New Service! Brow Lamination

I have been getting so many requests to start offering Brow Lamination so I have started! You can check out the packages here.

What is Brow Lamination?

Brow Lamination is the technique to making your brows look like you have thicker and fuller brows: no more expensive, painful and sometimes ugly Microblading! Want the look of using brow gel and filling in your brows without the daily maintenance? this is the service for you!

How is it done?

Using the same lifting products as a lash lift you can raise a client’s arch, extend their tails, give them a fuller brow by lifting the brow hair. It gives them a set, uniform shape for approximately 4-6 weeks.

The actual process starts off by painting a lifting cream onto the brow, which creates a chemical process that breaks down bonds in each hair which makes them flexible. Next, the brow hairs are brushed up into place and a neutralizer is applied to re-bond the hair into its new shape. Then a nourishing oil is added to the brows to replenish their moisture after the chemical treatment process

Are there concerns?

Always! Everything we do cosmetically will always come with possible allergies, skin reactions and if best practices are not paid attention to other medical issues. Make sure that you always do a test patch for the lifting chemical first as the skin around your eyes are the most sensitive. If any burning starts let you esthetician know ASAP. Just as any concerns that come up with lash lifts and hair perms overprocessing the hair can lead to permanent damage to the hair if not done properly.

As part of your eyebrow lamination aftercare, it is crucial that you:

  • Avoid getting the brow area wet for 24 hours
  • Avoid contact with direct sunlight, sunbeds, saunas, steam rooms and swimming pools for the next 48 hours
  • Avoiding excessive rubbing or touching of the treated area for 24 hours
  • Avoid using exfoliating (be it AHA, BHA or scrubs) and anti-ageing skincare around the brow area for three days either side of your treatment
  • Avoid fake tanning products (including gradual tan) on the face for three days either side of your treatment, as it can discolour the eyebrow tint
  • you should avoid applying any further heavy make up (foundations, etc) on the area around the brow for 24 hours

This is a noninvasive, temporary, but beautiful way to fix your brows in an affordable way. Prices start at 45$ but packages adding a brow tint and wax(package 70$) or pairing with a Lash lift can help really define and give you weeks of no hassle and no makeup.

Book Online here now with Scotia!

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Transitioning Beauty

This week is PRIDE MONTH!! As a cis-bisexual ally I love celebrating pride and meeting new people. I get to talk to many different people going through different transitions (coming out, speaking up or starting a full medical transition). I thought that this year I will officially share what I can do to help professionally on here.

In the past few years I have become very accustomed to talking and helping transitioning clients with figuring out new beauty and health routines. I am no medical expert and can only go by what feels right for each client.

But in lieu of people asking the difference between a men’s pedicure or a men’s leg wax than a woman’s: I say there’s none. Hair coming out of skin and nails growing aren’t much different between men and women.

I want to share some very basic information about this process. I am not a doctor but having guided research from great places like Elevate and Thunder Pride and talking with trans clients, friends and their families. This is just speaking from a professional esthetician and makeup artist.

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DIY Lip Plumping Scrub

if you missed the Your Best Face Forward Workshop 

 

Guests of Plan Your Day Thunder Bay 2019 made their own lip scrubs hosted by Scotia Kauppi of Sweet Cherry Spa & Carly Hughes of Wink Beauty Studio. 

 

Cinnamon Lip Scrub + Plumper 

Why This Works Cinnamon is a natural lip plumper, so if you want that Kylie Jenner pout without the lip injections, this scrub is a foolproof technique to achieve that. Cinnamon also acts as a natural exfoliator and helps you achieve smooth, soft lips instantly. 

 

 

We Talked About….
  • How to prep your skin prior to your wedding so that your makeup will last longer, not budge or flake off.
  • 2 weeks before your wedding do not try any new products, spray tans, or tanning beds. 
  • If you have dry cracked lips, brush your lips with hot water on a softer toothbrush after your brush your teeth nightly. 
  • If you have problematic skin, have a facial/skin care consult with an esthetician a month or two before. 

 

Why a Makeup Trial is Important 
  • To test out their products to make sure they work with your skin type. 
  • To get to know your artist and make sure you are both comfortable with eachother 
  • To test out your ideas of how you’d like to look 
  • When trying a new trend of makeup if you think it will reflect your timeless natural beauty or reflect your style and personality (Blushing Bride or Sultry/ Smokey Evening looks or Themed makeup for a Themed wedding) 
  • When to have the trial done 2 weeks – a month before ie: don’t have your trial in the winter if you are getting married in the summer. Your skin tone will not be the right shade and will mess up your contouring and foundation shade. 

What Makes a Professional Makeup Artist?

Lately I have been doing redo’s of people’s work on makeup clients. Clients will spend lots of money to hire a professional makeup artist, but some are more professional than others. The disappointment of clients and the stress before a wedding or big night out is unfair to them.

Where’s the line between someone who can do makeup well and who is a professional artist? And how can you cross that line and become a professional makeup artist?

Obviously no one just emerges from their mothers womb a makeup artist!

though if you did this is how it would look

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News: New Bridal Contract and Price

After a really busy summer of bridal bookings I have had time to reflect on how I book clients. I still have openings for the fall and winter!

I have had to update my bridal contract and prices to reflect the current market and how clients have been booking their weddings.  All pre-paid and signed contract holders are grandfathered to their original contract they have signed, this is only for new clients.

Did you know the national average for bridal makeup is 100$-170$? Do you think that is reflective for Thunder Bay? I am still keeping mine lower because it is Thunder Bay 🙂

Here is the sample of my new contract:

wedding contract sample.jpg

 

Some important changes:

  • New services are available! Such as me staying to touch up after your photos, tattoo cover ups, and children’s makeup for under 12 (consists of eye shadow, blush and lipstick/gloss).
  • Price change of retainer and overall pricing.
  • If you are last minute(2 weeks or less) canceling services for Bride, bridal party and/or guest makeup, you will be required to cover 50% of the total quoted fee for those canceling. If its less than 48 hours notice: you will be required to cover 100% of the quote. This is to cover the fact that I will not be able to make up the same amount of revenue in spa when the date has been booked for a long time.
  • Travel outside of Thunder Bay city limits has been more thoroughly explained.
  • Quote will now cover all party members not just bride.
  • A promise if I have a unforeseen emergency and can not make it, that I will try my best to find a replacement artist otherwise your money back. (This has never actually happened to me but I have been hearing more and more artists in town having to last minute cancel on their brides and I want you to feel protected against this.)

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Thank you for all your understanding in the changes and look forward to continue bringing a elegant, beautiful, sweet look to top off your wedding look! I am still taking new brides for Fall/Winter 2018 and booking into 2019 you can book your trial here!

 

See me at this fall’s Wedding Show Sunday October 21st at the Victoria Inn where I will be presenting a small seminar: “Makeup Wedding Trends That WILL Date Your Look”.

Product Review: Spiny Brush Cleaner

Okay hold onto your Bunnydeer Hatbox hats ladies…. for once….. I DON’T HATE SOMETHING!

I saw this advertised on instagram, by which I mean the instagram robots told me to look at it probably 100 times over the past few months. It spins your makeup brushes clean and then dries them. Of course I first thought… probably wreck my brushes so I shrugged it off. This past weekend a bride brought it in for her trial just to show me and I tried it and absolutely loved it! Though of course testing any makeup the internet shows me requires me to rigorously test it.

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Product Review: Younique 3D Fiber Mascara

I know this product is old, its not a new thing and most of you have probably tired or heard of it already. This is the reason why I didn’t even bother with it purposefully in the first place, but my sister in law had some and I asked to try it. I already knew it’d be garbage, and for its original price that was 70$ it was to much for all this hassle for a meh product. Even now that it is 34$ on their website now its still not really worth it.

As a makeup artist of 15 years I have seen many different combos of extra extending lash mascaras. Clear sealers,extra waterproof, extra fibers inside, extra nourishing oils, different pigments, glitter.. you name it, I’ve seen it.

Read on further to see why this I give this product a 3/10

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Why Are You Doing That Viral MUAs?

This is a letter to the general makeup artists on instagram and youtube.

Stop doing stupid shit.

Just stop.

This came to a hilt today when I watched a drag queen that I do really like and think is talented but she started her video off with this:

you don’t need that much primer.

Here’s a list of things you guys need to cut out:

  • blending with stupid household items (food, condoms, random objects). you can get good beauty blenders for like a dollar online! Use your clean hands if you really just don’t have brushes or blenders.
  • dripping/dribbling primer or foundation down your face. You don’t need that much.
  • contouring more than once. pick one you like: cream foundation, powder blush/bronzer/highlighter combo… doing both is too much.
  • doing the “100 layers of..” trend. stop wasting product.
  • using weird cheating products like the vamp stamp and other things. If you are a pro makeup ARTIST then you need to work at your craft not cheat your way there.
  • here’s another list too for more! 

I love trying these items out as a joke… I would NEVER use them on a client or on myself. Out of the 100s of new products that come out each year.. maybe 1 or 2 of them are worth adding to your kit. The only thing that I have tried and liked that was popluar and new was the “Beauty blender” egg sponge. But I still don’t use them regularly on my clients. That’s why I invest in nice brushes.

I just want to say that for those of you doing these as jokes, cool, don’t take it seriously. But I am a serious makeup artist, I have spent 15 years working on my self and my art. I went to school for it, I am a professional. In my personal opinion if you can only do your own face and have nothing to show for your own work then you aren’t a professional makeup artist. You can do your own makeup well, which is a skill but not on the same level as me or my peers.

Why You Need a Professional Makeup Artist at Your Wedding

Lately  I have had a influx of brides dropping out of booking with me, losing their retainer and all.

Why?  —  “Because my friend is really good at makeup and will do it for free“.

Which is a super nice gesture and that’s fine it’s your choice. But I want to ask: why did you think of booking me, a professional in the first place?

photo by Shannon Lepere 2016

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Hunting and Makeup: Do You Ware It?

I had a very interesting conversation with my good friend Katie Ball (owner of Silver Cedar Studio). She is a hunter and a trapper along with being a fur fashion designer.  Katie called me the other day and had some questions about makeup and her line of work.

Katie’s business profile photo: soo beautiful and silky!

“Should I invest in lash extensions? Should I bother wearing makeup because right now why would I when I’m just checking trap lines?

But I see all the other women of hunting on shows and at conventions wearing it.”

 

Katie was even just on a all women’s hunting panel which has opened some door to possibly being on a hunting tv show. “All those women wear so much makeup, it seems almost too much.”

 

 

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