With Fashion Week fast approaching and an office move that put my desk in close proximity to Rita Silvan's office, I've been feeling like I need to step the chic level up a notch.
So I called the highly recommended Creative Director and Owner of Navigate Space , John Taccone, to see if he could squeeze me in.
Navigate Space is one of the most inviting salons I have ever been in. It's beautiful: warm, and acts as a sanctuary from the rest of the world. You have to access it through an ornate courtyard off the corner of the Esplanade and Berkeley street. John's clients are fiercely loyal to him and his word of mouth is excellent. I did a lot of research to see who could zsush me up-- John's reputation is flawless. I understand why now.
As soon as I sat down, John and I looked in the mirror and he asked "What do you love about your hair?" No stylist has ever asked me that before. We had a ten or fifteen minute consultation before deciding on straight across bangs and cleaning up the length. John also had the idea to dye my hair the same colour it already is to richen up the tone and create more texture, eliminating some of the baby fineness.
I can be, and have been, a stylist's worst nightmare because I am a nervous creature. I love having long hair and tend to freak when I see big strands of hair being cut off. At John's I was completely and totally at ease and trusted him implicitly.
After my hair was cut and set with dye, John surprised me with a special treat: his friend David Goveia, a professional makeup artist to the stars, gave me a full-blown makeup tutorial. David has worked with Kate Moss and Cameron Diaz, and Mary Kate and Ashley always ask for him when they are in town. He gave me some very valuable tips to share with you lovely readers.
1) Bronzer creates the effect of fat, shiny faces. If you are going to use it, use it on the contours of your face as you would use a blush.
2) Lip gloss always, never lipstick. Clear lip gloss brings out the natural lovely shade of your lips, where as lipstick can age you 10 years, according to David.
3) NARS makes the best highlighter, which every girl should own.
4) Never underestimate the power of pearly white eye shadow, which will accentuate your eyes and make them pop. David likes Lancome.
5) Always curl eyelashes! Also, David likes mascara's with a pointed brush. If you are looking for a drugstore brand eyeliner, David recommends going with Rimmel.
David was very patient as I bombarded him with questions. He showed me how to attain a day-time eye that is appropriate for the office, and then how to create a night-time eye for shows and parties. The best part? All of his advice made sense, so it shouldn't be hard to recreate. AND I'm one degree away from Kate Moss!
I didn't just get a haircut yesterday, I got a whole experience. "I do your hair so you don't have to," John laughed as he blow-dried. In three hours yesterday, I went from feeling like a plain jane to the belle of the ball-- my boyfriend and my family insist it's the best haircut I've ever gotten.
No wonder John's clients love him so much.
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| The magicians responsible for my make-over |
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| The "Before" Picture |
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| The next day: the marker of a good hair cut is when you can recreate the style after the stylist is done with you. And I applied all the wonderful tips David taught me. I feel like a million bucks! |
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