by Liyun Jin ’12
December 2009 Issue

Our lucky makeover winner is all smiles!

At the kickoff of Reading Period and winter formal season, few things are as refreshing and motivating than a thorough pampering session. Fresh snow on the ground beckons for a fresh look for ourselves, but as college students, money and time aren’t exactly working in our favor to renew our bodies and spirits.

That’s where our December Makeover Contest, promising a free full makeover at Carriage House Salon in Harvard Square, fit in. Nominations poured in for cosmetically clueless pals and gorgeous gals hidden behind sweatshirts and thick glasses, but none melted our hearts as much as Nora Ali’s earnest plea on behalf of her friend Elaine Chen ’11. We had to help this girl out. Read all about the transformation after the jump!

Before The Voice got our hands on Elaine, her beauty regimen was—to put it simply—nonexistent. The statistics concentrator and Adams House resident admits that she was always too busy with classes, p-sets, and studying to do anything more than the bare minimum.

“Shower,” Elaine laughed, relating the extent of her physical upkeep. “I barely brush my hair.”

Skipping two classes that afternoon to come in for her appointment at the Carriage House Salon, Elaine sat nervously in front of a large mirror in the warm, brightly-lit main room anxiously awaiting her epic three-hour makeover. With complimentary Oreos and tea, pine garlands draped on tables and walls, and sunlight flooding the room and basking the hardwood floors in a warm glow, the atmosphere helped her relaxed as her stylist Roberta Siamboulis tousled her hair and judged her complexion.

“When I was young, getting a haircut just meant my dad taking scissors and cutting my hair straight across,” Chen recounted. Now, she would be getting quite an upgrade, receiving a makeover package valued at over $200 and including haircut, color, and makeup.

Though Chen passed on color—saying that she didn’t want too drastic of a change—she agreed to the stylist’s suggestion of adding side bangs and layers to her glossy black hair. After discussing exactly what she wanted out of the makeover, the fun began.

STEP ONE: HAIR REMOVAL

Before stylist Roberta worked her magic, Elaine’s scalp wasn’t the only site of unruly hair. After an upper lip wax and eyebrow grooming, using a combination of waxing and tweezing, Elaine’s face looked much more polished and defined, and much less “I’ve-spent-the-last-week-living-in-Lamont.”

But, as the mantra goes, beauty is pain. “Oww,” Elaine cringed as each waxing strip was removed. “I feel like my entire face just got ripped off.”

The end result, though, induced Elaine to gasp in awe when she stood up from the table and looked in the mirror. “Wow, it looks really good.”

STEP TWO: HAIRCUT

After getting her hair washed, Elaine sat down and prepared for actual physical modification to begin. Roberta snipped off about three inches, added layers, and cut side bangs to frame Elaine’s face, providing a change that was subtly stylish but not drastically different—exactly what Elaine had requested.

After blow-drying her hair with a large roundbrush, segments were rolled and clipped until Elaine’s entire head was covered in a pile of bubbly loops.

When the clips were removed about thirty minutes later, after makeup was completed, her hair fell into perfect waves and curls that were mirror-like in their glossiness.

“I love it!” Elaine said, stroking the soft waves in her hair. “Oh my God, it’s ridiculous.”

STEP THREE: MAKEUP

“I have to watch this part closely,” Elaine said as Roberta hauled out a triple-tier silver makeup case, a Pandora’s box filled with cosmetic treasures ranging from basic foundations to glitzed-up false lashes.

“I have no idea how to put on makeup,” Elaine admitted. “If I have interviews, I might put on eyeliner and mascara, but that’s it.”

The makeup application began with Roberta sponging on MAC foundation—a mixture of different shades to produce a perfect match with Elaine’s skin—to even out her complexion and to provide a base for her makeup, preventing it from slipping off throughout the day.

Next came eyeshadow in multiple hues—light purple, dark purple, and brown—each applied strategically in order to open up and flatter Elaine’s eyes.

Black eyeliner and mascara were swiped on, then under eye concealer applied with a brush, both to mask any stray powder from the eyelid makeup and to hide the evidence of late night study sessions.

This was followed by a deep rose blush, applied to the sides rather than the front of Elaine’s face and then blended inward, to contour her cheekbones. “I wouldn’t have thought to put it there,” Elaine said.

A swipe of lip gloss completed Elaine’s transformation from a weary-looking student into a sophisticated and mature bombshell.

At the end of the makeover, Elaine—fascinated with the stunning woman she saw staring back at her in the mirror—said she loved her glammed-up look. Though it was a tad impractical and over-the-top for everyday wear, she said it might just be worth the effort for a night out or whenever she wants to feel extra special.

“I wasn’t planning to go to FOURmal tomorrow, but now, I’m reconsidering,” she laughed. “Now I just figure out how to reproduce this look without the professional help.”

CARRIAGE HOUSE TIPS FOR A MAKEOVER IN A HURRY

What’s a Harvard girl to do when she can’t even wake in time to change out of her PJs for class, much less take care of the details of her appearance? Roberta Siamboulis, hair and makeup artist at Carriage House Salon, has a few tips for beauty-conscious students on the run.

1. Grooming and shaping the eyebrows—through either regular waxing appointments or at-home care—can do wonders to subtly but dramatically change your appearance. Just as a picture frame can add to the beauty of the work of art it holds, well-groomed eyebrows impart polish and beauty to the face.

2. For a quick makeup routine, eyeliner, mascara, and blush are the most transformative tools in your kit. But in order to get the perfect, complete look, allot yourself 20 to 25 minutes in the morning for makeup.

3. To get lips that look healthy and soft with shine, apply a coat of colored lip gloss.

4. To go from day to night makeup, choose a darker eyeshadow and add a coat of lip gloss over your lipstick, which will give you a glossy evening look.

5. Do not heavily make up both your eyes and lips, which should never compete for attention. A heavy, smoky eye calls for a neutral lip, while a dark, dramatic lipstick works best with a neutral eye.

6. When blow drying hair, direct the flow of air from the roots to the ends to smooth the hair shaft and tame frizz. To give your hair a boost of shine, finish off with a blast of cool air.

Schedule your own makeover:
Carriage House
www.carriagehousesalon.com
33 Church Street
Cambridge, MA 02138-3715
(617) 868-7800

AFTER:

Special thanks to: Carriage House Salon

Photographer: Caroline Lowe ‘12