An Alexandria-Style Makeover
I don’t remember whose idea it was to offer a collaborative makeover to one lucky winner in celebration of Small Business Saturday last year, but it was such a positive experience I hope we are able to do it again this year. The Hive and The Shoe Hive partnered with Bellacara and Stylists at North to provide a one-of-a-kind experience: a new color and cut, a makeup and skincare consultation, a one-on-one shopping appointment, and money to spend! And as lucky as Wendy was to win the grand prize, we consider ourselves lucky to have worked with her.
A little background on Wendy: She lives in Alexandria with her husband and English bulldog Franklin. She spends her time outside of work exploring Old Town’s streets and visiting the shops and restaurants — a kindred spirit!
The day of the makeover, Wendy started at Stylists at North located on North Lee Street. Luis, owner of the boutique salon, says this of the time they spent together: “From the moment she walked through our door she had such a positive energy. She was so excited and fully trusted the journey we were facilitating for her. She was totally open to suggestions and willing to leave her comfort zone. Basically she was a dream — so happy and appreciative; it totally was a breath of fresh air working with her.”
The Stylists at North team created for Wendy a natural and fresh contrast with balayage. They cleaned up her length and gave her really modern, textured layering. After the cut and color, they styled her hair with a wave to show off the movement of her new look. Thanks to Neddy for the cut and Karen for the balayage!
Following her salon visit, Wendy trekked up to the corner of Patrick and King where she met up with Elizabeth Cestrone at Bellacara.
“I had such a great time with Wendy during her makeup appointment. Her hair had already been done by the wonderful people at Stylists at North, and she looked absolutely fabulous! We chatted — with occasional interruptions from other customers to tell her that her look was working for her — and as we finished up, I thought about how nice it was that the contest winner was someone who had earnestly had a great time and wanted to win! It’s always fulfilling to have a positive impact on someone’s day, and I really felt that this day of pampering for Wendy was a nice reminder of her own beauty, both inner and outer.”
Wendy is wearing Stila Matte ‘N Metal Eye Palette, Smashbox Studio Skin Foundation, and Kevyn Aucoin The Expert Lip in “Wild Orchid.
Wendy’s goal was to have a soft, natural look that she could easily elevate to “date night-ready.” Elizabeth created a simple, clean eye with a light application of full coverage foundation, and pulled everything together with a pop of a sexy lip.
On my end, Wendy looked incredible by the time she met me at The Hive. We talked a little about body type, fabric weight, and what would fit and flatter her best. She found several pieces she loved (and took home!) and for the final photos, we decided on this look:
The belted vest accentuated her waist while updating her look. Plus, everyone needs a good gray t-shirt and slim black pants in their closet!
From Wendy: “I was shocked that I won this experience and didn’t really believe it even after a few e-mail exchanges. This was such a great experience! Everyone was extremely friendly and reassuring, which was good since I was a little anxious about everything. I loved getting one-on-one attention at each store/shop. The experience has made me want to support the small businesses in Old Town even more now.”
Wendy was a true delight — and I feel like that’s such a strange descriptive to use but it was absolutely true! I so very much enjoyed getting to know her, and her willingness to let us suggest new things was refreshing. Thank you, Wendy, for making our day — we hope we made yours!
To follow the businesses mentioned in this post, follow us on Instagram via these accounts: @theshoehive, @shopatthehive, @stylistsatnorth, and @bellacarava.
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