only be proven in real time, on real skin, with the clock running. That is the idea behind the The Pigment PMU Competition — a live permanent makeup contest where artists work on real models and are judged solely on the finished result. No slideshows, no edited photos. Just the work on the skin, in front of a jury. And in 2026, it happens in Rome.
When and where
The competition takes place on 28 September 2026, from 8:30 AM to 7:00 PM, with the award ceremony following at 8:30 PM. The venue is the Hotel Cristoforo Colombo, a four-star hotel in Rome’s EUR / Torrino district (Via Cristoforo Colombo 710). It sits next to the Euroma2 shopping center, close to the GRA ring road, with an on-site restaurant, garden, free WiFi and free self-parking, and a nearby bus connection to metro line B. Rooms are limited, so if you’re travelling in, book early.
The categories
You can enter one category or compete in all three:
- Microblading
- PMU Lips
- PMU Brows
The clock is part of the challenge. PMU Brows and Lips run to a 3-hour limit; Microblading is 2 hours 30 minutes.
What you’re competing for
The prize table is built to change a career, not just decorate a shelf.
🥇 1st Place — the Grand Prize: €5,000 in cash, an all-expenses-paid trip to The Pigment Factory in Dubai to step behind the scenes of how a premium pigment line is made, and — the centerpiece — your own signature pigment line. You shape the shades; we handle formulation, production and branding, fully funded. The result is a finished line that carries your name, ready to use and to sell, at zero cost to you.
🥈 2nd Place: a €2,000 The Pigment product voucher. 🥉 3rd Place: a €1,000 The Pigment product voucher.
How you’re judged
Evaluation is based only on the final result on the model. The jury scores on harmony (the result follows the natural shape of the brows or lips), shape and symmetry, colour (matched to the skin tone and the natural brow or lip colour), traumatisation (unnecessary injury or swelling is penalized), and cleanliness (no makeup or concealer left on the face). In other words: the same standards that define great work in your studio every day.
What’s provided — and what to bring
Each station comes equipped with a treatment bed, a cosmetic table and a ring light. You bring your own professional working materials — machine, cartridges, pigments, tools and all your disposables (cotton pads, cable covers, gloves, and so on) — and your own model. Bringing a model is mandatory; if you genuinely cannot find one, contact us at least four weeks before the event and we will try to arrange one for you.
Hygiene standards
This is a professional contest and professional hygiene is non-negotiable throughout. Competitors and models wear PPE masks, disposable gowns and hair covers (shoe covers for models); all removable parts — needle, cartridge — must come from sealed sterile packaging; hands are washed and sanitized before gloving; the model’s skin is cleaned with an alcohol-based sanitizer; jewelry is removed and hair tied back. One specific rule worth noting: black gloves are not permitted.
The fine print
All competitors must comply fully with the competition rules; non-compliance may lead to sanctions or disqualification. If a competitor or model is late, does not show up, or cancels on the day of the competition, the competitor is disqualified and no refund is issued. Entry is €249 per category.
Take your seat in Rome
If you’ve ever wanted to measure your work against the best in the room — and walk away with the chance to put your name on a pigment line — this is the stage. Spots are limited and split across the three categories.