After inviting women to write about why they deserved a makeover on the Today show, iVillage was inundated with hundreds of compelling stories from women across the country. But one woman's story in particular resonated with us. Carla Fleming was an attractive 40-year-old grandmother who had lost 190 pounds in the last 22 months, after undergoing gastric bypass surgery. And while her figure was dramatically different and her clothes were smaller, she still saw the overweight person she used to be when she looked in the mirror. What Carla needed was a new look for her new body to boost her self-esteem. Here's how the dream team of hair expert Louis Licari, iVillage's beauty expert Shalini Vadhera and Today show style contributor Bobbie Thomas made Carla over.
Hair
Since Carla's face shape had changed due to her weight loss, she needed a cut to match her new profile.
- Louis cut Carla's extremely long hair into a modern-looking short style to enhance her cheekbones.
- He gave her short bangs and layers for a soft and full look.
- He changed her hair color from harsh black to complement her skin color.
Makeup
Shalini Vadhera's first order of business was to make Carla's makeup look more natural.
- Shalini filled in Carla's overtweezed eyebrows with eye shadow for a softer look.
- She had Carla take out her colored contacts and then played up her natural eye color with warm shades of brown and taupe.
- She created a healthy glow by applying rosy blush to Carla's cheeks and pink gloss to her lips.
Clothes
Bobbie Thomas spent the day shopping with Carla to find an outfit that would flatter her figure and make her feel sexy and confident.
- Bobbie chose a fashion-forward high-waist jumper dress to accentuate Carla's new trim silhouette.
- Her hose of choice for Carla were Spanx reversible opaque tights that flattered Carla's shapely legs.
- Bobbie also selected a long, fitted (but not-too-tight) sweater for Carla to wear over her ensemble. It visually elongated Carla's torso for a slimming effect.
Watch Carla's makeover video>>>
Watch Shalini in About Face for more makeover tips>>>
