Sunday, June 12, 2011

Chantecaille Event at Neiman Marcus with Eddie Hernandez

It's no secret that I'm a Chantecaille groupie. I purchase - and love - everything Chantecaille introduces. I have multiples of many items because so many of them have been placed in my makeup museum. They are such masterpieces, I want to preserve them. I use my Tiger in the Wild Palette ($78) every week, sometimes days in a row. I dream they made it just for me.

I wouldn't miss a Chantecaille event, and yesterday I had the double pleasure of meeting Eddie Hernandez, National Makeup Artist from Chantecaille, and two Best Things in Beauty readers at Neiman Marcus at Tysons Galleria. The day left me over the moon. Now that I'm coming down from my Chantecaille high, I want to share some of the highlights with you.

I made my appointment with Alicia Cortes, the Chantecaille product specialist and a gal you need to know - even if it's over the phone. Alicia is the perfect ambassador for the brand. Alicia and Kathy Shoreman let me know as soon as the event was scheduled, and I made sure my local DC readers knew about it. I heard from one local reader, who e-mailed as Bunny Masseuse. Isn't that adorable? I knew I would like anyone with a "Bunny" screen name. My surprise was that her friend Nancy joined us. What delightful women! They share my passion for the finer things in life - and beauty products. We had a blast (at least I did).

I gave Nancy my appointment with Eddie because she had a time crunch, and Alicia slotted me in a bit later. Fortunately, they had a cancellation from someone who has no idea what she missed. I loved Eddie from the moment I met him. I hear he charmed the whole beauty department staff before the store opened. I'm not surprised. Behind that extraordinary talent for skin care and makeup, there's a warm, effusive, and artistic man - and I hope a new friend.

Eddie is one of those rare makeup artists who wants you to look like yourself, but better. He doesn't set out to paint by numbers, with the latest look or the most recent collection. He has a keen eye for how you look when you sit down and how to make you look better. I watched him work with Nancy and was astounded when he quickly took her casual look from pretty to pretty fabulous. He used the Sea Turtle Palette ($79) for the basics of her look. He did the same with Bunny. I'm not sure they want their real names used, so I'm sticking with first names/nicknames. I have a photo of Bunny I'll show you later in the week. She actually had three makeup sessions that day! There's a woman on my page.

When I sat in Eddie's chair, he asked me what I wanted to do with my own look. I gave him free rein to do whatever he wanted. After watching him work his magic with others, I thought it would be fun to give such a talented artist the opportunity to work with no constraints (well, there are all my flaws, but you know what I mean). Eddie knew by that point that I already own and love all the palettes, so he started playing with color. The results were amazing. All my friends in the department told me I looked "hot." That's not an adjective that's normally applied to me, so I was tickled.

Before Eddie worked his magic, Liliana Niewinski, an aesthetician who works with Chantecaille, prepared my skin with Chantecaille's soothing and effective skin care. It was a pleasure to sit and smell. Eddie was so cute, he started applying Vital Essence ($98), an anti-aging face and eye serum before Liliana had finished. Then, he started with makeup, selecting Future Skin ($68) in Alabaster for my foundation and Bio Lift Concealer ($66) in Ivory. I thought I looked really great before he started with color!

Eddie spent the most time on my eyes. Here are the colors/products he used on me.
  • Perle Shine Eye Shade ($28) under my brow
  • Rose Gold Iridescent Eye Shade ($28) all over the lid
  • Jasper Shine Eye Shade ($28) for definition
  • Aqua Iridescent Eye Shade ($28) to line my eyes, over the lashes and on my lower waterline
  • Faux Cils Mascara ($38) in black - perhaps the only Chantecaille item I don't have! That must be remedied.
You can find all the Chantecaille eye colors at this link. It was the Aqua he used as an eyeliner that added unbelievable pizazz. All of the other shades were drop-dead gorgeous, but he enlivened my eyes with a shade I might not have selected for myself (I'm too conservative). I hate close-up photos of myself, but I included an eye photo; I hope you can see the perfection of his application.

Eddie used the new Poudre de Perle ($55) in Biwa to give my cheeks some color. It's a shade that works for everyone. He lightly dusted Protection Naturalle SPF 46 PA +++ ($70) over my face, and I felt great. I loved the look. He even added a little bronzer to top off the look and soften my square jaw - at my request. I'm not a big fan of my square jawline.

Here we are, posing for the cameras after my session. The first photo was taken with my camera by Bunny. The second taken with Kathy Shoreman's iPhone camera. Perfect photos - I hate close-ups. You'll have to trust that he did an amazing look for my eyes and face.

Eddie travels all the time, so you could have an opportunity to sit in his chair. Take it! You don't want to miss Eddie when he comes to your Chantecaille counter.

Update 6/13: I couldn't resist showing you how Eddie made Kathy Shoreman party-ready Saturday afternoon. Just got her photo. Don't you think she was the envy of the other women at the party that evening?


Photos at top courtesy of Chantecaille; other photos by Best Things in Beauty, except for Kathy's photo, which was probably taken with her iPhone

31 comments:

Eileen said...

What a wonderful time all you ladies must have had at that event! I love Chantecaille's elegant and sophisticated approach to beauty and your finished look exemplifies that aesthetic: poised, polished, and confident; yet totally hot. Your quite a fox, Charlestongirl!

Clarisse said...

Waouh! No wonder you had a blast! You look stunning indulging your Chantecaille treat!
You make us feel envious of your magic day but very happy for you: you did need a treat after the shock of your fall ( saw the photo with the bruises, hope it doesn't hurt too much though it looks as if it does..)
I'm ready to go and take an appointment with Eddie Hernandez if Chantecaille decides to plan events in Paris:-)
Hugs to little Charlie who said hello on your previous post:-)

Charlestongirl said...

I'm laughing, Eileen!

A fox? No, but I do feed two beautiful red foxes every morning. They love dog food, leftovers, and peanuts. There is nothing so beautiful.

Charlestongirl said...

Hey there, Clarisse!

There are goodies in my Chantecaille bag for you, my sweet friend.

I heard talk yesterday of Chantecaille launching in one Paris store, and I plan to check out that news tomorrow when I talk to Chantecaille in New York.

My arm really doesn't hurt - unless I whack it on something. It just looks terrible. It's really hard to get decent swatch photos. Thanks for caring, though. Trust me, it looks worse than it feels at this point.

You would LOVE Eddie. He's a doll. He has been with Chantecaille for three years, and I'll bet they take good care of him. :)

Me said...

What an excellent report, Charlestongirl. You look beautiful, so bright and glowing. I was lucky enough to get Eddie on the phone when I called about a year ago; he spent over a half hour helping me select colors. Everything he picked for me--without ever having seen me in person--was perfect, and they were definitely colors I'd never have selected on my own, like Bois and Malachite and Perle (which has become one of my favorite eyeshadows EVER). Sounds and looks like you had a wonderful time

Charlestongirl said...

Wow, Zuzu! How cool that he could select colors over the phone. That proves he's as talented as I thought. :)

He must really like Perle. I think he used it on all of us. He was so sweet - he even did Kathy Shoreman's look in the afternoon so that she could rock a party after work.

If you ever get the chance to meet him in person, you must!

anna said...

I seriously want to abandon my local Chantecaille counter for yours.

Lisa said...

Great information! I have been a huge fan of Chantecaille for years, palettes, lipsticks, foundation and concealers. The Biwi blush arrived this week and I have been having a great time with it. Your makeover is stunning! I will have to see if Eddie is coming to Houston.

Eileen said...

Hi Charlestongirl,

I had to smile over your two red foxes. We have foxes where we live as well and I'm always thrilled to see them when they're out. Coyotes we've got a plenty, but the foxes are more elusive so seeing them is all the more special. They're so pretty. It's easy to see why we refer to a sexy, confident woman as a fox. And yes, Charlestongirl, you are a fox! :-)

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Anna,

Just call Kathy Shoreman at 703-761-1600, ext. 3282, and she and Alicia will help you.

Charlestongirl said...

Thanks, Lisa! I can e-mail Eddie and ask for his schedule. I'll let you know.

Charlestongirl said...

Eileen, of my two foxes, the older one is skittish. The youngster is not especially afraid of me. He doesn't come more than eight feet from me, but he definitely waits near my front door for morning feeding time. He's a hoot!

I had a horrible restaurant meal today. I bet they are going to love tomorrow's breakfast.

Bunny Masseuse said...

Thanks for the shout-out here! I had a blast, it was great to hang out with you in person, meet the staff that works so hard for you (and now me, bonus!) and does a great job with what they do.

Yeah, I ended up with a GA makeover after you left and got the brown eye pencil as well as the Eyes to Kill mascara!

The Creed sample I got for my BH (better half, bunny husband) smells great, and he loves it to so that might be only one of a few things I end up going back for!

Hope to enjoy more events like these with you in the future, looking forward to the Fresh night! I might have to bring a bottle along as a thank you to Kathy!

Joey said...

You look so lovely in these pics!

I am a bit jealous that there is another Bunny out there who got the chance to shop with you =)

I have a confession you may find shocking: I only own one Chantecaille product, and it's a lipstick. No eyeshadows!

I think I may need Rose Gold though. And Perle. And Sel!

Bunny Masseuse said...

@Joey:
No worries, there is plenty of room for tons of Bunnies :)

The Teal that they used around her eye was really what made the look when Eddie did her eye makeup.

I now, along with many people own the HTF and sold out? Sea Turtles palette. My friend Nancy also picked it up, so I think the store is now palette empty !

Lakshmi said...

Isn't Eddie just amazing?! I cannot wait to get the St. Barth's bronzer and the Biwa blush!!! You look radiant and hope you had a great day looking that "hott"!!

luv2smilexo said...

you look gorgeous and it sounds like the event was a lot of fun! We haven't had a chantecaille artist come to san diego since I have lived here. I keep checking to see if they will

Charlestongirl said...

Hey Bunny,

GlowyJoeyBunny has a lock on bunnies on Twitter - you two are going to have to meet!

Glad you had fun! Make sure to get that CREED scent before it disappears. When Mr. Creed loses a fragrances source, he stops production. He is such a purist, no substitute will do. Anyhow, I thought the CREED was for you! It's so deliciously fruity. Glad you tempted me.

See you in two weeks! Glad you stopped by Armani with Erin before you left. I'm sure she make you look pretty too. Ya gotta admit that Eddie's work was AMAZING.

There are Sea Turtles still out there to be found, so Kathy can Option 7 them for anyone who wants one. I think I saw them available at Chantecaille yesterday. It was the store that sold out. One is going to France.

Charlestongirl said...

Joey, I believe there's a Chantecaille eye shadow headed your way for birthday day. A little bunny told me. :)

Charlestongirl said...

Thanks, Lakshmi! Eddie is a must-see, and with his schedule, a whole lot of gals get to visit with him!

Charlestongirl said...

Hi Love2smilexo!

Do you have a Chantecaille counter in San Diego? It has been so long since I was there, I don't remember the shopping. I think it was a work trip.

lovethescents said...

Now I am completely jealous. We don't have Chantecaille here...I'm not sure why? We have several other high end cosmetic lines, including a collection of Tom Ford lipsticks, but sadly, no Chantecaille...

Your eyes looks so wonderful, thank you for the close-up! You look generally beautiful :-) I'm so happy for you, particularly after your very long week.

Bunny Masseuse said...

@Charlestongirl:
I had walked away with 2 Creed scents, the one you picked up (that I was keen to and is going to go out of production) and the one the gave me for my husband to try (per Kathy, I think she said hers uses it?).

Erin did a great job, but I'm sure you knew that was going to happen.

lovethescents said...

Forgot to mention, you have great eyebrows!

Charlestongirl said...

Thanks, Lovethescents! Thanks, everyone!

I checked today on Eddie's schedule. I need to write a note, and my contact is going to forward it to all the artists to get their schedules for upcoming events. Stay tuned!

Lucy said...

You looked gorgeous in the pictures, Charlestongirl!

Charlestongirl said...

Thank you, Lucy! I just added a photo of Kathy. She looks fabulous! We are in love with Eddie. :)

Hopelessly Devoted To Makeup said...

You are very photogenic you should post more pics of yourself! Also, I think you look like a model who has had some training with those poses, missy! ;) Work it!

Charlestongirl said...

Thanks so much, Hopelessly Devoted! I still hate the photos. Love getting them of other people. :)

Nancy said...

So glad I made the time to attend the NM beauty event at Bunny's invite. It was such a pleasure to meet you, Bunny, and Kathy and have my makeup done by Eddie...truly an amazing makeup artist. Actually, he's more of an "enhancement" artist because I did not feel "made up" in the Chantecaille products. This was my first experience with that line and I was very impressed. The makeup is really very light and easy to work with. I am really excited about this line (doesn't happen often with me and makeup). I finally found a foundation that doesn't feel like I'm wearing any in Chantecaille's "Future Skin." Also, I LOVE the sea turtle pallet. Thank you, Charlestongirl, for giving me your appointment with Eddie so I could have my makeup done before I had to leave...it seemed to improve my whole outlook for the day. What a treat it was...thank you!
I have to add that you looked amazing as Eddie applied your makeup as I was leaving. You have beautiful eyes and Eddie was able to make them absolutely gorgeous with the colors and method he used on your eyes.

Charlestongirl said...

Thank you, Nancy! It was a delight to meet you. You did look fabulous after Eddie "enhanced" you. :)