Last night I headed to
Austin's Salon and Day Spa and I ended up with a complete makeover. I transitioned my hair from blonde to chocolate brown, and I got a new makeup look.
The salon, which used to use Aveda makeup products, recently launched their own makeup line, "face it." Co-owners Beth Astin and Ken Langston partnered with a company that produces makeup in New York to choose their own colors, packaging and products and face it was born. Langston says they decided to design their own line so they could have colorful, saturated hues that would allow them to create more dramatic looks. He wasn't kidding.
The collection includes a great range of sparkly and non-sparkly colorful eyeshadows. A glitter fiend, I saw a range of grey, deep purple, bright blue and green sparkly shadows I'd love to have in my personal collection. Since I'd just gone brown, I got a new look to set off my hair and blue eyes. Rather than using brown shadows as makeup artists usually tell me to do, Langston used some orangy-bronze tones. He said that since orange and blue are opposite one another on the color wheel, orange highlights blue eyes, adding that when artists usually use brown it's becuase of the orange undertones. I'm a makeup/makeover addict, and no one had ever shown me colors like these before. The lighter tones, which he finished off with a sparkly brown chocolate shadow as a liner, made my eyes pop without looking super smoky.
He also used a colorful cream blush and noted that cream shadows, blushes, etc., are an up-and-coming trend. And he finished the look off with bright red lips. He also used an "illuminator" which was similar to a concealer but lighter instead of darker. He put it on the inner corners of my under eye (saying he put it there because that's usually a dark area) and on my lids as a base. I liked the final look of this product, plus it came in a fun little tube with a brush on one end and a button on the other that you click to get the product out just like a pen. I the look sounds like a lot, but the final effect was dramatic and colorful without overpowering my natural features. I ended up buying the shadows, plus some Profound Beauty shampoo.
Langston said that clients are welcome to book appointments with him for special occasion makeup. Since he and some of the other Austin's stylists often head to New York to work on fashion shows, they're always up on the newest, hottest colors. So, if you want to look beautiful and current, he's your go-to guy.
I also questioned my awesome hairstylist, Ashleigh Cole, about blow-outs. Do you ever read those New York fashion mags that make it sound like everyone in the Big Apple is getting fancy blow-outs all the time? I asked if anyone in Richmond does it. She said she has a few ladies that do, but that she wishes more would. She added that getting a blow out only costs about $25 but that you get styling from a pro and a free makeup touch-up. "It's a great way to feel extra special for an occasion like your birthday or a party," she said. I never really thought about it, but think I might schedule that plus a makeup session for my next event!
Okay, so I just discovered the best eyeshadow base ever. I've tried primers in the past, but nothing has impressed me. It's usually just a white layer that goes under the shadow and then melts right along with it. Then, I discovered Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. This stuff is amazing! I used it a few days ago, then spent eight hours in Byrd Park and then spent two hours walking through Carytown. At the end of the day my eyeshadow was still intact! On a normal day by the time the clock hits 2 p.m. my eyes are devoid of shadow except for a little tiny smear in the crease. Now, I look like I'm Miss Super-Put-Together who touches up her makeup every hour on the hour. Now if only they'd make something to keep my nose from getting shiny...
Many of the chain stores around town are making their first round of markdowns on fall fashions. I checked out a few. Here are the most noteworthy.
Okay, so even though I bought plenty of Vera Wang merchandise for Kohl's and wrote all about it, my mom actually bought me the Simply Vera Satin Chemise and mailed it to me. I just received it and tried it on. It is absolutely adorable. The fit is great, the silk fabric is nice and soft and the ruffles and netting along the neckline and hem give it a totally "I'm-not-a-nightie" look. In fact, I'm considering buying a second one so I have one to wear as a nightgown and one to wear as a dress. On top of all that, you can put it in the washer and dryer. Can you beat that? Bonus: there is also a cute little matching robe that goes with it for those days when you need to dash outside in the morning and don't feel like getting dressed. 
