There's something so satisfying about seeing before and after makeover photos juxtaposed. Whether it is celebrities or real women, there's a wow factor about seeing what subtle or profound hair and makeup adjustments can do for someone's outer and inner glow. And for those of us who are on the perpetual self-improvement quest, these makeover photos make us ask ourselves, "Am I in need of a makeover too?"
As you flip through this gallery, you'll get the CliffsNotes of how each makeover was accomplished and find out which hair and makeup gurus were responsible for these transformations. But, if you want to get the full scoop on a particular story, we've added an easy access link, so that you can see all the steps, expert tips and product suggestions. Who knows, you might find that one of these real women's stories inspires you to try a new haircut, color or style, and perhaps a different makeup look as well. And by all means, feel free to steal any of these makeover secrets and make them your own.
To help with your potential makeover, here is some advice on the best (and worst) hair and makeup for your unique face shape:
Now go check out the highlights (no pun intended -- well, maybe) of our real women makeovers.
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The Dramatic (But Wearable) Hairstyle Makeover
Wow. It is amazing what a few lighter, face-framing highlights and flattering makeup does to brighten up Julie's look.
Hair: Pro hair colorist, Alfredo Lewis at the Argyle Salon in Los Angeles, bumps up her base a half-shade lighter and adds caramel highlights. Then, celebrity hairstylist, Craig Gangi, gives her razor cut long layers -- without losing the length -- to add more life and movement to her strands.
Makeup: Celebrity makeup artist, Barbara Farman, pairs a deep smoky eye with glowing skin. The icing on her cake, er, face? Matte pink lipstick.
See the full makeover story, which includes all the steps, expert tips and product suggestions.
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The Feel (and Look) Good Makeover
Okay we're cheating here, because we didn't actually do this makeover on Brandi, but we loved her new look and her reason for doing it, so we thought we'd give it the extra shout out it deserves. Her feel-good haircut for Locks of Love turned out to be good for her too, no?
Hair: Celebrity hairstylist, Kevin Mancuso, focuses on Brandi�s individual style to create this look. So, after years of rocking long hair that didn't have shape, he decides to give her a polished, easy-to-style bob.
Makeup: Defined eyes and subtle, glossy lips are the perfect complement to Brandi's, um, brand new look.
See the full makeover story, which includes all the steps, expert tips and product suggestions.
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The Blonde-to-Brunette Hair Makeover
Not everyone looks better blonde -- after 20 years of having a blonde identity, Kim can attest that she's having more fun and looking more gorgeous than ever as a brunette.
Hair: Colorist, Adam Scheib, at the Sally Hershberger Salon in Los Angeles takes Kim's hair darker because he thinks the shade will flatter her complexion and bring out her green eyes. Then, hairstylist Leland Ferrell cuts several inches off her ends because she has great hair for a bob -- it's fine with a little curl. He also adds fuller bangs for a more versatile style.
Makeup: American Idol lead makeup artist Mezhgan brings Kim's green eyes alive by using light colors like pearl and taupe. She fills in her brows, evens out her complexion with a combination of primer and foundation and sweeps peach blush on her cheeks. Concealer further brightens her eyes and pink gloss tops off the look.
See the full makeover story, which includes all the steps, expert tips and product suggestions.
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The Frumpy-to-Fab Hair Makeover
She may not have been born with it -- but, bumping up the red volume of Jennifer's hair really gives her both an outer and inner glow.
Hair: Jason Backe, expert colorist at the Ted Gibson salon, says to let your skin tone be your guide when it comes to hair color. So, Jennifer's hint of natural strawberry gives him the green light to turn her into a true redhead.
Makeup: Makeup artist Tina Turnbow thinks the right makeup is key to making a hair color look natural. She uses golden-orange eyeshadow (tones found in Jennifer's new hair color and in her eye color), a shimmery peach blush and becoming pinky-peach gloss.
See the full makeover story, which includes all the steps, expert tips and product suggestions.
There's something so satisfying about seeing before and after makeover photos juxtaposed. Whether it is celebrities or real women, there's a wow factor about seeing what subtle or profound hair and makeup adjustments can do for someone's outer and inner glow. And for those of us who are on the perpetual self-improvement quest, these makeover photos make us ask ourselves, "Am I in need of a makeover too?"
As you flip through this gallery, you'll get the CliffsNotes of how each makeover was accomplished and find out which hair and makeup gurus were responsible for these transformations. But, if you want to get the full scoop on a particular story, we've added an easy access link, so that you can see all the steps, expert tips and product suggestions. Who knows, you might find that one of these real women's stories inspires you to try a new haircut, color or style, and perhaps a different makeup look as well. And by all means, feel free to steal any of these makeover secrets and make them your own.
To help with your potential makeover, here is some advice on the best (and worst) hair and makeup for your unique face shape:
