Mountain Glam

Rita Styling a Queen B

We’re in the throes of monsoon season right now and this year the rains seem to be bigger than ever. The sun shines brightly most mornings but the clouds move in in the afternoon and when that happens, you better be back from your hike by then. Or else, ka boom!

Yes, most do hike or bike here in Colorado, visitors included. And in the winter we ski. It really is all about the great outdoors. Don’t you know that Coloradans are the fittest people in the country?

But don’t let all this outdoor life fool you. Many of the women here—especially in our smart mountain towns—are incredibly sophisticated and know how to pull off casual chic with (seemingly) the utmost of ease. Like in France, the look here is totally au naturel. The trick, however, is that it takes just the right approach to achieve a fresh-faced natural look, especially when the air is so dry that crevices as big as a mountain ravine can easily form on your face. As for hair, you need to find a cut that accommodates limp and lifeless because without much humidity, you can bet your coif isn’t going to boast much bounce.

And how do you feel about hat hair? Now, that’s clearly a place French women don’t want to go. No matter how cold it is outside, most French women (actually men, too) don’t dare mess up their hairstyles by wearing a hat, especially a snug-fitting knit one, pretty much the only type that will truly keep you warm. Stylish chapeaux are still quite acceptable yet few of them provide any real warmth. Here in Colorado we suffer from hat hair practically year-round. (It’s not unusual to wear a down jacket and a knit hat on a summer’s night. Few sundresses and sandals after sundown unless you pile on a plush fleece.)

We could easily look like a bunch of tired, flat-haired mountain women if we didn’t learn how to combat the elements with our best defense: a good hair cut and color and dewy makeup. Like everyone else, I sometimes get stuck in a rut and find myself doing my hair and makeup pretty much the same way I’ve done it for decades. This is why I occasionally mix it up, try a different stylist and then even have my makeup professionally applied, all out of necessity and fun.

I was carried through the winter by a color and cut I received from Kat at The Peaks Resort & Spa Salon here in Telluride. She deftly cut my short to mid-length hair in cascading layers so that it would fluff around my face, hat on or off. We went dark with the color since my hair gets so bleached out on the slopes in the winter. (You want to be sure to have nice tufts of hair sticking out of your hat to frame your face, but boy do they get damaged.)

We completed my re-do with a makeup application that as Kat said, “Looked as though we had made unnoticeable efforts toward beauty.” Truly I glowed and I was not surprised to learn that the Jane Iredale makeup she used is entirely mineral based since it made my skin feel silky smooth. It also rendered my face nearly flawless! This makeup redefines the expression “keep it simple” since it’s a foundation, concealer, powder and sunscreen all in one. Quench and sunscreen? That’s pretty hard to find, particularly in a palette of such natural colors. What a great high altitude brand.

Jane Iredale's Earthy Tones

Almost unbelievably, that cut and color carried me through until the end of ski season when I finally paid a visit to Queen B Salon in Aspen. With the motto “Every Woman a Queen,” I felt right at home. Rita, the owner, an attractive woman of un certain age, has undoubtedly seen a few queen bees in the forty-five years she’s been doing hair. But why not indulge us? And here, amongst an extraordinary collection of tiaras, beauteous baubles and other fun girly goods, that’s exactly what Rita does. Plus she knows how to do hair. She gave me a color and cut that got rid of my chewed up ends from ski season and transformed me into a more style-y babe. She decided to go with an edgy look, flat ironed my hair and smoothed out the ends with oil. (Now that’s a woman who knows the challenges of a dry climate.) I bought my first flat iron here and chuckled to myself that I can get this effect by donning a ski cap for an hour although unfortunately that doesn’t guarantee even flat distribution from end to end.

“Any particular look right now in Aspen?” I asked Rita.

“Most women have long hair,” she responded. “Blond. It gets really boring.”

I looked around the room and spotted a supply of hair extensions, hair pieces and clips. Rita explained that all the add-ons were made of natural hair of the finest quality. Mostly blond of course. I’m an anomaly here in the Rockies, I suppose.

“The problem with American men is that they’re so attached to long hair. They want all their women to look like cheerleaders,” Rita continued.

Clearly I had become Europeanized with my brunette bob.

I doubt her complaints were heartfelt though since this so-called ingenue look surely keeps her business churning. I began to think of all the highlights and hair extensions required to achieve that natural, outdoorsy look so prized in the mountains. Add to that the already excessive need for conditioning treatments and a variety of other potions and formulas, and you begin to understand that it takes beaucoup bucks to become naturally beautiful in the Rockies.

Next stop: The Cos Bar, the place to shop for makeup and beauty products in Aspen. It’s perhaps the best place in Colorado. Located in some thirteen chichi destinations across the U.S., Cos Bar actually originated in Aspen in 1976. Indeed this glam emporium reminds me of the many high-styled parfumeries you find throughout France where you can pick up everything from a bottle of Chanel No. 5 to a tube of Dior lipstick.

I settled in for a full makeup application. (Typically the girls here only make you up partially, let’s say to try out a particular look on your eyes. But I asked for the works. Hey, it was almost off season.) I walked out with a luscious, lightly made up look. For best results, pick up a Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, one of Cos Bar’s bestsellers, Aspenites’ secret weapon that comes in eight shades.  If you’re looking for a more striking look for evening, you’ll also find it here since the ladies in this town get pretty dolled up once the sun goes down.

So here I am now, back in my living room, sitting on my couch with my MacAir on my lap, writing. I still don’t understand why my skin and hair don’t feel softer with all these monsoonal rains. The humidity is at 40%, but I suspect that pales to what saturates the rest of the country these days. My tan is fading so fast that soon I’ll look like a mountain dumpling. I’m contemplating a trip to The Peaks for a spray tan. Like a good mountain spa, they know how to give you a natural summer radiance. I’m also thinking the sales should be pretty good in their Spa Boutique right now. They always have sales actually—on the best of products.

I’ve just realized that I’ve lived good chunks of my life in two lands fairly obsessed with beauty: France and the Rocky Mountains. You wouldn’t guess that of the latter but believe me, looking good is pretty important here. Being tanned and fit is part of the way of life in Colorado. And it’s no secret you must have the right hair and make up to go with this look. If you don’t, you look like a tourist. And no one wants to look like that, even if you are one. Don’t you agree?

The Peaks Resort & Spa, 136 Country Club Drive, Telluride, 800-772-5482, ThePeaksResort.com/spa

Queen B Salon, 112 South Mill Street, Aspen, 970-920-4300, QueenBSalon.com

The Cos Bar, 309 South Galena Street, Aspen, 970-925-6249, CosBar.com

The Peaks Spa Boutique

My number #1 make up tip: Do not wear make up when you’re skiing, hiking, biking or doing anything else in the great Rocky Mountains. If you do, you’ll look completely out-of-place. Tinted moisturizer (and sunscreen) as well as lip gloss on these athletic occasions are more than O.K. If you’re like me, you may want to cheat by leaving your mascara and liner on from the night before. A little smudged eye enhancement not only looks natural, but oh-so sexy, too. We are after all resourceful here in the mountains.