Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Kwong.
Stephanie, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
The love of brows and art started when I was a little girl. I always got applauded for my artwork throughout school and it was something I was good at and loved doing it. I would draw a lot of detailed pictures especially with brows and eyes I loved making them flawless.
As I got older, and into makeup and fashion, I realized I loved eyebrows and how you could alter the shape and bring out so much in someone’s face just by reshaping someone’s brows! I then began always shaping and trimming up all my friend’s eyebrows, I was there go to for brows. They trusted me with their face, and that was such a big honor for me. I always had a thing for brows and the shape, but like most of us 90’s kids, we OVER PLUCKED! To the point to where we almost had no hair left on our brows. We began to start filling in our eyebrows with either an eyebrow pencil or eye shadow, which began to become a daily routine which was VERY time consuming and sometimes frustrating to get the shape perfect.
Then, in 2015, I heard about microblading, I wasn’t too sure of it because it was still new, but my younger sister decided to get her brows done. It was amazing to me that someone can semi-permanently tattoo hair strokes onto your actual eyebrow and it stays for up to a year! I was in love! I wanted my brows done and I wanted to learn how it worked and everything about it. My younger sister suggested I go take a certification class and learn. I looked all over and found the perfect academy, Phi Brows, I loved the design and shape, and especially that it looked so natural for me. I am a single mother and the cost for the course was about $3,600 at the time and was located in San Francisco, CA. There was no way I could take the course I wanted to in the time frame given, so I stepped up, I worked almost 10 hours a day, doing overtime at work and saving so I can make the deposit to save my seat and do this life-changing dream I had.
Thanks for a lot of help from my family watching my son, and work offering overtime, I was able to get enough saved and made it out to my courses. It was such a fun and great learning experience and I knew from the first day practicing and learning it was something I was meant to do! We got to do an actual microblading procedure on a model and passed our class and were given the tool needed to start our own future. I started immediately doing family and friends brows, and word of mouth started getting out, and I was getting booked every week with three or four new clients, I then looked around to rent a space to do my microblading and I found the perfect place in Roseville, CA. Things were going great I was so happy with the way things were coming together, I was getting busier and busier, and I took a trip up to San Diego, For some reason, it just hit me, I need to do Microblading here in San Diego, it would be such a great opportunity for me.
Within a few months, I packed my things and made it out here to San Diego to pursue my microblading career. I made it a point to reach out to salons and see if anywhere looking for a Microblading artist and I found Lash lounge. I am still growing here in San Diego and am excited to do more and more brows! It has been a journey and I’ve told myself to never give up, it will all pay off. I am my own small business owner, and it takes time to grow your clientele and learning how to get yourself out there, I have kept myself string and had supportive friends and family to help me push through. You can accomplish so much with a positive mindset. It’s such a great feeling helping other men and women feel confident and brows make such a big difference, it’s very heartwarming, especially us moms, we have no time to be spending an hour on our brows every day! Microblading has made so many lives much easier, it’s something you won’t ever regret getting done, and you can get them done every year! Who wouldn’t want perfect brows when all year long!?
Has it been a smooth road?
It, unfortunately, has not been a smooth road always. There have been a lot of struggles along the way and sometimes doubt. Things aren’t always going to go the way you plan or envision them to, but whatever is thrown at you, take it as a learning experience and grow from it. When you feel like you want to give up, don’t. Just remember all the hard work and effort you put into, and just throw it away would be something you would regret. My advice is to have a great support system around you and try new things, think outside the box and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there!
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I specialize in 3d microblading, which is a semi-permanent makeup procedure. Mirror-like hair strokes are created with a microblade to create smooth crisp hair strokes to create fuller, flawless brows! I took my certification by a worldwide known academy called Phi-brows and currently use all their products on my clients. Pigment does not turn the blue-black color like others and the colors are beautiful and long-lasting. All my tools are disposable and the procedure is almost painless. I use a two anesthetics that make the procedure comfortable for my clients. I am known for creating natural, full eyebrows that fit my clients face structure perfectly. I am a perfectionist and all my clients know that I make sure that all my clients are 100 percent happy with their new brows and make sure to answer any and every question any clients may have.
So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well positioned for?
Yes, woman look and feed off other woman and should inspire us all to support each other. Social media is such a great way to find local talent, friends and woman that help inspire. It gives you the opportunity to see all artists in the area you live in, pictures of their work, and also actually clients that post! Social media is one of the biggest advantages everyone should take a hold of.
Pricing:
- 3-d Microblading- 400-$450.00 (touch-up included)
- Yearly Touch-Ups- $250-300.00
Contact Info:
- Address: 3450 Rosecrans St.
San Diego, CA 92121 - Website: www.beautybrowsbystephanie.net
- Phone: 9162203816
- Email: beautybrowsbystephanie@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautybrows_bystephanie/
- Other: https://www.yelp.com/biz/beauty-brows-by-stephanie-san-diego-3?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)
Image Credit:
Stephanie Kwong
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