If you’ve ever admired the defined, sculpted yet natural brows of anyone locally in Sydney, chances are the woman responsible is Kristin Fisher. From a tiny salon adjoining her husband’s gym to a now growing business that spans two locations and a newly renovated mega-salon in the heart of Double Bay (opening in November), Kristin has single-handedly changed the face of eyebrow grooming for the better...
As Kristin explains it, brows are a powerful feature that benefit from the right maintenance. “A great set of brows is different for each individual. We really take into consideration our client’s face shape, hair colour and personal preferences. The days of the super thin, over-arched brows are gone! Beautifully shaped and tinted brows can really compliment the rest of your features, and can actually mean you don’t wear as much makeup! The right brow can also create a more youthful look, sometimes giving the client the illusion of a brow lift (no needles required!).” Not surprisingly, Kristin is just as passionate about her home-life as she is about her business, and balances her ever-evolving work with caring for her two children, Lila, aged 5, and Eddie, aged 3. If you’re inclined to think the beauty business is all about glitz and glamour, Kristin balances that perception by humorously showing the realistic side to her #mumlife with hilarious Instagram stories – often of son Eddie “hoarding” toys in random places of her home. Honest, relatable and talented – it’s no wonder Kristin is as known for her artistic brow skills as she is for her warmth and nurturing spirit. We caught up with the busy eyebrow maven to talk more about beauty (and the secret behind her glowing skin – cult skincare brand RATIONALE), business and babies, and to get the lowdown on her area of expertise – feathered brows…
Photography: Alice Mahran | Makeup: Yen Hoang | Hair: Katrina Gallo | Go to www.kristinfisher.com.au
What are your most vivid memories of your childhood?
I am the second eldest of four children. We are all extremely close. We were born in country Western Australia and spent a majority of our time in a town called Broome up in the Kimberley. To me, it is the most special place on earth. I vividly remember it being cyclone season and my siblings and I would grab our boogie boards and ‘board’ down the drains that were flowing heavily with water. Not sure how safe or sanitary that was! The most carefree time of our lives. We then went to boarding school in Perth where I made so many friends that I am still very close with to this day.
Where did your career in beauty begin and what lead to you launching your own business?
I used to take tweezers in my school dress pocket and tweeze everyone’s legs, arms, brows – you name it! After leaving school I attended beauty school, then set up my own body waxing salon in Perth, which I started when I was 18-years-old. I sold this business prior to moving to Sydney. I moved to Sydney at the age of 24 in 2009 and haven’t looked back since! I still love Perth but Sydney is just so electric. I love it. I worked for a couple of brow companies here in Sydney before starting out on my own. I started out by going to people’s homes and hosting brow parties! These lovely loyal clients are still with me today. I also would go to workplaces where a lot of females worked and would bang out 10-15 brows over a period of a few hours. At the time, my now husband (boyfriend at the time) was opening a gym which had a little office attached to it. He said I could rent the room off him for $100 a week (god love him), and so began Kristin Fisher Eyebrows.
What do you remember about those early days at beauty college?
I remember being the model for Brazilian waxing and it literally ended in tears… But I also remember the girls lining up on their lunch break to have me shape their brows! So it was in me from the very beginning.
Describe what you do for a living?
At the moment I am setting up a few different businesses (watch this space!) so my time is spent in meetings for the majority of the week. I am running both salons with the help of my incredible staff at KFE, and we are currently about to start demolition and build of our new premises on Bay Street in Double Bay. I’m still working on clients 1-2 days per week! I will forever love the client interaction. They become friends over the years which is so lovely.
Three time management tips you swear by?
Write lists! Plan ahead. Delegate where you can and one more for good measure – learn to say no. It’s liberating!
Bedheads from The Bedhead Co; Linen bedding from Cultiver; Tropical bedding from Kip & Co; Throw cushions from Seneca Textiles; Horse artwork from Coco Republic
What are your favourite beauty brands for faking beauty sleep?
RATIONALE’s Beautiful skin range for a luminous glow (even after three hours sleep!) By Terry Terrybly Densiliss concealer from Mecca. Glossier Boy Brow – brushed up brows make all the difference!
Talk us through feathering – why is it so good and what can we expect?
Feathering is a beautiful and precise technique that we use to either construct a brow from scratch or fill in gappy brows to achieve a perfectly defined look. The result is extremely soft and natural, as we create individual strokes to mimic real hair. The best thing about feathering is that it is semi-permanent, which means that you are not making a lifelong commitment! Feathering can require top-ups anywhere from every 6-18 months depending on your skin type and lifestyle factors. You can expect all of your friends to ask how and where you had your brows done! That being said, feathering is more suitable to drier skin types and people who have little to no pores. If you aren’t the right candidate for feathering we will let the client know during a consultation and advise them of our other techniques that we offer.
What makes a great set of brows and how can they give women confidence?
A great set of brows is different for each individual. We really take into consideration our clients face shape, hair colour and personal preferences. The days of the super thin, over arched brows are gone! Beautifully shaped and tinted brows can really compliment the rest of your features, and can actually mean you don’t wear as much makeup! The right brow can also create a more youthful look, sometimes giving the client the illusion of a brow lift (no needles required!)
Most memorable moments of working in beauty?
Giving brows to clients who have had chemotherapy or alopecia and upon seeing their new brows they’ve burst into tears (of happiness!). Those moments are always so special and will stay with me forever.
3 beauty tips for busy mums…
A lash lift and groomed brows. Tinted SPF (I love RATIONALE’s Beautiful Skin Superfluid SPF50 C2) Hair spray (high pony every unwashed hair day!)
Talk us through how you discovered RATIONALE?
I discovered cult skincare brand RATIONALE after seeing my sister’s skin glowing one day and asking her what she’d been using. I’d suffered hormonal acne throughout both of my pregnancies and needed something to clear my skin and give me back my confidence. Three weeks into using RATIONALE I saw a huge difference in my complexion and my breakouts had already started to clear up. I was hooked!
Spill your beauty tips and tricks...
The Essential Six is what I use daily at home. I don’t have a lot of time for facials, but when I do, I go to the RATIONALE Woollahra Flagship Clinic. I’m a huge fan of the EpiNova PhotoSonic Facial. I love IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream SPF 50+ or RATIONALE’s Beautiful Skin Superfluid SPF50 C1 for a dewy glow, Nars Laguna bronzer and Chantecaille mascara. I also give myself a mask once or twice a week at home – I love RATIONALE’s Immunologist Mask and my personalised Luminary mask.
How do you feel about ageing?
I see Joseph Hkeik at All Saints Clinic for some drops of botox every few months. Joseph believes less is more. After seeing him I look that little bit brighter, but never frozen! He is a magician with the kindest, most gentle nature. Love him to bits. I think when used correctly, fillers and botox have their place when it comes to ageing. I want to look my age, but the best possible version! That being said, RATIONALE has definitely given me the confidence to worry less about ageing as my skin is luminous 24/7 – that alone makes you look youthful!
What would we find on your plate for breakfast, lunch and dinner?
For breakfast, I will have an egg on toast or a protein shake. Lunch I will have a salad from BeFit Espresso Bar or Cafe Perons in Double Bay. We have been living on UBER eats lately as I am getting in the door so late most evenings and there is this dangerously good lasagne place down the road – it’s insane! I’ve recently advertised for a housekeeper/cook as I simply need help with running the home over these next few busy months. Can’t wait to have my very own Mrs Doubtfire!
What will you teach your kids about working/achieving their dreams?
Failures often always lead to success so take every knock back as stepping stone to something bigger! Never take no for an answer and hard work truly does pay off.
How, in your opinion, has the beauty industry changed in the last 10 years?
In the last decade, we have seen a major shift in trends and techniques in the beauty industry. I feel that women are moving more and more towards the barely there, less is more look (which is my preference) – rather than masking their own natural beauty. We have also seen men take a keener interest in grooming and maintenance in the last few years – which is great! I personally think the best shift has been that professionals are becoming more specialised in their fields. It’s almost impossible to be an expert if you aren’t focusing your time, energy and training on a specific area of beauty.
What excites you about the future of beauty?
I am constantly enrolling myself and my staff in new courses to discover the best and most up to date techniques in the industry. I am always excited to learn something new and I can’t even imagine the amazing developments that will take place down the track. The quality of tools and products are forever improving, and being open to trying new things, I believe, is the key to offering your clients a premium service. I’ve never been stuck in my own ways, and can’t wait for what the future will bring!
How do you survive those days where the kids push you to your limits – tell us your survival tips?
I sit down and have a breather, and remember how bloody lucky I am. I’ve realised that they don’t respond to being yelled at when they’re yelling and screaming, so I try to console them with love (even though sometimes I want to strangle them) and they generally calm down and can be reasoned with when you show them some love and affection. I don’t drink during the week of an evening – perhaps I should start?!
How do you self-care – what are the things you do to take care of yourself?
I see the beautiful Kirsten King of Fluidform Pilates two to three times a week and I have my monthly facial at RATIONALE once a month. I also indulge in spa treatments whenever I’m staying at a luxurious hotel!
What has motherhood taught you?
Unconditional love and patience.
What did your own mother teach you about life/being a mother?
She taught me to love, to be kind and to work hard at everything in life. She is an incredible woman who I admire the more as I get older.
How have you decorated your children’s bedrooms?
I’m obsessed with green and pink at the moment! The kids’ bed heads are from The BedHead Co., the bedding is from Cultiver Linen and Kip & Co. It was tricky doing a shared bedroom for a girl and boy but I think the kids’ room looks really cosy and fun!
Has your fashion style changed since you became a mother – what’s a typical look for you?
On non-working days in winter I live in active wear – it makes it so easy to run around and do one million things in! And in summer I love wearing floaty linen dresses. On work days I wear all black. Dion Lee, camilla and marc, Maticevski. I love Australian designers.
What does 2018 hold for you?
2018 is shaping up to be a huge year for me and KFE. I have opened a small salon inside the beautiful La Porte space and have our huge new flagship salon opening in November on Bay St Double Bay. This salon will be so beautiful – I’ve been working with the incredible team of architects from Esoteriko and they are just so fabulous. They ‘got me’ from day one!
Favourite thing to do with your kids?
Taking them on adventures to places they’ve never been before and seeing their little eyes light up! I also love quiet time on the weekends doing Lego, puzzles and craft.
Furniture from Coco Republic
We all need to be more honest about…
How bloody hard the juggle is! Social media makes everything look so perfect and seamless – let me tell you – it’s not.
What’s your approach to health and exercise?
I have recently hit a point in my life where I was working so hard on my businesses and being a mum of two little ones, that I wasn’t working on myself. I started meditating in the evenings, which I’m still getting my head around as it takes a lot for me to sit still and slow down. I read every single night which also helps me wind down from a hectic day. I go to pilates as often as I can at Fluidform Pilates with the divine Kirsten King. There is nobody like her – NOBODY! Her understanding of the female body (especially post-birth bodies) is incredible. She is also the most beautiful soul.
How do you keep your home tidy/organised with a child? Are you more on the minimal side of things?
I am a Virgo so it goes with the territory that I am a perfectionist. It’s very hard to keep a perfect home with young children! We have cleaners and hopefully soon a housekeeper so that will take the load off me, but I must make all the beds every day. Even if it’s at 5 pm at night! I feel like a cluttered home leads to a cluttered mind and that’s something I don’t have time for.
What are your time management tips – how do you get everything done in a day?
I actually don’t know. The girls at work call me the Tassie Devil. Zipping around like a maniac 24/7. I have my weeks planned out in advance and no time is wasted. It doesn’t leave much room for error or surprises but I always allow myself one day or even half a day per week where I switch off and go off the grid.
Kristin's Little List Of Loves:
Teaching my kids to sing old-school hip-hop songs (Eddie can sing ‘I’ll Be Missing You’ by Puff Daddy at the age of three). Nights away (albeit infrequently!) with my husband who is the world’s most patient and loving man. Fresh flowers delivered weekly by my floral fairy Myra from My Violet. KitKat cookies and cream chocolate. My morning instant coffee (basic I know, but oh so yummy). I just finished reading Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and it’s such a powerful read. I’m really into Jazz music at the moment. If you come to either of my salons you will most likely hear some jazz! It calms me down and makes everything feel glamorous. Lying in bed with my babies at night, listening to their stories from the day. Often its quite repetitive and often the same as the previous evening’s stories, but I don’t mind because I know they’re just trying to steal some more ‘awake time’ with mummy.