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Makeup guru Kimara Ahnert’s Manhattan studio (www.kimara.com), on the Upper East Side, has long been a well-kept secret amongst more low-key celebrities, like Gwyneth Paltrow, Brooke Shields and Amanda Peet. The discreetly serene space offers a host of beauty rituals, including facials, but what Ahnert is most known for is make-up application. “Even as a very young girl I had a love for makeup,” says Ahnert, who opened a second branch of her studio in Greenwich, Connecticut last year. “I remember waiting for my mother to leave the house so I could play with all of the cosmetics on her vanity table.” When she is not helping her clients look their best, Ahnert spends a lot of time traveling and many of her journeys have inspired new product lines back home. A loyal return visitor to Capri, she also counts Paris, Harbour Island and any place with an Aman resort among her favorites. Ahnert shared her travel discoveries, beauty tips and trends for 2011 with Indagare.

What inspired you to open the Greenwich location?

Many of my New York studio clients come from Connecticut, as well as Westchester. Many clients expressed a need for our level of services in Greenwich, so it became a natural extension of our New York store. For me, it’s been a pleasure to reconnect with many brides whose make-up I did and who had moved to the suburbs since their weddings.

Could you share some beauty tips for these cold winter months?

Boost the moisture in your skin by adding a hydrating serum under your favorite moisturizer.

What are some beauty trends you predict for 2011?

I see makeup going in the direction of color for 2011. Eye shadows are coming back for spring in peach, lavender and pinks. The skin will continue to glow with foundations that are sheer and luminous with often a warm sun glow. Lips will also shine with sheer color…candy color pinks and cherry reds. Lips will tint like the color of some of your favorite sorbet: strawberry, mango, and grapefruit. Loads of lashes will keep even the most natural girls looking glam. And I see mascara, mascara, mascara…applied on top of lashes with lash extensions, lashes that have been enhanced by lash-growth products, or lashes first primed with a primer.

You are a longtime visitor to Capri. What do you love about the island?

It’s one of the most beautiful places in the world where the people are truly as special as the place. It also holds a unique place in my heart because of all the trips there spent with my loved ones. I celebrated my 35th birthday there and brought my siblings and spouses with me; but I’ve also have been there with just my sister and last August I spent the week there with just my mother. And when my four-and-a-half year-old son, Jonathan, turns ten, I will introduce him to this magical place.

What are some of your island favorites?

I am such a creature of habit when I find something I like. My favorite hotel is La Scalinatella and for meals, I love Da Giorgio and for gelato, Bar Embassy. I have a private hiking guide I adore and with whom I have seen more of Capri and Anacapri than most locals. I also have a great driver for transfers to and from Naples or Rome, and for day trips to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. My must-splurge on Capri is the jewelry at Grazia Vozza. Finally, most visitors love Faraglioni beach club but I prefer being on the water and will splurge for a day and hire a speed boat. A day spent on the water zipping around the island, over to the quaint town of Amalfi or a stop for lunch at Recommone is magical.

What are some other favorite travel destinations?

Paris. I never get tired of Paris. I’ve also been going to Harbour Island with my family since I was a young girl. It will always be special. And Tuscany is one of the few places I don’t mind visiting without a set itinerary; I just enjoy just lazy exploring from town to town.

What are your favorite hotels worldwide and why?

I think Capri’s Scalinatella has the most amazing views and best hospitality. And any of the Aman resorts; repeat guests get a T-shirt that says Amanjunkie, and it’s so true. I love the Amanjena, in Marrakech, Amangani, in Jackson Hole and Amanpuri, in Phuket.

What are some of your favorite spas?

I love the spa at the Mandarin Oriental in New York. Their amenities and technicians are consistently superior every time.

Where did you find your last bargain/your latest splurge?

My last bargain was a chinchilla coat at the souk in Istanbul and my latest splurge was a beautiful necklace with pearls and a Maltese cross with semi precious stones from Grazia Vozza on Capri (a selection of her pieces are now being carried by Bergdorf Goodman).

What are the products you would never leave home without?

A tinted lip balm will condition lips, keep moisture in, and add color. Lip gloss alone is not conditioning enough. From my own line, I would recommend mineral lip tints with SPF 15. I’ve named them after some of my favorite destinations: Capri, Bali, Cabo.

Where are you dreaming of going next? Where will you go next?

I dream of going to South America, to the beaches of Brazil and to Buenos Aires. I will be going to Deer Valley, Utah or Mont Tremblant to take my four-and-a-half-year-old son, Jonathan, skiing for the first time.