Makeover Magic
By Patricia Montemurri - Free Press TWIST Writer

Meet the winners of the first annual Twist Makeover Contest! Women - who do so much to take care of others in their homes, workplaces and communities - can appreciate a little pampering and expert guidance to put their best face forward. Of more than 40 entries, Twist picked six winners, who wrote in 100 words or less why they merited a complimentary makeover from the experts at Salone Nadwa and Day Spa in Novi. Their transformations were a treat to behold.

Erin Enns

"That's my face under hair that looks realy good."Erin

BEFORE: Erin credits her style sense - or lack of - to her teen and college years when she immersed herself in the Goth scene, the Grunge scene in her native Seattle, and theater school. Erin, 28, a barista at the Okemos Starbucks when she entered the Twist contest, says her parents were onetime hippies. "I've had all various natural lengths and unnatural colors," Erin says of her brunette, frizzy hair.

HER BEAUTY GOAL: "To look age appropriate, but young and maybe a little edgy."

HAIR MAKEOVER: First, 5 inches came off the back. Then, Erin underwent three color processes. The first was to lay down eggplant-color highlights. To make sure her hair didn't look predominantly purple, she got an overall color application of black. Once that was rinsed out, her hair was saturated with a semipermanent of the same color for shine and gloss. Hairdresser Michael Shanley gave Erin an off-center part and used a straightening flatiron for a sleek profile streaked with violet glimmers.

FACE MAKEOVER: Erin attended theater school, where she learned to apply makeup "so you could see me in the back of an opera hall." Makeup artist Buddy VanLoon went for a subtler theme. Brown shadow on her eyelids with plum shadow brushed into her lash line, and plum lip gloss took a cue from the purple hues in Erin's hair.

REACTION: Post-makeover, she was clearly floored, but not flummoxed. "This is weird," she says. "That's my face under hair that looks really good. It looks both mature and punkie and young at the same time." "I feel very girly, but not in a bad way."

In another big change, two weeks after her makeover, Erin snared a corporate Starbucks job and moved to Seattle.

Sherri Herrmann

"I think that was the first day that I smiled the whole entire day." Sherri says about her makeover.

MOTIVATION: Sherri, 44, of Clinton Township quit her waitress job in June to become a full-time caregiver to her husband, Michael, a tooling shop operator and youth baseball coach who was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) in November 2005. Sherri, a mother of a 15-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son, took care of her husband's every need until he died March 4.

"I didn't get him a nurse until the last two weeks, because he didn't want anybody but me," she says.

ALS robs its victims of the ability to move, and often to speak, even though they remain mentally alert. Sherri strived to give the family a sense of normalcy, arranging camping trips that could accommodate his declining health yet let him enjoy the outdoors.

She is grateful for the support of friends, coworkers and family, especially her sister, Lauri Buckler, and her mother, Sandy Yee -"my angel and my very best friend," she says.

Of all the things she had dreamt of becoming, Sherri never expressed a desire to be anything close to a nurse or caretaker. "You just do what you got to do," she says of the skills she developed in the past year. "And I guess I have more strength than I thought I did."

When she and her husband worked, she'd regularly visit a salon. Without time or money to visit a salon in the past year, she colored her hair out of a box.

HAIR: Sherri's hair got reddish highlights, processed under a steamer. Then there were separate hues of an auburn brown applied to her roots and ends. That's because the hair at the roots is newly grown untreated hair, compared to the ends which retained the color from Sherri's at-home treatment.

Michael Shanley cut more than 4 inches off her hair. To give her hair volume, two stylists were aiming hair dryers at round brushes lifting up Sherri's crown at the root of her long bob.

REACTION: She followed her hairdresser's advice and didn't wash her hair for days. She reported it looked great with a little brushing. "It's the first time in my life I went without washing my hair for three days," she exults.

"I think that was the first day that I smiled the whole entire day," she says about the makeover. "It was really good therapy."

Jan Bishop

"I got a new attitude.” Jan

MOTIVATION: Jan, 45, a Detroit school bus driver, says she had a hysterectomy last year and hadn't felt sexy or pretty since then.

HAIR: Jan, a mother of two college-age daughters, usually wore it in a ponytail and put a decorative flower in the back. She had gray hair, and it was fragile from at-home coloring and the effects of Jan's everyday swim routine at the Adams/Butzel Recreation center. Nadwa Yono trimmed Jan's hair all-around and applied a reddish-brown tint that played off Jan's skin tones. Although Jan wanted highlights, Nadwa said Jan needed more deep conditioning than a second color application on her fine hair. For the makeover, Nadwa straightened Jan's hair, and gave her wispy bangs.

FACE: Jan's eyebrows were waxed, and makeup artist Buddy VanLoon used a soft brown pencil to fill in the arch. He sponged on a light, liquid foundation. On her eyelids, he used hues of peach and brown, and a bronze shimmer in the inside corners of her eyes. On her lips, he used a cinnamon pencil to color the lips, and finished it with a copper gloss.

REACTION: Jan cried off some of her mascara when she saw her refreshed profile in the mirror. She was channeling singer Patti LaBelle, too. "I got a new attitude," she crooned, while displaying a diva-like strut.

Husband Melvin Bishop says his wife looked gorgeous. "It has really perked up her morale," he says. "I may send her back there with my daughters, too."

Nicole Jankowski

"I feel like a movie star.” Nicole

BEFORE: Possessed with thick, lush unruly curls, Nicole, 28, of Redford Township has cut her hair for years. The mother of three boasted virgin hair and eyebrows. Her hair was never highlighted or colored; her brows were never waxed or tweezed.

HER BEAUTY GOAL: To tame the curls and avoid "looking like a poodle," she says.

THE MAKEOVER: Nadwa cut off about 4 inches, angled it longer in the front, and ordered two kinds of blond highlights for Nicole's ash blond hair. Afterward, the hair was blow-dried with a brush into a graduated, smooth bob. Makeup artist Buddy VanLoon tweezed Nicole's brows to give her a cleaner look, and bring out a slight arch. He used mineral powder foundation to give her a glow, but Nicole's skin didn't need much because "she's got hardly a pore visible." On her eyelids, he used a little bronze powder for shimmer, and the hint of orange in bronze made Nicole's blues jump out. On her lips, a peachy nude gloss, but no lip liner.

Nadwa Yono and her assistant, Jamie Sommer, add highlights to Nicole Jankowski's hair. Nicole, a Redford Township mom, got a bob.

REACTION: "I feel like a movie star," Nicole exclaims. Nicole's middle child, 3-year-old Dominic, is autistic and doesn't speak yet. When he saw his mom's new look, he just kept kissing his mom's expertly made-up profile. Nicole's husband, Timothy, e-mailed photos of Nicole to family and friends: "Look at my hot wife," he told them.

UPKEEP: Nicole's new cut was designed to look good in its naturally curly state or straightened. Nicole changed her routine to accommodate the new look. She showers at night and lets her hair dry naturally. If she wants a smooth bob in the morning, she uses a straightening iron. If she wants it curly, she just scrunches it up with a touch of spray gel, "and it's good to go."

WHY SHE WANTED A NEW LOOK
We asked Twist makeover contest entrants to tell us in 100 words or less why they deserved a makeover. Nicole Jankowski wrote this poem.

"In truth,
I have
never plucked an unruly brow
started cutting my own hair now
which may explain
why I always wear my Tigers hat.
I blame three kids for making me fat.
High heels have been known to reduce me to tears
Dresses conjure up major fears.
Wearing my daughter's barrettes qualifies as style
haven't been to the mall in ... awhile.
I know the job was to confess
why you should make me over
in a hundred words or less
But since my current looks I so abhor
I plead my case in ninety-four."

LeShaun Price

“I enjoyed it. It was something different. The only thing is my friends wished I’d done something different with my hair.”Leshaun says about her makeover

MOTIVATION: LeShaun, 39, of Detroit is a postal carrier. Her son, Daniel, egged his mother to go back to college. She had three years at Wayne State University, when she quit to take a post office job and raise her son. She'll get a degree in May from Davenport University in business management, just weeks after she turns 40. Her accomplishments and a milestone birthday have spurred LeShaun's quest for a fresher look.

MAKEOVER: LeShaun underwent 7 hours of hair braiding just days before we called her about winning a makeover. She wanted to keep her "zillions," braids which are easy to put in a ponytail every morning before she heads out on her mail route. In lieu of a haircut, LeShaun was treated to a facial and pedicure. Since the treatments, she's been diligent about moisturizing her face and feet. She massages baby oil into her feet and puts on socks before bedtime for overnight conditioning. BEST FACE FORWARD: Winter wind and cold left LeShaun's face dry and ashy. A hydrating facial and mask, with special attention to the delicate eye area, restored smoothness and vitality. Her eyebrows were waxed.

Buddy VanLoon is Salone Nadwa's artistic director, who runs the makeup department.

Makeup artist Buddy VanLoon applied about eight to 10 individual eyelashes to each lid, which lasted about four days. (LeShaun's lashes are shown on Page 8.) He sponged on liquid foundation, topped with powder. A mix of plum and pink went on her cheeks, a chocolaty eye shadow on her lids, and a copper gloss on her lips lit up her profile.

REACTION: After she left the salon, LeShaun went by her post office. Her supervisor shot a keepsake photo to show coworkers. Her son was quietly pleased, and outwardly smart-alecky. "Everybody said I looked real nice,' " LeShaun says.

Debora Summers

"It’s certainly nice to have a day where you’re pampered." Deb

MOTIVATION: Deb, 35, of Chesterfield Township battled persistent skin rashes over the last few years, which are now responding to UV light therapy. Doctors aren't sure what caused allergic reactions that left scars on her arms and legs. Deb, a Meijer Pharmacy technician, is now limiting her exposure to fragrances. The skin problems left Deb, a mother of two teenage daughters, sapped and dispirited.

HAIR: Deb's a long-haired, natural dark brunette. She's occasionally received highlights, but goes a long time between cuts. She wanted something different than her one-length look. Stylist Michael Shanley laced two caramel-colored shades through Deb's hair. He lopped off 4 inches so it fluttered around her shoulders. He added layers to frame her face. Michael used a flat brush as he dried her hair, flipping the ends.

FACE: Buddy glided shades of copper and bronze on Deb's face - to pick up some of the new highlights in Deb's hair. Chocolate and charcoal-colored shadow was brushed into her lash line, for a slightly smoky effect. On her lips, a soft, light brown with a cinnamon undertone amped up her natural lip color.

REACTION: Post-makeover, her new length brings out a slight curl. "I had a such a great time being involved in the makeover! ... I felt so spoiled! It was nice to escape the day-to-day worries for one day."

April 1-7, 2007