When Helen Prince retired from her career as an English as a second language instructor, she wanted a new look to embark on the next chapter and her new lifestyle.
This multi-passionate mother of two adult children loves being active outdoors, whether she’s cycling, hiking or swimming. But her biggest passion, she says, is dancing!
“I speak five languages, so engaging with people from other cultures is always a pleasure. I love all the arts – written, visual or musical,” says Helen.
Of the makeover experience, getting the facial was Helen’s favourite part. “Such a peaceful oasis of calm in the midst of the flurry of activities before the final show.”
While she admits the fashion show was a step outside her comfort zone, she was proud of herself for trusting the process.
“The whole experience was exciting, fun, surprising, heartwarming and also, at times, intimidating when I was out of my comfort zone,” says Helen. “The final event took place just before my trip abroad… by the end of the fashion show, I felt an added sense of confidence and accomplishment.”
“I’m very happy I decided to give the makeover a try and feel really fortunate and very grateful to have had this opportunity,” she says, “not just for the makeover, but also because of all the wonderful people I met in the process! I would certainly recommend it to others.”
WHAT THE STYLIST DID:
Helen came in with beautiful, blonde hair past her shoulders, mostly all one length. Given its fine weight and the length and cut, her hair hung straight and flat.
Fine hair has difficulty with volume and movement if it gets too long. So, the first decision I made was to bring up the length. Together, Helen and I agreed to a nice clean bob, around chin length. A graduation at the back of the head gave the hair a slight roundness, which equates to the appearance of more volume. To change it up, we went with some bangs that framed her face and will allow her to get more volume in the front. This cut, while a classic look, gives her hair more bounce and swing on the dance floor.
For the colour, Helen didn’t want high maintenance, meaning she didn’t want to be in this salon every month. Instead, she was more comfortable going every three months, so I went with the blonde highlights she already had to mimic some of the white hairs coming in. I also added some lowlights to blend with her natural colour. This also gave the hair a little more dimension, which will give it the appearance of movement.
For Helen’s makeup, we started with a primer. Primers fill in pores and fine lines. This allows the concealer to smooth over the skin. Next, I chose a concealer that had BB cream in it, which is a moisturizer and foundation in one. It blends well on the skin and skims over some of the fine lines. I also used a concealer with a bit of a yellow tone to help to cancel out some of the slight purple from the darker tint under the eyes.
For the eye shadow colour, I went with a brown in the corners of her eye lids and lighter brow along the crease of the eye. I used a light white-beige just under the brow to highlight it. Also, the light colour was used in the corners of the eye. Adding a shimmery highlight to the inner corners of your eyes creates a bright, open and youthful appearance – perfect for day or night. It reflects light and helps mask the look of fatigue.
I finished Helen’s look with a light peach lip gloss.
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