Makeover Madness

Hilary is ready for a fresh new look. For photos of the makeover proccess and to see the results, visit The Breeze photo gallery.

Ladies and gentlemen we all can exhale: not only because we aren't on the beach anymore but also because the moment we've all been waiting for has descended upon us.

Move over The Learning Channel's "Makeover Story" and E!'s "Fashion Emergency," the A-fashion-nado makeover contest has arrived in full force. Follow me as I journey into the fashion underworld to deliver our two contest winners into fashion heaven.

While doing these makeovers, I had a very Carrie Bradshaw, "Sex and the City"-esque moment. Although I was not surrounded by the chaotic misadventures of middle-aged women, I found myself surrounded by the same kind of tense energy as I continued on my own chaotic misadventures of trying to coordinate makeovers.

The unsuspecting victim awaits his fate. For photos of the makeover proccess and to see the results, visit The Breeze photo gallery.

Despite it all, I, like Carrie, paused from the madness to ask myself a question: Is it possible for a broke college student to make over two other college students? Then I thought about it – of course I can, I am the A-fashion-nado.

Our two contest winners were freshmen Hilary Bride and Ben Ellis. Nominated by friends, the two winners were picked because of their makeover potential and their nominating paragraphs proved that they deserved to be pampered. Journey with me as I turn them from fashion zeros to fashion heroes.

Step one: Hair.

We're not just talking about the hair on your head. Monica of New York Style was kind enough to donate a free haircut to Hilary and a free haircut, hair color and eyebrow waxing to Ben.
You read me right: eyebrow waxing. It is actually something a lot of guys do, but rarely talk about. For example, Monica also informed me that a lot of guys came in before Spring Break to wax their backs. I guess they read my column and realized that a happy trail on your back isn't so happy.

As for Hilary, she needed her hair to be long enough to put back when she was playing sports or working at UREC. Hilary had not had a haircut since Winter Break when her mom cut her hair. Her previous style was high-maintenance. Hilary doesn't have enough time to fuss about her hair so Monica gave her a fuss-free style. Monica emphasized that time-consuming styles aren't practical for those without the time or desire to primp.

I plucked Hilary's eyebrows for her. Remember when you do this: do not go too thin, please. There is nothing worse looking than women who pluck out all their eyebrows and then pencil them in. Can I please get an Amen?

Step two: Makeup.

Did you know that more expensive cosmetic companies own a lot of the same cosmetic brands you can buy at Wal-Mart? Well, they do. Before you think about paying too much for makeup at a department store cosmetic counter, you should check out the selection and the prices at Wal-Mart.
With the invaluable help of my makeover assistant Sarah, we picked out makeup. We used a book by makeup artist Bobbi Brown to help Hilary learn how to apply the makeup correctly. We didn't buy a lot of makeup just because Hilary didn't need it, but the makeup we did buy was all springtime appropriate.

Step three: Hair products.

Ben needed some pomade so that he could style his hair and keep that knit cap off his head. Pomade is better than gel if you have thick hair and vice versa for thin hair.

Step four: Clothes.

We picked clothes from our contest winner's wardrobes. I tried to show them that they do have good clothes; they just need to put them together correctly. Hilary had a lot of spunky party clothes her mom sent that she never wears. We found a great sequined, patterned top and ever-ubiquitous BBP, Black Booty Pants. We made her put them on and work it … which she did.

We put Ben in a ribbed sweater and well-worn jeans. He looked relaxed and cool. Most of all he got rid of the knit cap. Why cover up great hair when it is warm outside?

After the makeover, our winners were swept away to the Chris Uvenio fashion show in PC Ballroom. There they learned about playful fashion and having lots of attitude when you wear your clothes.
Lastly, American Eagle Outfitters was kind enough to donate gift cards to our winners so they can utilize their newfound fashion knowledge. Don't you all wish you entered now?

The nominees for best makeover are TLC's "Makeover Story," E!'s "Fashion Emergency" and The A-fashion-nado Makeover Contest.

And the Fashion Oscar goes to — tense silence — The A-fashion-nado Makeover Contest.

"Wow, this is such a surprise. I just wanted to say thank you to Sarah, my assistant. I could not have done this without you. Thank you to Vanessa for her moral support. Thank you to Ben and Hilary for being kind enough to let me make them over. Thank you to New York Style and American Eagle Outfitters for their kind donations."

My advice for the week: Call New York Style and make a hair and eyebrow appointment now and then head over to American Eagle for some cool college style.

The dictionary describes fashion as "that which looks nice to wear." Hi, I'm James David and I have a newfound admiration for people who do makeovers. Who knew it would take so much energy?