A Glowing Bobbi Brown Makeover at Nordstrom

How's this for gorgeous? Yesterday, at the invitation of Diron Carr, Manager of the Bobbi Brown counter at Nordstrom at Tysons Corner Center, I took this darling young lady, Alexandra, in for a Pretty Powerful makeover. We wanted to show you how you can achieve the same results with a little help from the experts at Bobbi's counters nationwide. I also wanted to show some items from Bobbi Brown's new Beach Club collection "in action."

I asked Alexandra to arrive without makeup so that Diron would have a clean slate to start. OK, so I'll acknowledge that she doesn't need makeup (that comes with her age and looking this good), but what a difference Bobbi's makeup made! Alexandra went from pretty to polished!

Here's some background. Alexandra's senior prom is this weekend, so she had been using self-tanner (all the rage to be tan when you're young, I guess). Diron had to experiment to find shades that worked with her "altered" coloring, while still leaving her with makeup that she can use every day. Before I get started on the products he used, I want you to know that he is an absolute delight - in addition to being a pro. I can see why customers enjoy sitting in his chair while he works. Of course, we attracted an audience, as passersby stopped to watch the glamorous transformation. Not sure, but I think we might have even sold a Beach Club Cream Shadow!

Here are the products that took Alexandra from pretty to polished.

After Alexandra described her skin type as "not oily," Diron prepped her skin with Soothing Face Tonic, an alcohol-free toner that softens, tones, and refines skin gently and without tightening or irritation. It's infused with cucumber extract and natural lavender to instantly soothe and calm. Alexandra thought it smelled great. He then applied Protective Face Lotion SPF 15 and a little Hydrating Eye Cream.

To prep the canvas, so to speak, Diron used the following products and shades on Alexandra's face and around her eyes.

Natural Finish Long Lasting Foundation SPF 15 in Honey (#5)
Corrector in Bisque
Creamy Concealer Kit in Warm Natural under the eyes and to even her skin tone in a few spots

The Creamy Concealer Kit was perfect for Alexandra, with its concealer on top and Sheer Finish Loose Powder on the bottom level to set not only the Corrector, but also the Creamy Concealer.

Then we moved on to color! Diron was a perfectionist, holding up testers to Alexandra's face to select the colors he used.

Bronzing Powder in Golden Light
Sheer Color Cheek Tint in Sheer Pink
Creamy Lip Color in Pink Ballet
Lip Liner in Cocoa
Lip Gloss in Bright Pink
A top-off at the end of the session with Crystal Lip Gloss

The next step? Alexandra's beautiful blue eyes.

Powder Eye Shadow in Cement to fill in her eyebrows (he added some Flint so she would look camera-ready)
Powder Eye Shadow in Ivory under the brows
Long-Wear Cream Eye Shadow in Sandy Gold as a base color on her eyelids
The gorgeous Beach Club shade Moonstone Metallic Long-Wear Cream Shadow on her eyelids (shown at right)
Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Cobalt Ink to line her upper lids (both over and under the top lashes) - this dark blue really worked beautifully with the Moonstone shadow - and her eyes
Extreme Party Mascara (black, of course)

It was after he had applied Moonstone that we finally gave Alexandra a mirror. She was looking so gorgeous, we had to let her see. She was stopping traffic anyhow.

The finishing touch? A light application of the new Beach Shimmer Brick on all the highlights of her face. Did she need it? No, she already looked polished, but I have to admit it was just the right finishing touch.

We had so much fun! After all, what teenager doesn't love makeup? Alexandra's mom and I had a blast too. Diron was the perfect host and artist. He was assisted by Sarah Lavache, a Bobbi Brown representative who started by watching, but jumped in to help with color selection and the now-famous technique of applying eyeliner from underneath the lashes.

Here's a photo of Diron and Alexandra after our session. I'd say she looked Pretty Powerful!

Whether you want a five-minute makeover or a full makeup lesson, the Bobbi Brown counters are ready to help you! You can always stop by, but it helps to make an appointment so they can make sure someone is available to spend some quality time with you.

My thanks to our model Alexandra, who is about to graduate and head off to college. You'll see her on television someday when her dream of being a television anchor is fulfilled!

A very special thanks to Diron Carr, Bobbi Brown Manager at Nordstrom Tysons Corner. Friends, if you live anywhere around Washington, D.C., you have to go meet this charming and talented man!

Product photos courtesy of Bobbi Brown