The Perfect Shape

I have been dying to get my brows done since my favourite beauty therapist has returned back from holidays. My brows have been shaped and tinted by a few different beauticians while she has been away and I am keen for them to get back to normal with the perfect shape and colour.

Your brows frame your face and can finish your look. Don't ever leave them untouched. They need to be tended to and taken care of. 

Get the perfect shape at home

You will need

1. Cleanse your skin with a washcloth which naturally exfoliates the skin.
2. Brush brows up and out with a brow comb.
3. Make sure you have a good pair of tweezers with a slanted edge. I recommend the Stefan brand metal tweezers with a cushy grip.
4. Hold skin taut as you pluck and tweeze hairs in the direction they grow
5. Start by tweezing the area under the arch first, then move above the brow and I clean up in between the brows last.
6. The best brows have a slight arch. To find yours, take a long eyeshadow brush or pencil and hold it parallel to the outside edge of the colored part of your eye (the iris). Where the brush meets the brow is where the highest part of your brow should be. Tweeze the hairs underneath the arch. 

If you are nervous about shaping your brows yourself, why not book in with one of our fabulous salon members. We offer brow tinting and waxing at all Stefan salons across Queensland and New South Wales.

If like most of us, you were born with sparse brows or simply went too far with the tweezers, there is a magical fix! Filling in your eyebrows is the new trend so say goodbye to your old eyebrow pencil and hello to the Stefan Professional Brow Sculpt!

This kit is perfect to highlight and define your brows. The fill comes in two colours and can be easily applied with the specially design angled brush. The Stefan Professional Brow Sculpt kit retails for $24.95 and will take your look from plain to glam in minutes. Your brows will love you for it.

Steps to the perfect shape

Prep the Brows

First, comb out brows with a brow brush. Examine brows for any sparse spots.

 

Fill in with Brow Powder

Dip the angled brush into the fill colour powder of the Brow Sculpt. Brush the powder along the brows. For more staying time, dampen the brush slightly before dipping it into powder. Try to maintain your natural shape but you can also use the powder to create slightly thicker brow. Try not to over-do it though! You don't want to look like something out of a horror movie.

Two Colors Instead of One?

You can try two colours when filling in brows: A light powder where brows are thickest and a darker shade for the tail ends.

Set Brows

To keep brows in place, spritz hairspray on your finger and brush onto the brow.

The Shape of Brows

Fuller brows are preferable to skinny ones. Try to have your eyebrows shaped by a professional every four weeks - Brow waxing and tinting is available at all Stefan salons. Our staff will shape your brows and will keep you looking beautiful. Use a good set of tweezers to clean up the hairline in between visits. 

Alkaline your Body!!

Romantic Wardrobe

Who is loving this beautiful Queensland weather? I certainly am!

While I am finding it hard to stay focused when the sun is shining brightly outside and day dreaming of the beach, there are designers out there making the most of our romantic affair with Spring.

I recently checked out some of the New York fashion shows and boy do they have some pretty little outfits on display. Florals are dominating the catwalks. I am in LOVE! After viewing their catwalk pics the first thing I thought was "I need a new wardrobe". But seriously which girl doesn't think that at least once a week when they are sick of wearing the same thing to work?!

And what's the best thing about these florals you say?

You can make your outfit really POP with an amazing shade of bright lipstick!

It's all about having fun with your outfits this Spring, check out some awesome looks below!

Team the looks above with this shade on your lips...

Try this bold shade with floral printed shirts like above...

And team this shade from our range for a professional catwalk finish!

Stay Positive!

It's getting to that time of year innit?
Whether it's work getting stressful, starting QCS exams or dealing with Christmas around the corner, we all have a lot on our plate.

So here are my Top 6 ways to stay positive over the "Stressful Season"

• Take time to enjoy the things you love.

I remember reading somewhere that "what you do when you procrastinate, is what you should be doing for the rest of your life." 
(This is somewhat disappointing as I am destined to become a house cleaner and bed-sheet changer.) 
Whatever it might be that makes you happy - make sure you give yourself time to do it.
Whether it be tidying your room, reading a book or watching some crappy reality show, make sure you have time to blob out and relax.

• Eat Healthy

Sounds boring I know. But it doesn't have to be!
Eating lean and green gives you heaps of energy to enjoy your day and make the most of what comes at you. Citrus fruits are great for an instant burst of energy and the sweetness (plus the juice running down your chin) always gives ya a smile!

• Eat Naughty

Shhhh, dont tell anyone...but sometimes you just need a treat!
If your feeling a bit 'pooey' treat yourself to a yummy chocolate bar, or an Ice Cream. Since my big move to Aussie, I usually fill this gap with my new favourite - COLD ROCK! 
Something sweet and yummy will give you the energy to handle the day.

• Work out

Take my word for it - do the "Gangnam Style" workout video at www.blogilates.com.
If you have had a bit of a rough day, do it when you get home from work. The rush of adrenalin and the completely ridiculous "ride the horse" dance moves will make you grin from (sweaty) ear-to-ear.

• Listen to your favourite music - LOUD

I dont care what it is - can be Carly Rae Jepsen or AC/DC for all I care. But whatever you choose, make sure it's loud! In your car, in your room or at a club, make sure you have a good ol' dance and go wild! You will feel like a total doofus, but it will get your spirits up.

• Do some baking

You might not think you like baking, but the satisfaction of a perfectly cooked and iced cake makes ya feel like Martha Stewart everrrytime. (If not, the satisfaction of eating it all will most certainly make you feel better!)

In the words of Tupac Shakur- "Baby don't cry. I hope you've got ya head up, Even when the road is hard never give up"

Love, Katie xxxxx

Hot date

I came across a really interesting article in Glamour Magazine the other day about which clothing choices guys hate to see on a first date. '16 Things Guys Say They Hate to See on a First Date' gave a great insight that maybe men and women are actually on the same page (well somewhat). 

Here are the 16 things guys hate to see on a first date: 

Anything too revealing. Short skirts, cleavage-bearing anything. Seriously — you may think you look hot (and you probably do) but it’s not a great first impression. My friend Rich told me, “I like a slow reveal — and to do a little work to get there.”

Also: anything that totally hides the body. “No sweatpants!”

Huge purses. They make you look high-maintainence which makes guys think you’re an expensive date blahblahblah, not fair but true.

Anything too dressy. If you’re going to a sporting event, skip the pearls.

“Lipstick with adjectives such as hot, wet, sexy, lusty”

Ear gauges.

Furry boots. (This came up a few times.)

A T-shirt expressing any sort of controversial opinion. The example given was actually “I Love Mitt Romney.”

Too much makeup. You might think it looks okay, but guys don’t like to see your face caked in makeup.

Uncomfortable-looking shoes. Do a test before your date — if you can’t walk normally in them, leave them at home.

Glitter. This is really hard for me to say — I am devoted to the wearing of glitter makeup. But even I know: On a first date, an interview, or anytime I need to actually impress, I wear normal-person makeup. Don’t stress — the second you get home you can scrub it all off and go back to your more natural, glittery state.

Something that can fall off, slip up, unzip, or unbutton. Even though your date would probably love it.

Something that you haven’t worn before. You never know how you feel in something until you give it a test run, and you want to feel good.

No bra. Although one of my friends highly recommended not wearing one, I’m going to have to disagree.

A turtleneck. “I don’t need to see Katy-Perry-On-Sesame-Street-like cleavage, but I want to at least get a peek at her neck,” one guy said.

I thought I would test the theory by asking the girls in the office what their tips for a first date are:

Mel

"My tip would be not to wear a bright/intense shade of lipstick, wear a nude/neutral or even a lipgloss... you don't want to look too high maintainence and leave lipstick marks all over the place (plus if you end up having a bit of a pash after you don't want to end up with it smudged all over your face) save the lippy for a night on the town :)"

Senna

"Keep your look simple and natural. Don't go out of your way to impress and wear something that you feel uncomfortable in. Best to wear something that makes you feel gorgeous - that way you will exude your inner beauty :)"

Andrea

"I think wear makeup but go for a natural look. You want to look beautiful whilst looking effortless& natural.
I would wear a light powder & foundation with a hint of bronzer. A really natural eyeshadow and mascara. On the lips i would stick to soft pink or nude colour. You dont want to scare him off with drag makeup!"

Karli

"Always make sure you know where you are going so you can sort your outfit out before the night..saves being late and making a bad impression. I just always make sure im not super over the top with make up etc. And always remember to smile!"

 Kate

"My best trip would be wear a light lipstick or lipbalm only if your planning on smooching! No guys want red lippy all over their face! Wear a light refreshing perfume, ummm nothing too short or tight - gotta leave something to the imagination!"

Seems to me that the sexes are very much on the same page!

Some great date looks:

By coincidence I am going on a date tomorrow night so I will test out some of these theories.

Let me know what look you try to achieve on a first date!

Have a great weekend!

Rach xx

 

SURPRISE GIFT - Find out what it is?

We have officially reached over 10,000 views & it's all because of our AMAZING House of Stefan blog readers! Thank-you to everyone who has supported our blog by viewing, commenting, sharing or simply just following us. Our goal is to bring you only the best information & tips to help you improve your health, beauty, fashion & inspire you all. If you have any tips or would like us to blog about something we haven't already, please feel free to drop us some questions or suggestions at any time. 

We LOVE our House of Stefan blog & by the looks of it so do all of you!

We would love to give our special House of Stefan blog readers a thank-you gift & offer you 

10% off your total bill at any Stefan salon. 

Simply, print this blog post out & present it at your next appointment to receive the discount. 

If you are not wanting to get your hair done, we have an amazing range of Hair products, Makeup, Brushes, Straightening Irons/ Blowdryers, Jewellery & lots more to splurge on instead.

We hope to see you soon.

THIS WEEKS 

#HOUSEOFSTEFAN SNAPPER IS...

LOVE the new do "pipisprincess" it looks amazing on you!
You have definitely found a fabulous Hairstylist "demiilala" great job!
Thank-you for tagging #houseofstefan girls :)

KEEP THOSE #HOUSEOFSTEFAN TAGS COMING EVERYONE!

HAPPY SNAPPING!

Lemon Goodness

Lemons are a magical fruit! There are many health benefits of lemons that have been known for centuries.  It is recommended that we should drink warm lemon water on a daily basis. Here's ten amazing reasons why warm lemon water is good to drink in the morning

1. Great to boost your immune system. Lemons are high in vitamin C and potassium which means they are great for fighting colds and for stimulating brain and nerve function. Potassium also helps to control blood pressure.
2. Balances the pH levels in the body. Reduce the acidity of your body by drinking lemon water everyday. Lemon is an alkaline - they are high in citric acid but do not create acidity in the body once metabolised.
3. Helps with weight loss. Lemons are have in pectin fiber with helps to fight those evil hunger cravings.
4. Aids in digestion. Lemon juice is great for flushing out unwanted materials in your body. It encourages the liver to produce bile which is an acid used in digestion.
5. It is a diuretic. Lemons help to increase urination which helps to purify the body and release toxins.
6. Clears skin. The Vitamin C component in lemons help to decrease wrinkles and blemishes. Lemon water helps to get rid of toxins from the blood which in turn helps to clear the skin. Applied directly to scars, lemon can help reduce their appearance.
7. Freshens breath. They also help to relieve tooth pain and gingivitis. Be careful though because the citric acid can erode tooth enamel - maybe sip your water with a straw.
8. Relieves respiratory problems. Warm lemon water can help to relieve pesky coughs and get rid of chest infections.
9. Helps with stress. Vitamin C is helps to eliminate your stress in your body and mind.
10. Helps to kick the coffee habit. Lemon water can help reduce the craving for coffee in the morning.