Guest Spotlight: Kristie Streicher
I saw that you started as a Makeup Artist first, in a cosmetic counter, is that right? How did it then become brows only?
I started out working as a Clinique consultant at a make up counter right after high school because I wasn’t quite ready for college. I was then was inspired to become an esthetician & makeup artist and fell in love with the fast and transformative nature of a strategically tinted and tweezed brow. I then went though the process of researching eyebrow hair growth cycles and went on to help thousands of people rehab their over-tweezed brows. Even people that didn’t think it was possible followed my philosophy and saw thicker, fuller brows.
When do you venture off and get your own space? Did you start as a renter first, what are your tips to transitioning from being a renter to going on your own? How did you first start building your clientele? Any tips to any newbies out there who are just starting out? How did you start getting celebs to be your clients? For anyone wanting to work on celebrity’s doing brows how does one get in that industry?
I’ve been lucky to have had so several “big breaks’ over my lifetime. There have been so many events that lined up to get me to where I am. I’ve always had the “say yes, then figure it out” approach and I truly think it’s about being in the right place at the right time, being open, and saying yes to everything! In 2001, I moved to NY and started working at Warren Tricomi to specialize in eyebrows specifically.
Working with Warren Tricomi gave me the incredible opportunity to work with the top editors, photographers, and other amazing people in the industry. I was then fortunate enough to receive the prestigious "Best Of" award for eyebrows by New York Magazine. This immediately catapulted my career to the next level, I went from 4-6 clients a day to 35!
I felt it was important at that point to trademark my Feathered Brow philosophy and started the natural eyebrow trend. I made it my duty to break the habit and trend of the over-contrived and over-waxed eyebrow style. In 2005, I started building an LA clientele while maintaining my NY business. This bi-coastal outreach really helped me get to where I am today.
We’d love to hear about Striiike! You were truly one of the first with this concept. For anyone thinking of opening their own space, what tips do you have?
One of my proudest achievements is what my sisters and I have created with STRIIIKE a really positive environment at STRIIIKE. Even though eyebrows sometimes feel like just another part of the body to maintain, it’s so nice to see how happy we can make people everyday! The most challenging aspect is balancing the needs of being a small business owner and it can be challenging managing people and expectations. I end up being the head of Human Resources, The boss, and an eyebrow specialist! Build and trust in your team (It truly takes a village), be the kindest person in the room (not the coolest), and trust your intuition!
I was so excited to see you launching your new KS&CO™ brow beauty products! They look amazing. How was this process?
Working and partnering with so many amazing brands over the years has truly inspired the KS&CO collection. My goal was to create a collection that speaks to my philosophy and aesthetic, reflecting my 20+ years of styling eyebrows.
Creating a small collection of products has been a goal since the beginning. I truly feel it has taken all 20+ years of shaping brows and trying various products for me to gain a clear vision of how this collection could add variance and make difference in this already saturated market. Being on maternity leave in the midst of a global pandemic allowed me the time to focus and develop the collection.
Each product had a different process and timeline. I worked with labs and chemists that were equally invested in making great products. I have a tendency to be perfectionistic so I think the process of approving lab samples took longer than necessary but in the end it's worth it to know my vision was executed.
The last 22 years of doing brows have really been the most R&D for me. It was really important to me to fully execute the vision of how I wanted these products to perform and be experienced. I worked to perfect every single faucet from the components and applicators to tweaking and refining the formulas.Using so many amazing products and working with so many brands on developing their own products really inspired me and gave me the fuel to make my own collection. I wanted to make sure every product gives people a taste of what they get in the chair at STRIIIKE at home.
What is your most and least favorite brow trend? ie tik tok, IG trends etc.
Brows are not as tenacious as the hair on your head - we have to be a bit more cautious about damaging our eyebrows if we remove hair from the follicle. That being said, there are a few trends that I can get behind.
What is your definition of a perfect classic brow that you think will stand the test of time?
I try to help clients understand that it’s the natural characteristics of the brows that that make them classic, interesting and beautiful. Not only are eyebrows totally unique to the individual, but each individual eyebrow has its own growth pattern and hair density. Sometimes it’s just about removing a few key hairs to open up the arch and even out the shape. Whether it’s a cowlick, a uni-brow, or a brow scar, learning this help clients appreciate what they have and that’s what we’re all about!
You are known for your signature Microfeathering® technique. How did you come up with the concept?
Microfeathering, inspired by my Feathered Brow & Nurtured Brow philosophy, is a more subtle and refined version of the semi-permanent Microblading procedure (Microfeathering lasts around 8-12 months and Microblading can remain in the skin for up to 3 years). Whereas Microblading requires the removal of natural hairs before etching in pigmented strokes to create a hand-drawn brow,
Microfeathering utilizes softer strokes and does not require the removal of pre-existing brow hairs. The subtle strokes of pigment matching in color, length, and orientation of the clients own brow hairs are implemented to mimic the look natural hairs and augment the clients brow fullness and shape. The technique is ideal for filling in gaps and sparse areas of the brow.
