New Hastings Beauty Shop Makes All Women Shine

Susan Giordano has applied makeup for such celebrities as: Angelina Jolie, Heidi Klum, Sheryl Crow and Pamela Anderson. She's worked in India, Paris and Milan—and served as the makeup artist for virtually every well-known fashion magazine.

Despite her glamorous resume, Giordano says she'd rather apply makeup for "real" women.

"I love seeing seeing how amazed women are when they realize how great they can look," she said. "Everyone just needs a little education."

Giordano opened her first beauty shop—featuring her own line of skin-care products, cosmetics and fragrances—quietly last week in Hastings. Her vibrantly-painted teal walls draw customers in, and the products make them stay.

"At this point in my career, I'm ready to settle down and focus on my own line," the Yonkers resident said.

Giordano, who also offers makeup lessons and applications for weddings and other special events, said she's always had an eye for transforming women's faces into works of art.

"When I was 14, I applied my aunt's makeup for her wedding," she said. "Her neighbor, who was also getting married, asked her who had done her makeup. When she found out I had, she paid me $35 to do it for her too."

Though the cost of Giordano's expertise has gone considerably up, she still puts the same amount of care into every woman whose makeup she applies and every product she sells.

"I started out by launching 'Satin Skin,' my signature facial moisturizer, about a year ago," she said. "Everyone loves it because it gives your skin an instant natural glow and has only six ingredients."

After years of working in the industry, Giordano has made contacts with suppliers from all over the world—providing her with an arsenal of alluring and exotic ingredients for her makeup and fragrances. 

Giordano chose the current selection of cosmetics, fragrances and hair-care products available in her store based on what the largest cross-section of women can use.

"It's the one-size fits most theory," she said. "The shampoos, conditioners, eye shadows and lip colors I have out now will be flattering for almost all women. As time goes on, I will most definitely add more."

The reason Giordano wanted to open a storefront—rather than sell her products online while working as a makeup artist—was to "provide the authentic beauty shop experience."

"There's no more glamour in shopping for makeup anymore," she said. "All you have are big box stores like Sephora and makeup counters, where salespeople work on commission; they will try to sell you products even if they're not exactly right for you."

Giordano doesn't buy into that kind of commercialization—

"I offer a full range of brushes, different types of foundations and concealers because I understand that everyone needs something a little different," she said. Now, Giordano offers only individual makeup application lessons—which she admits are a little pricey—but she plans to offer less expensive group classes in the future. 

The makeup itself, though, is priced comparably to other stores.

Besides Satin Skin–which can be purchased online—Giordano's cosmetics are available only in Hastings.

How Giordano found herself launching in the Rivertowns was entirely accidental—though now she would say serendipitous.

"I was getting my bike fixed at , when I noticed an open storefront across the street," she said. "When I saw the price, I couldn't believe it; I was used to Manhattan prices."

Though that space turned out not to be what she needed, Giordano kept Hastings in her mind. When 3 Spring Street became available, she knew it was right. 

Working in the fashion industry, Giordano's favorite project was applying the makeup for "before-and-after" makeovers in magazines like Cosmopolitan.

"If a woman has great eyes, I latch onto that and highlight them," she said. "It's so gratifying to see the transformations."

...though she did admit, "I loved doing Pamela Anderson's makeup. She was so delightful and genuine—which was totally unexpected."

Find "Giordano's Beauty" at 3 Spring Street in Hastings. Learn more about Susan Giordano on her website here. 

Like Rivertowns Patch on facebook and sign up for the Rivertowns Patch newsletter to get more local stories like this in your inbox.