Giorgio Armani Beauty Event with Tim Quinn - and Lexi's Makeover

Saks Fifth Avenue in Chevy Chase, Maryland just had a very special two-day Giorgio Armani Beauty event featuring the always-charming and extremely talented Tim Quinn, Armani Beauty's Celebrity Face Designer. My friend Lexi and I went on Friday. I had fun talking to Tim and watching him make all the ladies glamorous. I was able to get this photo of Tim with Loyd Cassler (manager of the Saks Armani Beauty team and makeup artist extraordinaire) when I arrived - just as the team had returned from lunch and right before it got crazy in there! By the time I left, there were 10 women getting their makeup polished at any given time.

I decided it would be fun to show you a makeover - this time courtesy of Loyd and Tim. They teamed up to take Lexi from her usual pretty self to alluring. To the left is Lexi's before photo, greeted by Loyd when she arrived. She was wearing a tiny amount of makeup. Loyd went to work with concealer and foundation. He used High Precision Retouch #2 to brighten her eyelids. Then he mixed Fluid Sheer #3 with Luminous Silk Foundation #5 in his hand and applied the combination with a brush to even out Lexi's complexion. He filled in her brows using the Eyebrow Defining Pencil in#3.

Loyd provided a brow tip worth sharing. When you use a brow pencil, first take your fingers and pull up the brow. Use the pencil turned flat to apply color to the brow on the inside of the arch. Then use the point of the pencil to apply color from the arch toward the hairline, all the time pulling up on the brow. This provides a natural look, particularly since your brows are thicker closest to your nose and thin out on the other side of their arch.

Next, Loyd applied two bronzers to sculpt Lexi's face. First he used Sheer Bronzer in #1 to contour her face and make her cheekbones pop. Then he used what was left on the brush to go down the center of her face. He said you should remember not to go straight from the bronzer pan to the center of your face - the result will be too much color. He used the warmer tone in the Bronze Mediterranean Palette as an allover highlighter to warm her complexion. He even used it on under her chin and on parts of her neck to give her a radiant glow.

Loyd finished his half of Lexi's makeover with Sheer Blush #10, which is one of my all-time favorites. I was wearing it that day, and Loyd explained to Lexi that she could apply it as softly as I had or a bit more dramatically, which he did because she was about to be photographed.

Tim took over at that point to make Lexi's eyes striking and glamorous. He was so sweet; he remarked that Lexi was so pretty she didn't need makeup. As I watched Tim work, I was struck by how he was able to wear that white jacket all day without getting a single makeup smudge on it - amazing! I also coveted his navy blue Armani sneakers. They were so stylish, and they looked so comfy!

Tim used the new Bronze Mediterranean Palette at our request. He worked his magic with the beautiful green shades - blending, blending, blending - then lined Lexi's eyes with Smooth Silk Eye Pencil in #3 on the top lid and lower waterline. He applied Eyes to Kill Mascara, Armani's super-hit, which was just released in a waterproof formula. He finished her eyes with few more dabs of concealer - this time #3 - and the incomparable Crema Nera Reviving Eye Cream, which is intended to be applied over your makeup to highlight your eyes while it hydrates.

Lexi's eyes were a knockout when he finished, so he used softer colors on her lips, making Lexi pretty in pink with Armanisilk Lipstick in #16 and Lip Shimmer Lip Gloss in #62. He also used Smooth Silk Lip Pencil in #1 after he had applied lipstick and gloss.

He touched up her brows a bit, and voila - she was stunning! I asked Lexi to look down so I could show you her pretty green-shaded eyes. If you think you can't wear green on your eyelids, think again! This photo shows how sheer and wearable the green shades in the new palette really are (BTiB swatches).

The finished look? A little hard to see in this photo of Lexi and Tim. Trust me - she was dazzling!

I couldn't leave "merely fabulous" alone, though. I thought it would be fun to see Lexi with a stronger lip look and knew it would photograph really well. Loyd selected shades that coordinated with her coral clothing, using Sheer Lipstick and Lip Shimmer Lip Gloss. See what a difference it made below. Lexi thought her lips were a bit too dramatic for her tastes, but Loyd and I loved the look. Immediately below is Loyd posing with Lexi for her final photo (where the lighting was better), and you can see the full effect of Tim's and Loyd's artistry.

It's always fun to watch Tim Quinn, Loyd, and the rest of the team work. I wandered around watching transformations of women of every age (from teenagers to 60-70), skin type, eye color, and ethnicity - whether they wanted a natural look or one they could wear to a party that night. Armani Beauty's makeup and skin care products have something for everyone and every occasion. No matter what your skin tone or tastes in color may be, there are perfect shades and textures for you. The talented makeup artists at the event demonstrated that repeatedly. That's why I have a closet full of Armani Beauty products.

I have just one more photo to share with you, the talented Armani Beauty team at Saks - some of my favorite people! If you ever get a chance to visit with them, I know you'll have fun. Even though it's all about beauty, we always manage to share a laugh or a great story. I consider them my friends. As I write this, I hope they are relaxing after finishing a busy weekend, and I know there are a lot of happy women at home playing with their new makeup treasures.

A special thanks to Tim (love him and hope to see him again soon), Loyd (love him and will see him again next week), and the team - and, of course, to Lexi, who agreed to be our lovely makeover model!