DO YOU WANT TO BE MADE OVER?
FULL MAKEOVER FOR OUR 55+ LIFESTYLE SHOW
We are looking for adventuresome Vancouver Island women, over the age of 55, willing to undergo a makeover including hair, makeup and fashion.
Your photos and story will be featured in upcoming issues of INSPIRED 55+ Lifestyle Magazine.
You will begin your transformation with several appointments during the week prior to our show and complete your makeover transformation at our upcoming 55+ Lifestyle Show in Victoria, (For 2023, the show will be on March 21, at Pearkes Recreation Centre ) where you will be presented on stage.
To qualify:
- hair length needs to be long enough so our stylist has something to work with — close to shoulder length or longer
- must attend hair appointment 1-2 weeks prior to the show
- must be at our 55+ Lifestyle Show in Victoria, BC (see date and location above) and undergo the final touches on your hair and makeup
- may be asked to attend other appointments relevant to the makeover – e.g. makeup selection at a sponsoring retail store, facial and nails appointment, clothing selection at a sponsoring retail store (These services may vary according to sponsorships obtained.
- must be willing to cooperate with our stylists and show staff completely. We want you to learn some new styling techniques and break out of the same-old. This may include trying a new hair colour, cutting hair shorter than you’ve ever had it cut before, or a style of clothing (or colour) you never thought of wearing before. Remember this is a makeover, so it may not be totally comfortable – it’s about stretching the boundaries of what is habitual. Remember hair grows back, nail polish comes off, and the clothing is being borrowed, not bought. There’s nothing permanent about this – it’s about trying on a new you! Who knows, you might really like it and never go back!
Yes, we are still open for applications from women wanting to participate as makeover candidates.
If you are interested, please let us know asap so we can consider your application with the others we have received.
We usually accept 3 applications.
Just write and tell us why you would like this makeover and include a recent photo of yourself – usually a photo taken with a phone is adequate – the stylists like to see a closeup of your face/hair (from the chest up), and also a full body photo (for the fashion stylists). We prefer a photo of you without makeup so we have a good BEFORE photo that will show how much of a transformation we have accomplished.
The makeover usually includes a haircut and styling, which may include dying of the hair. You complete this a week or so before the show and then we finish it off at the show.
You will get photographed at the event by a professional photographer, and this photo along with your before photo, and your makeover story, will appear in the magazine sometime later in the year. You will be interviewed for the article to find out how you feel about the process. You will appear on the stage at the show, to reveal your AFTER look, at the end of the show, after you’ve been all made up from top to toe.
That’s kind of it. We want you to have a fun experience, learn something, and see yourself in a way you haven’t seen yourself before.
If you would like to be considered for a makeover, please send your application to publisher@seniorlivingmag.com. Please tell us a little about yourself and why the make-over is important to you. We will try to let you know within 2 weeks of receiving your application whether you are being considered or not. Please note we cannot accept all applicants.
Apply by email to: publisher@seniorlivingmag.com
Here are links to the articles featuring some of our makeover models:
Lori Nicholchuk CLICK HERE
Jane Cassie CLICK HERE
Janice Whaley CLICK HERE
Mary Lou Rowbotham CLICK HERE
Joan Thompson CLICK HERE
Sheila Blake CLICK HERE
Judy Moscovitz CLICK HERE
Tasma Lacroix CLICK HERE
Heather Akai CLICK HERE
Suzanne Cascanette CLICK HERE
Eve Weimer CLICK HERE
Ruby Attwood CLICK HERE
Ann Auld CLICK HERE
Beverly-Ann Fox CLICK HERE
Salve Daeyo CLICK HERE
Sharon McKenzie CLICK HERE
SEE OUR PAST MAKEOVERS
Since our first makeover back in 2015, we have kept up with this tradition every year. Take a look below to see some of the before and after photos of our past participants!
Sheila was drawn to the INSPIRED Makeover after struggling to style her once-manageable hair. Challenges applying makeup to her changing skin and thinning brows and lashes, after a serious fight with breast cancer, was the tipping point.
“The makeover experience was fun and the people I met delightful,” she says. “I realized that ‘old’ has nothing to do with numbers and everything to do with one’s state of mind.”
After a long, dreary winter, Mary Lou Rowbothman was ready for something different when she applied for the INSPIRED makeover contest. A fresh season needed a fresh look! “It was an amazing experience,” she says.
She kept her makeover under wraps until the reveal at the 55+ Lifestyle Show, so it was a surprise to those in attendance who know her. “They all loved how I look.” For others considering applying for the contest, Mary Lou says go for it!
Louise was the winner of INSPIRED Senior Living’s first makeover contest. She always wanted to try a makeover and had a lot of fun participating. “Friends and family said my new look made me look 10 to 15 years younger!” she says,”The results are amazing!”
Stylist Hana Akai brightened up the colour of Louise’s hair and opened up the cut to accentuate her beautiful high cheekbones. Light makeup was used to accentuate Louise’s natural features. Clothing and accessories from Aurea Gems finished the look.
Our second makeover participant, Linda enjoyed the opportunity to spruce up her wardrobe and appearance to reflect her zest for life. “I felt like a princess with my hair… make-up, and the beautiful clothes I was privileged to model – flowing and figure complimentary!”
Stylist Hana Akai lightened up Linda’s hair with highlights and used texture to accentuate the natural curl. Cosmetics in warm colours such as golds and yellows helped to enhance Linda’s beautiful blue eyes, while cream blush gave her skin a dewy look.
“I am a minimalist as far as spending time doing hair or makeup. I use few products and I am basically a wash-and-wear-hair gal… it was fun to try on a different persona rather than the ponytailed Brooke, all sweaty after a kick-ass dragon boat practice.”
“[Stylist] Hana [Akai] seemed to understand my lifestyle and what would work for me. I really loved what she did.” says Brooke. With fresh highlights and simple makeup to accentuate her natural features, Brooke felt reinvigorated by her fashionable new look.
Sandy chose a makeover to reward her success on her weight-loss journey. Despite a disability and the doubts of her doctor, Sandy has already lost 70 lbs. Now with ever-improving health and with a new set of dentures, Sandy is ready for the next stage of her journey!
Stylist Hana Akai kept with Sandy’s bubbly personality by adding highlights and textured culs to her hair. Foundation was used to even Sandy’s skin tone and add contour to shape her face. Dark liner and clothing from Aurea Gems finish off the look!
“As a mom and a grandmother, I have spent the majority of my life caring for my family and others in my life. It was so easy to lose track of my needs,” says Isabelle. “So, it was nice to do something for me, and something so completely out-of-the-box.”
“This experience has lifted my spirit and has given me renewed energy,” she says. “I now feel more capable of returning to my previous work schedule with a renewed confidence that my clothes and look are comfortable and professional.”
“Love of life and the restaurant business get me up in the morning,” says the vivacious great-grandmother. A self-described people person, Salve loves the social element of being in the restaurant business, but she equally loves cooking and is the chef at Java Jazz.
“I found the experience very exciting!” she says. “It was the shortest haircut I’ve sported since kindergaten and I LOVED IT! Hana was super, obviously an expert in her craft. I would do it again in a heartbeat… it made me feel so good,” smiles Salve.
Sharon of North Vancouver is a happily married 58-year-old mother of two. With a busy professional life, Sharon works as graphic designer, a travel consultant for Expedia Cruiseship Centres and a marketing manager for her husband’s illustrated children’s book.
“Getting a haircut I wouldn’t normally ask for and then trying on a bunch of outfits I wouldn’t normally pick for myself was great!” The process made her feel special and the outcome was a boost to her confidence. “My friends and family loved the makeover!” she says.
Being invited to participate in the makeover way timely as former caregiver and volunter Beverly-Ann, 58, felt she was in need of a little “pick-me-up” experience as part of her self-care after her cancer diagnosis in 2016. She says she got it in spades!
“I am truly happy I listened to my intuition and took action… I would definitely recommend to anyone to put themselves forward for this great experience.” says Beverly-Ann. “There’s nothing but good that can come from allowing yourself to be Princess for a Day!”
“[It] provided a lovely distraction to the dreariness I was feeling in myself and my appearance,” Ann says. “I loved the experience of handing over the ‘responsibility’ of the makeover to those whose passion it is to assist women to ‘see’ themselves in new ways.”
“My mother’s reaction was my favourite: she saw me on stage at the reveal and she, like others, did a double-take before she broke into a huge smile and turned to the person sitting beside her to say, “That’s my daughter, her voice full of pride and love.”
In addition to having her hair and makeup styled, Ruby was given a new set of teeth with the help of BC Perio! This was an opportunity of a lifetime for Ruby, who had been unhappy with her teeth. “If you have wealth, it means nothing without your health,”
Even long-time neighbours walked by Ruby and didn’t recognize her makeover and new set of teeth from BC Perio. “I feel so good! I feel like shouting from the rooftops,” says Ruby. “I’m sleeping better and I’m more relaxed. I feel like a different person.”
When Eve Weimer learned her grandchildren were coming home from university for a visit, she decided she needed to update her look. What better way than taking a chance and throwing her hat in the ring for INSPIRED’s makeover contest?
“The makeover made me feel confident and glamorous, I was happy that at my age I was still able to participate. The whole experience was fun and inspiring,” she says. “My favourite part was having my hair styled by Hana… I would definitely recommend it to friends.”
After 31 years at the University of British Columbia, Heather recently retired and now spends her days viewing the world through the eyes of her two-year-old grandson. Since she felt ready for a style change, her daughter, stylist Hana Akai, didn’t hold back.
“She drastically changed my hair colour and cut,” says Heather. “I have received many compliments on the style and colour from both friends and strangers. The experience was relaxed and fun,” she says. “I really enjoyed being part of the show.”
As a counsellor and New York Times bestselling author, Judy has walked the walk of personal struggle. Having dealt with body weight issues since the age of seven, she has lost an astonishing 140 lbs – not once, but twice.
The makeover made Judy feel anything is possible. “Despite my age, I can still have surprising, stimulating adventures,” she says. “It brought me to life again, seeing the world as full of possibilities, a place where I can be fully engaged and productive.”
Despite juggling multiple activities, interests, volunteering, and travel, semi-retired Victoria resident Tasma Lee Lacroix is always up for something new. When INSPIRED columnist Pat Nichol gave her a copy of the magazine, and Tasma read a notice about the makeover contest, she thought, why not?
Tasma found the entire makeover process- from the hair appointments to the fashion show – “a hoot. I’ve never spent so much time on myself,” she says. “I enjoyed looking at people in the audience; it was almost like acting.”