CityShopGirl Wows Fans at Mayflower Hotel

By 5:45 p.m. when I arrived at the Mayflower Hotel in DC, a line snaked through the lobby as CityShopGirl online subscribers queued up to enter an event that site founder Kelly Collis Fredrick put on just for them. “Two hundred people came through the door,” Kelly says. “There was a waitlist of 300.”  Kelly, dressed for the event in a Proenza Schouler skirt, provided attendees with complimentary mini manicures, makeovers by Beauty 360, massages by Relax and Rejuvenate and hairstyles by Salon Cielo. Kelly’s friend Dr. Lauren Gavaris (a Holton Arms school grad like Kelly) was on hand to give information about the new eyelash product, Latisse. Bartenders mixed cocktails at two bars and there were also plenty of nibbles—mushroom truffle dip, olive tapenade, breads, little marinated onions and more.  Everyone got to leave with a gift bag, a new hairstyle, a massage, fresh makeup and great nails.  Here are highlights from this VERY fun event:

Hair transformation

I've been thinking about a "hairstyle" lately, going from layered, mid-length hair to something structured that would act as an accessory to an outfit rather than a tired distraction. After seeing Craig Miller of Salon Cielo dress the models' tresses before Bethesda's recent fashion show, I decided to give him a whirl. Why not? He's in the neighborhood and the salon frequently offers specials. Anyway...I asked him if he could do anything to my forlorn locks, what would he do? The first thing he said was "give it a base" in other words soften the color (he's a specialist in color, and though I've had highlights, I've never colored my hair) add a subtle touch of "sun" up top and then shape my unruly grown-out layers into a basic cut. Presto! Miraculous. For my readers: here's the before and aft. The rest can just go on thinking it's so naturally me.