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Beauty Trends

May 10, 2013

3 Trending Beauty Looks for Spring and Summer

We asked 3 different Beauty Stylists to create a face chart to complement the looks our Personal Stylists put together on The Thread. The common theme in the beauty looks that came back? Eye color that POPS!

If you haven’t tried colored eyeliner, now is the time. Easily rock this look from the office to happy hour! Here are a few tips on how.

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“When applying a striking colored eyeliner, make sure to keep the rest of your eye makeup simple (think mascara and soft shadow on top only) and try lining just the bottom waterline of your eye with the pencil. Blend it into your lashes with a blending brush to make sure there are no harsh lines.”—Elyse Reneau, South Coast Plaza, CA

“I smudged Stila Eyeliner in Periwinkle on the bottom lash line for a simple pop of color and an effortless, chic look.

“Black mascara on the upper lashes keeps the eyes looking lifted while blue or colored mascara below gives your lashes a flirty butterfly affect. Try YSL ‘Volume Effet Faux Cils’ in #3 Extreme Blue.” —Joy Schmitz, Mall of America, MN

“I applied Laura Mercier Caviar Crème Eyeliner in Indigo using an angled eyeliner brush. The creamy consistency of this product, combined with the angle on the brush will give you a perfect line every time. For a softer look, you can smudge the eyeliner a bit, but once it sets, it’s water resistant! Start with a small amount; you can always add more.”—Elina Dugan, The Village at Corte Madera, CA

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April 22, 2013

Green Goodies for Earth Day

Our Beauty Stylists have selected their top sustainable products in celebration of Earth Day. Check out these brands that care about maintaining our planet’s polish.

I Love New York Earth Day by Bond No. 9 Fragrance: “This scent is balanced, fresh and floral with notes of tangerine, tuberose and oak moss. The green bottle embodies the perfume’s eco-friendly theme.”−Allyson White, store 421

Kiehl’s Since 1851 ‘Earth Day by Alanis’ Ultra Facial Cream: “Kiehl’s has partnered with Alanis Morissette to design an eco-friendly recyclable jar to benefit RECYCLE ACROSS AMERICA (RAA). I love this product because it effectively hydrates and is great for all skin types. Not only will all proceeds go to RAA, but Kiehl’s is donating an additional $50,000 to the organization! Can we say eco chic?”−Herbert Jones (pictured top), store 635

Kiehl’s Since 1851 ‘Earth Day by Zachary Quinto’ Ultra Facial Cream: “I am so excited that Kiehl’s has chosen Zachary Quinto to design the cover of the ever famous ‘Global Classic’ Ultra Facial Cream. I love the geometric pattern that mimics the product itself: simplistic and fresh! Zachary is doing his part to make the planet a better place on Earth Day!”–Alex Ross, store 751

stila ‘color balm’ lipstick: “It fascinates me how something so creamy, luxe and smooth also benefits the environment! Using organic sunflower-based ingredients, this lipstick has color that stays all day long. And with the emollient properties, your lips will never be chapped!”–Erin Benke, store 322

Angel by Thierry Mugler Natural Refillable Spray: “The musk of this perfume offers that sensual feeling that I love, but Angel adds a little twist with sweet notes that put me in that flirty mood—I feel elegant yet delicious wearing Angel by Thierry Mugler. Plus, the refillable is great for the environment. Refill as many times as you want for a fraction of the price. Go green while saving green in your wallet!”–Candace Duong, store 534

jane iredale ‘Sugar & Butter’ Lip Exfoliator & Plumper: “What a perfect time to go natural on your lips! With NO chemical preservatives or synthetic dyes, this fabulous product exfoliates chapped lips naturally with organic brown sugar. And your lip treatment doesn’t stop there: cool mint and ginger, along with multiple seed oils, soothe, moisturize and stimulate collagen production to plump out fine lines. Great natural tints are available. And if that’s not enough, add UVA and UVB sun protection.”–Marjorie Flory, store 730

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April 15, 2013

Bases, Covered: Choosing the Right Foundation

With the ever-expanding maze of options in the foundation field (BBs and CCs and minerals, oh my!), it’s no wonder many of us feel fuzzy about choosing the right coverage. That’s why this month our Nordstrom beauty team is focused on covering all the bases, with a quick-ref foundation guide to what works for each face. It’s a cover story worth checking out.

Along with coverage, finding the perfect shade can leave us in the dark as well. We talked to Beauty Stylist Shanilton Jackson (at Nordstrom Galleria at Tyler in Riverside, CA), who gave us three bright ideas:

1. Look at the skin on the underside of your wrist to determine your undertone (cool vs. warm).

2. Choose a foundation color with the same undertone.

3. Make sure your shade also works with your chest area so you have a seamless match.

Want more expert tips and advice? Drop by the Beauty counter at your favorite Nordstrom store—or check out our Beauty Stylist page for info on what we have to offer or to Live Chat.

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April 1, 2013

Spring Trend: We’re Crushing on Coral

We corralled everything coral into this month’s Beauty’s Most Wanted—including tips from Debra Redmond, our national beauty director, on how to wear spring’s prettiest shade. Check out our Coral Crush!

Chantecaille Lip Gloss ‘Dragonfruit’ | Bobbi Brown Blush ‘Nectar’ | Estée Lauder Lip Pencil ‘Coral’

M·A·C Lipstick ‘Vegas Volt’ | Dior ‘Vernis’ Nail Lacquer ‘Riviera 537′

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March 28, 2013

Keeping It Real @ Our Spring Beauty Trend Show

With last weekend’s Beauty Trend Show (at Nordstrom Bellevue Square, near Seattle) so close to home base, we jumped at the chance to join 700 women who—like us—would happily line up at 8am on a Saturday. For beauty. But before you judge, take a look at why this awesome event was worth waking up for…

Runway fun. With a live DJ and Nordstrom’s national beauty director Debra Redmond (below, far right) as emcee, we were treated to a runway-style show with trend talks, models and giveaways from Guerlain, Bobbi Brown, Yves Saint Laurent, Clarins, Dior, Clarisonic and bareMinerals®.

Special guest Kate Somerville—yes, THE Kate Somerville, skincare guru and facialist to the stars—was there to introduce her amazing new RetAsphere™ 2-in-1 Retinol Night Cream. She was down-to-earth and warm, and quickly made us feel like old… er, longtime friends. (Stay tuned for our full interview with Kate, pictured below, coming soon!)

Debra gave her behind-the-scenes report from New York’s Spring 2013 Fashion Week, getting up close and personal with the audience.

Reality fab. After the show, we moved to the main cosmetics floor to see how the trends would translate among all the different brands. Spring Trend #1, a “flawless, luminous, barely-there makeup look,” may sound doable if your first name is Gwyneth, but for some of us, that’s the “Well, I’m out,” cue to move along. Not today…

Everywhere we looked, beauty fans were literally glowing with gorgeous, natural-looking bases. Longtime Dior skincare devotee Susan (above, left) had never tried the brand’s makeup line, but she was beaming after stylist Cathy used ‘Diorskin Airflash’ Spray Foundation to help her look cover-ready.

A bold brow was Spring Trend #2. April, a stylist for Anastasia Beverly Hills (a.k.a. “The Brow Expert”) was layering Tinted Brow Gel over a dark brown pencil to soften the color, a look inspired by Versace’s “Gold Leaf Brow” seen on the runway in Milan. At the Estée Lauder counter (below), we saw a slightly more toned-down yet still prominent brow, combined with that dewy skin of the day.

Spring Trend #3, “Color Crush,” was all about peachy corals, sweet pinks and pops of psychedelic hues. At NARS, stylist Melissa (below, right) used ‘New Lover’ Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil to top off her customer’s look, which she described as “fresh and clean for spring, and easy and quick for her in the morning.”

As usual, things were a bit wilder at M·A·C, where stylist Deena (below, left) told us, “I like to use one bold pop of color and keep the rest of the features more neutral. I’m also playing with textures—on her eyes, I’ve done a slash of aqua on the lower lid with a wash of matte purple on top. Her lips are neutral but glossy to give her face some balance.” We loved the slightly-out-there-but-not-over-the-top look.

Last stop: Chanel, where Sherry (below, left), a stylist with the brand for 26 years (!) was showing Chanel first-timer Christina how to look fresh and current for her wedding in July. “In the Northwest,” Sherry told us, “women aren’t as used to wearing these bright pinks and corals, so I help customers translate the trends and give them the confidence to wear them.”

“As an artist,” Sherry added, “I like to share with my clients the tricks of the trade. We can all look at a magazine and see end results, but I want to take the mystery out of it.”

That sound bite perfectly sums up the mood and the mission of the morning: a few blissful hours spent playing with makeup, being treated (and styled) like a star and walking away with on-trend looks that work with real life. Oh, and presents—who wouldn’t line up for that? (We may camp out for the next show.)

Interested in learning more about spring beauty trends, picking up expert styling tips and joining the fun? Events are happening at Nordstrom stores around the country! Find one near you, and make your Beauty Trend Show reservation today.

—Stefanie Frank

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March 20, 2013

Three Looks to Love: Spring ’13 Beauty Trends

This spring is looking pretty colorful! Use our charts below to find the right hue for your style and create your own bold and beautiful statement.

Get the Look—Beauty Unveiled: Healthy, flawless skin. To achieve a luminous yet sculpted look, accentuate the best features with soft browns and subtle neutrals. Contour the cheeks, sweep on a bit of highlighter and finish with a naturally soft, rosy lip color.

Get the Look—Color Crush: Bright worn right this season. Pops of aqua and shades of green standout on the eyes along with washes of coral, lavender and pink on the cheeks and lips. A dramatically winged cat eye provides a strong finish.

Get the Look—Urban Flirt: The runways screamed precise, strongly defined brows this year, which were often the focal point of the entire look. To give this edgy look a flirty, feminine twist, add a bright stained lip and finish with a generous dose of mascara.

Check out the products needed to recreate these fun, flirty looks and find out all the details for attending our annual Beauty Trend Show.

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March 15, 2013

Runway Rewind: Best of Beauty for Fall ’13

Our national beauty director, Debra Redmond, gives us the scoop on three beauty trends from the fall ’13 runways as seen at New York and London Fashion Weeks.

1. Skin with a natural radiance at Christopher Kane, Burberry Prorsum and Rebecca Taylor

“Skin had a natural sculpt with radiant definition. Primer was a must-have, as it evened out complexions but left the skin looking smooth and not makeup-heavy. Use a cream foundation and or blush one shade darker than your skin tone to create a natural sculpted definition in the hollows of your cheeks, along your jaw and on the sides of your nose. Apply luminizer on your brow and your cheekbones, right above your blush; set with a finishing powder to achieve a satin-matte finish.

2. Graphic, smoky eyes at Altuzarra, Donna Karan and Jason Wu

Perhaps the most versatile look in your repertoire is the smoky eye, and mixing up the finish with shape and intensity is what makes this perennial staple revolutionary for the fall season. Goth met sensual aesthetics when it came to the prominent eye seen on many runways during Fashion Week ’13. Whether they detailed with classic black or shades of plums, grays and blues, artists upped the smoldering quotient with pops of unexpected reds.

3. Velvet Bordeaux-stained lips at 3.1 Phillip Lim, Zac Posen and Kenneth Cole

Lips for the fall season were extremely seductive. From the juicy berry stains to the three-dimensional red velvet finishes, audiences were captivated by their sophisticated sleekness. Inspired by Victorian opulence with an ultra-cool gothic edge; the variation of deep plums, berries, rubies and garnets were mesmerizing. We saw two types of application when creating this femme fatale lip:

1) It’s all about the subtle variations in color. Start with a bright red lipstick applied with your finger to the center of the lip, and finish by defining the mouth with a dark burgundy shade at the corners applied with a brush. The intent is to have the two colors transition into each other while still maintaining individuality. The result: velvety va va voom!

2) Apply red lipstick in the center of the lips, blot it off, top it with a deeper-pigmented purple and then blot that off as well. Repeat this process until the lips are stained with the perfect jewel-tone effect.”

Take a peek inside Debra’s beauty bag and learn her secrets to surviving Fashion Week and looking fabulous.

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March 12, 2013

Brow Basics for Spring

This year, one thing the spring runways screamed was precise and strongly defined brows, which was often the focal point of a model’s entire look. Both behind and on the scenes, fierce full brows make a real statement. Below, our beauty stylists reveal the secrets behind bold, natural-looking brows.

L to R (top): Backstage at Carmen Marc Valvo and Naeem Khan spring/summer 2013 shows
Bottom: Ruffian and Edun

“I know many of you are asking, ‘What if I don’t have full brows?’ Effective immediately, put down those tweezers! Give your brows a few weeks to begin growing in on their own. You may also want to speed things up with a serum that enhances growth. Save yourself time and money with Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Enhancing Serum Advanced; it’s only $45, and no doctor visit is required. Perfectly defined brows do for your face what the perfect pair of Jimmy Choo‘s do for your outfit.”

Follow these five easy steps to creating perfectly defined brows:
1. Comb your brows down and apply a very fine brow pencil, using light strokes and starting at the high point of the arch. The Precision Brow Pencil from Kevyn Aucoin Beauty comes in the perfect shade for you and includes a brush on the opposite end of the pencil for easy blending and grooming.
2. Now comb the brows back up into place. Follow with a brow powder to define the thicker, denser part of the brow. Alexa recommends M·A·C Brow Duos, which you can customize to your ideal shade.
3. If your brows are a bit unruly, use a brow gel to set and hold them in place. Jennifer’s personal pick is Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in a shade that will enhance your brows’ color.
4. Next, apply your favorite concealer under your brows with your concealer brush. This will create a sharper edge of definition.
5. As a final finishing touch, apply a brightener between your brows, above your brows and at the outer corners. Voilá! Instant eye lift! My favorite miracle brightener is Touche Éclat by Yves Saint Laurent.

Meet our blog post contributors:

L to R: Alexa Kehoe, Beauty Stylist, Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL
Honour Pillow, Beauty Stylist, Kenwood Towne Centre, Cincinnati, OH
Jennifer Kochenour, Beauty Stylist, King of Prussia, PA

Ask questions, learn tips and trends—make an in-store appointment with a Nordstrom Beauty Stylist.

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March 7, 2013

Runway Beauty: M·A·C for Elie Saab FW ’13

From Halle Berry to Hilary Swank, Oscar leading ladies turn to Lebanese designer Elie Saab to get red-carpet ready. For fall ’13, Saab brought to the runway an androgynous tone that came in the form of masculine tailoring. To enhance this boyish narrative of the collection, a “broken smoky eye” was created by French makeup artist Tom Pecheux using M·A·C cosmetics.

The look: Sculpted eye shape, defined brow, matte skin and a nude lip help keep the Elie Saab woman looking fresh and modern at all times.

American model Mackenzie Drazan shows just how easy this beauty statement can go from runway to reality. It’s all about a defined brow and smoky eyes that can be worn day or night.

“I love walking for Elie Saab. This collection was beautiful and very red carpet,” said Russian model Katya Riabynikina as she exited the show with her smoky eyes still intact.

ASK A M·A·C ARTIST: Make this Elie Saab look your own and get step-by-step expert advice from our in-house M·A·C artists (under Tips & Tools).

–Qianna Smith
Photos by Ford Leland

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March 6, 2013

Nordstrom Beauty Trend Show: Join the Party!

What to my wondering eyes should appear right on my doorstep the other day? My March Vogue, Elle, InStyle and Cosmo (BEST DAY EVER). So many great reads, so little time!

The changing of the seasons is one of my favorite times: putting away our winter wardrobes and layering up for spring with loads of color. I can’t help but think a new wardrobe will need new makeup to go with it—so what’s a girl to do?

Fortunately for me and all of you, our Spring Beauty Trend Events have just kicked off. In case you have never attended one of our events, let me be the first to invite you! Trust me when I say that this is something you don’t want to miss.  We gather what we learned behind the scenes at New York Fashion Week—including all the insider tips and the final runway looks—and we bring it all to you in these fun and fantastic beauty-packed events.

Over the next few months, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from industry experts during one of our 32 shows and/or by attending one of our Pretty Party events hosted in 91 of our stores. Really, we want to make sure you don’t miss this!

I’ve gone ahead and started your spring checklist for you: Radiant skin. Check. Coral blush. Check. Pink, berry-stained lips. Check. Bold brows. Check. Where to learn how to achieve all of this and more? Nordstrom Beauty Trend Events. Double check!

Make sure to reserve your spot today. We look forward to seeing all of you there!

—Debra Redmond, Nordstrom National Beauty Director

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