Photograph by Matthew Worden

Christine Klein, 47 • Capitol Hill • Meeting managing director, American Institute of Architects

Why she wanted a makeover: Having recently moved from an Arlington condo to a Capitol Hill rowhouse, Klein was inspired: “New home, new life—I wanted a new me.”

Where we sent her: Georgetown’s Hair Lounge Salon for hair, independent makeup artist Kim Reyes, and Hu’s Wear for clothing.

There are beauty accidents, and then there’s singeing off your bangs. In Hong Kong for a business trip, Christine Klein thought nothing of plugging her American curling iron into an adapter and setting about her morning routine.

“I wrapped my hair around the iron and poof! Smoke burst out, and my hair fried.” Late for a meeting, she panicked. “I had to cut pixie bangs.”

Klein’s hair—thin, fragile, and prone to uncontrollable frizz if cut too short—has always been problematic. To ensure a manageable shape, Hair Lounge co-owner Daniel Levy took a mere inch off the length and kept the layers long.

To add dimension with color, he applied a base of warm chestnut and caramel highlights using balayage, a process in which dozens of tiny highlights are swept through the hair. While traditional top-foil highlights can look artificial and obvious, Levy says, balayage results in a subtle, natural shimmer that can last months.

Years of triathlon training have given Klein a permanent post-exercise glow. Makeup artist Kim Reyes recommended, for minor touchups, Keromask concealer and camouflage cream—a favorite of film and TV stars because of its heavily pigmented yet thin-spreading formula. She applied warm brown shadows on Klein’s outer lids to make her eyes appear farther apart, and she smudged charcoal liner along the lash line to make Klein’s bluish-green eyes pop.

Christine before her makeover.

Though Klein is no stranger to dressing up, Marlene Hu, owner of the Georgetown boutique Hu’s Wear, suggested sophisticated pieces that would accentuate Klein’s lean physique. An Isabel Marant gray wool skirt ($185) and Costume National over-the-knee black suede boots ($1,240) highlighted Klein’s long, toned limbs; these were topped with a Barbara Bui wool biker jacket ($2,450) and Lanvin chainlink necklace ($1,740).

“I have always loved fashion and am something of a clothes horse,” Klein says, “but it was nice to talk to Hu about what would work on my body type.”

Klein test-drove her new look at dinner and a concert that night: “The hair color warms me up, and the makeup highlights my best features. I love my new look.”

Getting the Look

Hair Lounge Salon, 2201 Wisconsin Ave., NW.; 202-337-0951; hairloungesalon.com.

Kim Reyes Makeup, Silver Spring; 301-254-5282; kimreyesmakeup.com.

Hu’s Wear, 2906 M St., NW; 202-342-2020; hushoes.com.