Meet Frances B. Student by day, Audrey Hepburn lover by night. This chic lady sites one of Hollywood’s most fashionable leading ladies as her style icon. And who hasn’t fallen for Audrey’s classic styling, cute hair and gorgeous smile? And did I mention those brows?
Here’s the third feature in our Brow Makeover series.
After Brow Makeover – Gorgeous!
Name: Frances B.
Occupation: Student
Hometown: Summerland, BC
Describe yourself in 3 words: Geeky, optimistic, sweet
Can’t live without: Books
Your style icon: Audrey Hepburn
Brow horror story: Unibrow, wild brows during high school
Top 3 songs on your iPod right now: “Kissing in the rain” Great Expectations soundtrack, “Samba Pa Ti” by Santana, “Forbidden Friendship” by John Powell from How to Train Your Dragon sountrack
Your signature drink: Pina colada
Favourite restaurant to out with friends: Thai House in the North Shore
3 things you always keep in your bag/purse/briefcase/pocket: Lip gloss/chapstick, iPod, everything!
Who inspires you the most: Audrey Hepburn, Dita von Teese
You’d be featured on the Jerry Springer Show for: I have no idea
Book smarts and style savvy – and fabulous brows to boot! Another BBB brow makeover success story!
Love,
Ms. Brow Flirt
Our theme this month has been “Spring Back” – back into shape, back into focusing on yourself, and back into a fashionable, style-savvy you. And part of becoming beautiful inside and out is getting rid of clutter. We’ll talk emotional and mental clutter another (for advice in that arena, visit our Ask Ravy + Amy section for awesome advice). Today, I’m talking about de-cluttering your closet and make-up drawer.
Makeup Clean-up
Clear a table or large area of counter space. Empty out all of your make-up bags, boxes, shelves and drawers. Now sort through every single item and put them into piles based on age. On the bottom of most make-up containers should be a sign that indicates the shelf-life of a product. If you’ve had that lipstick or foundation for longer than the indicated time, throw it out! If you have eye shadows and lip glosses that you haven’t worn in over a year, time say goodbye. I know it’s hard – I had to part with my favourite Paula Dorf lipstick after I realized it was 4 years old!!!
Closet Purge
I absolutely love clothes, but there are only so many clothes a person needs, so this Spring, I did my yearly clear and purge of clothing. Start by emptying your drawers of clothing and place them on your bed. Sift through your clothes and determine which items you’ve worn over the past year – those can stay. The clothing you haven’t worn needs to be analyzed deeper. Is it a special item like a cocktail dress that you wear every year or two (I have a set of classic shapes that I reuse over the years), or is it something like a paisley print cardigan that you thought looked good on the mannequin, but never wore. Everything you haven’t worn and won’t wear should be placed in a garbage bag for donation. Repeat the process with your closet. This same idea can be applied to coats, shoes and jewelry too. I once cleared 3 garbage bags worth of clothing for a friend – the experience can be daunting but its so rewarding rid yourself of that clutter.
After you’ve purged and cleared your drawers and closets, you can reward yourself with a little shopping trip – just don’t over do it!
Love,
Ms. Brow Flirt
My favourite part of Spring is the fashion! I love the flowers and warmer weather, but it’s the sandals, flirty dresses and leg-baring shorts that make my heart happy.
Key trends to look out for when stocking up on your Spring wardrobe:
1. Colour blocking: emerald green with bright blue, orange and red, purple and green – this season is all about bold colour choices, and mixing bright colours with one another. Just avoid pairing too many colours all at once, 2 at a time is usually a good way to play this Spring trend. Zara has a great selection of bold colours to choose from. (Image from Gucci SS2011)
2. Lace & sheer fabrics: feminine and flirty, lace is the perfect fabric for Spring. Pair a pink or cream lace top with a high-waisted skirt in black for a nice contrast. To rock the sheer look, try a mid-length dress (THE length for dresses this Spring) in pastel prints on sheer fabric. Pair with a leather jacket or tailored blazer for a fabulous contrast.
3. Wide-leg trousers: wide-leg jeans and trousers are all the rage this season. Pair your pants with a stacked heel, clogs or wedges to add some height to this look. The Gap has great selection of wide-leg and flared jeans, while H&M and Zara have loads of wide-leg trousers to choose from. I love them in cream! (Photo via Refinery29 – Marc by Marc Jacobs, Tory Burch, Jason Wu, Tommy Hilfiger).
If you’re looking for a deal on Spring fashions, checkout the Dakota Group’s sample sale, taking place this week in Vancouver. The focus is on shoes, so pick up one or two or ten.
Happy shopping,
Ms. Brow Flirt
Unibrow to fab brows, skinny brows to full, luscious brows – we’ve seen it all, and now you can too! Here’s our second feature in the Brow Makeover series – Ms. Fabulous herself, Clare.
Before Makeover
After Makeover - Rock those brows girl!
Name: Clare H.
Occupation: PR Manager
Hometown: London, UK
Describe yourself in 3 words: Optimistic, adventurous, positive
Can’t live without: Hair straighteners!
Your style icon: Scarlett Johansson
Brow horror story: — [None! Lucky girl!]
Your signature drink: Vodka + Seven
Favourite restaurant to go out with friends: Nook/ Italian Kitchen/ Coast
3 things always in your bag/purse/briefcase/pocket: Phone, purse, lip balm
Who inspires you the most: Generally, successful people
You’d be featured on the Jerry Springer show for: er…
Love how a little brow love (and brow makeup) can open up a face and make her shine. Gorgeous!
Love,
Ms. Brow Flirt
Hey brow mavens: Spring back into shape with Barre Fitness and Bombay Brow Bar. Get your brows and buns into shape with this amazing giveaway – a gift certificate for 3 classes at Barre Fitness, a fabulous t-shirt to workout in (also care of Barre) and 1 awesome Bombshell Brow service.
To enter, visit our
Facebook page, become a fan and answer this question: How do you motivate yourself to workout?
Check out my interview with Barre Fitness co-owner, Michele,
here.
xoxo,
Ms. Brow Flirt
This week, we bring you tips on how to get in shape, commit to fitness and just feel good! Spring is all about renewal and growth, and one area that’s always good to focus on is health and fitness.
When we need to get our butts into shape, one of our favourite places to go is Barre Fitness. Here’s my Q&A with Barre’s co-owner, Michele Murgel.
What is Barre Fitness?
Barre fitness gets you a dancers body…without dancing. An intense but fun 1 hour workout, it’s a fusion of ballet barre, pilates and sports conditioning that will trim, tone, and transform your body.
Barre Fitness owners, Michele and Ella
What’s the story behind the owners?
Like many inspiring Yaletown-based business owners, Michele and Ella come from diverse backgrounds – Michele, Corporate HR and Ella, Professional Dancer/Personal Trainer – and bring an array of talents to the partnership. As the perfect coalition to pursue their passion for health and wellness, they felt the Canadian market needed exposure to barre based workouts, which are popular throughout the United States and were first developed in Europe over 50 years ago. Their pursuit of this
endeavor led to the Canada’s first barre based workout studio, Barre Fitness.
“Our vision is simple…inspiring people to lead healthier, happier lives…one plie at a time” – Michele & Ella
Why Barre Fitness?
It is an intense and effective workout that is choreographed to the hottest music in a fun, supportive and high-energy environment.
So if you’re looking to get back in shape and want a challenge that will get you a dancer’s body without the dance, check out Barre Fitness at 1038 Mainland St, Vancouver.
Enter to win a gift certificate and t-shirt from Barre Fitness – plus get your brows in shape with a complimentary Bombshell Brows service. Get all the deets here.
Love,
Ms. Brow Flirt
This Spring, lip colours are all about bold, bright and beautiful. Drop neutral glosses and champagne lipsticks into the bottom of your makeup drawer in favour of colours that go POP! this season. It’s time to try something new!
Neon: I know, neon on your lips is like getting bright pink highlights in your hair – not a good idea unless you’re under 15. But wait, with the right makeup and attitude, even the mature 20/30/40/50-something woman can pull off neon lips. Try M.A.C. Cosmetics Lipstick in Show Orchid – a hot, vivid pink, or M.A.C.’s Neon Orange for a showstopper look. Pair it with clear, translucent skin (try a tinted moisturizer like Laura Mercier), a little black liner, and 2 swipes of mascara.
Coral: It’s time to go Orange! Nothing say Spring like colours that pop, and coral is THE “it” shade of the season. Just don’t pair your coral lips with a bright red top or blush that’s too pink. Keep the focus on your delicious lips. Checkout Estee Lauder Pure Colour Crystal Lipstick in Coral Reef for a shiny, subtle sparkle. This look is for the bold woman (and that can be all of us, right?), and can look stunning on most skin tones.
Fuschia: Make a bold statement with bright fuschia lips that will turn heads everywhere you go. Fuschia looks stunning on almost all skin tones and can really brighten up your face on a blah kind of day. Try Revlon Super Lustrous in Fuschia Fusion or Chanel Rouge Coco in Cambon for a stunning alternative to traditional red lips.
Bright Red: Release your inner super hero with M.A.C. Cosmetics limited edition Wonder Woman Colour collection. Try Lip Glass in Wonder Woman – bright red with gold flecks to give your pout a voluptuous shine. For a little more oomph, pick up Make Up Forever’s Limited Edition Rouge Artist in Moulin Rouge – uber sexy!
How to prep you pucker: Gently exfoliate your lips, followed by a light, quick absorbing moisturizer. Let the redness in your lips calm down before applying your lip colour. For bright lip colours, you want to avoid bleeding outside of your lips (big no-no), so apply a lip liner that’s close to the colour of your gloss/lipstick. Alternately, try a clear lipgloss which works just as well along your lips to prevent bleeding. When using a coloured lip liner, don’t just line the outside of your lips (absolute no-no!) – fill in your lips as well. Use short, quick movements instead of one hard continues line.
Ta da! Gorgeous, bold, bright lips, perfect for Spring.
Love,
Ms. Brow Flirt
This week, we’re launching a new weekly column featuring gorgeous Vancouverites who came to Bombay Brow Bar with their brow woes. Unibrow to fab brows, skinny brows to full, luscious brows – we’ve seen it all, and now you can too! The first in our Brow Makeover series, say hello to uber talented Tanya.
Before Brow Makeover
After Brow Makeover - Seriously Hot!
Name: Tanya B.
Occupation: Circus Performer
Hometown: Philadelphia
Describe yourself in 3 words: Chill, quiet, confident
Can’t live without: My watch!
Your style icon: Kate Moss
Brow horror story: I’ve got a scar on my right eyebrow and don’t even remember how I got it! How lame is that?
Top 3 songs on your iPod right now: We No Speak Americano, and anything by the Hylozoists
Your signature drink: Plain ol’ latte
Favourite restaurant to go out with friends: The Well on Main Street
3 things always in your bag/purse/briefcase/pocket: My planner, lip balm, and a grocery bag
Who inspires you the most: All my friends traveling the world
You’d be featured on the Jerry Springer show for: Being too attached to my cat =)
Tanya was such an amazing model for our brow makeover session – and look at those hot brows!
Love always,
Ms. Brow Flirt
The best parts of Spring: flowers blooming, bright colours, glimpses of the warm sun, and Spring sales! Bombay Brow Bar has marked down all bangles at 50% off – stack a mix of gold, silver, crystal and purple bangles to add some pop to your Spring wardrobe.
This month we’re brewing David Rio’s signature and award winning chai – Tiger Spice. Super rich and creamy, this tea is a delicate mixture of black tea and premium spices including cinnamon, cardamom and clove. Enjoy a cup the next you stop by the bar.
xoxo,
Ms. Brow Flirt
It’s Spring Cleaning Time.
This month, we’re bringing you tips, stories, promos, and little love notes of inspiration to help you clean up this month. No… we’re not providing housekeeper services (don’t we all wish!), but we are going to give you tons of ideas to cleanse and renew inside and out.
Fitness, beauty, brow makeovers, closet overhauls – BBB is going to help you spring back to a better and more fabulous you. (So it’s okay to eat that chocolate caramel cupcake – we’re going to help you get in shape next week!)
Love,
Ms Brow Flirt
(Photo Source)
