A MAKEOVER STORY: SAKS BEAUTY WEEK

To help celebrate and spread the word about Saks Beauty Week, the events and marketing director of the Stony Point store, Tara, invited me to come in today and take a peek at some of the goodies!  And by "take a peek," I mean I had a full makeover with Vesna Biondic at the Giorgio Armani Beauty counter.  Beauty Week is going on now through 2/26, and with a $150 purchase, you receive a really cute tote (choose one of 3 colors) filled with freebies!!  If you spend $300, you get a matching wristlet, perfect for filling with makeup and dropping down in the tote for a day out.  And if that ain't enough, most of the cosmetics brands are doing their own "gift with purchase" deal.  Here are details.

 Perhaps you don't know that I am a total makeup amateur.  I mean, I've tried my fair share of stuff, but besides being a bit of a lipstick/gloss/balm junkie, I'm really clueless about makeup (I consult solely on clothing!!)  No worries!  I was in good hands with Vesna, who has been a makeup artist for 17 years, having worked for Lancome, Laura Mercier, Dior, La Prairie, Chanel...and now, as she puts it, "Armani, the best of the best."

Hey, Vesna!  You wouldn't know it from the iPhone pic, but the
lighting at the Armani counter is amazing!!

I have never used a single drop of Armani beauty products, so I was at her beck and call.  Vesna knew that the rest of my day would be spent shopping for a personal styling client, grabbing some lunch, and picking kids up from school, so she really kept my look toned down, but super-polished!  Here is the "before."

Bare-faced "before."  (Again, backlighting and iPhone...but you get the jist.)

Here's the play-by-play:

1. Maestro UV Primer which also contains 50 SPF.

2.  Luminous Silk Foundation, which she told me is the best selling makeup in the world.  Period.  I can really see why!  It goes on so easily and smoothly, and it leaves your skin with a mostly matte finish, with a perfect amount of glow.  I can't wait to use it some more and see how it enhances my amateur routine.  Pro tip:  Make sure you find the right color foundation for your skin.  I was a 5.25.

3.  Corrector #1 to brighten under the eye and cover any darkness.

4.  High Precision Retouch #3 under the eyes and on the eyelids to act as a primer.

5.  Smooth Silk Eye Pencil #4 (black).

6.  Maestro Liquid Eyeliner in black.  She took it pretty easy on the eyeliner.  It was definitely a step (or 4) up from my normal routine, but it was totally suitable for daytime.

Moving on...

7. High Precision Brow Pencil #3

8. Eyes to Kill Mascara in black.  This stuff is gooooood!

9.  Day Long Skin Perfector. This is intended for use in the T-zone to keep the unwanted shine at bay!  Vesna says it can be used before and/or after applying your makeup.

10.  (Hahaha!  That there's a 10th step is funny.)  Prima Glow Enhancer Oil-in-Gel.  I am so intrigued by this stuff.  It can be used with your moisturizer in the am and pm, or you can just gently tap a drop on your cheeks for a really nice glow during the day.  Maybe I was fooled in the moment of beauty glory, but it really seemed to work.  I'll let you know more when I come down off my high.

11.  Sun Fabric Bronzer #600

12.  Fluid Sheer #8 in Blush on cheeks and upper eyelids.

13.  Smooth Silk Lip Pencil #12

14.  Maestro Lip Stain #500

15.  Rouge Ecstasy Lipstick in Beige #4

And finally (phew!)...

16.  Prima Refreshing Makeup Fix, which keeps all that hard work in place all day long.  I don't know what would have happened had she not used this product, but I do know that my makeup looked nearly the same when I took it off tonight as it did when I left Saks this morning!

As I count the number of products in the picture above (17!!), I wonder what I'm missing in the play-by-play.  Hmmm.

Of course, even Vesna admitted that it's overkill to wear so many products on a daily basis.  We were just having a bit of fun.  Having said that, the products all felt so light and silky, that it truly never felt (or looked) caked on.  I really love the results and am excited to try a few of the products in my daily makeup routine.

Here's the finished look.  (Why is car selfie lighting always so good?)

Oh, what fun!  Head to Saks and see what all the beauty fuss is about.  Maybe I've talked you in to trying some of these Armani products.  If so, make sure to tell Vesna "hi" for me!