The Most Incredible Mom Makeovers
Do you remember that video American Greetings produced a couple years back? The one where they interviewed candidates for the world's toughest job? The job required 135 hours (and maybe unlimited hours) a week. No breaks, no vacations, increased workload during holidays, and the position paid absolutely nothing. Unbeknownst to them, they were interviewing for the role of "Mom."
That job description sums it up perfectly. The role of mom is tough. And what's even tougher is Mom remembering to care of herself at the end of that hectic pick-up, drop-off, make-dinner, kiss-the-boo-boos-goodbye week. That's why moms make the perfect candidates for makeovers. They are more deserving, more hard-working, and more worn out than any "job position" we know. So let's all go "awwww" together as we discover the most incredible mom makeovers.
Cancer's best medicine
Warning: this makeover is a tear-jerker. Beauty vlogger Nadina Ioana loves to show her thousands of followers how to do their makeup and hair on Instagram and YouTube. But her most important fan? Her mother. Unfortunately, Ioana's mother lost her hair, eyelashes, and eyebrows to chemotherapy. So Ioana took matters into her own hands and showed the world the power of makeup by transforming her mother into a radiant brunette.
She used moisturizing cream and serum to prepare her skin before application. Then, she spent time making sure her brows were perfectly symmetrical —– an important element in framing the face. From there, she gives her the works — contouring eye shadow, under-eye concealer, cheekbone definition, a pink lip, fake eyelashes, and a great wig. The results are stunning. See for yourself.
From frog to princess
This hard-working mom and business owner had a shy demeanor and low confidence, which was fine when she could hide behind her over-sized frog costume. That's right — Tania had no problem swallowing her pride and stepping into a big green frog costume, complete with chef hat, if it meant more attention for her burgeoning catering business.
To her surprise (and maybe embarrassment), her fashion sense was called out while in the studio audience of the ABC show, The Chew. The challengers? Stacy London and Clinton Kelly of the hit makeover show, What Not to Wear.
Clinton and Kelly blew her away with a sleek blow-dry, smoky eyes, and a neutral lip color. But the most important part? The new wardrobe. For her next business meeting, they found her a figure-hugging gray skirt suit so she could say goodbye to her daughter's wardrobe — which is what she had been wearing.
Stage mom shows off
Tania wasn't the only mom who needed Stacy and Clinton's help. As moms love to put everybody else before themselves, they are often the perfect candidates for the show. Lizz was no exception. A stage mom of nine, she liked being behind the scenes. Her style fell somewhere between too slumpy or too sexy. Either way, she needed the fashion duos' help.
They transformed her long straggly ponytail into a vibrant red-hued bob with a deep side part to give her face more dimension. They dressed her in classy, tailored clothes that fit well and showed off her shape without showing the world her, um..assets. No more hiding backstage for this mom — this time, she's the show-stopper.
'Teen Mom' shocks her fans
You may recognize Amber Portwood as the star behind MTV's hit reality show, Teen Mom OG. But you might not recognize her face anymore. On October 23, 2016, she decided to undergo surgery for the ultimate "mommy makeover." She went from a dark long-haired brunette to a buxom woman with an ice blonde-bob, a la Marilyn Monroe.
Through dieting, she lost 36 pounds and was looking to "tighten up" her body after the dramatic loss. Although she hasn't reported her exact procedures, she has been pretty candid to her fans about the fact that she has had work done.
"Losing weight and gaining weight + having a baby can change your body. Time to feel good again," Portwood said on Instagram.
From crop top to show-stop
Ade is a mother and a college student. But nobody was taking her wardrobe seriously. She lived by the mantra, "less is more." Short shorts, crop tops and fishnets were her signature pieces. She always assumed tight barely-there clothing made her athletic frame appear more feminine. Um, "feminine" was not quite the word that came to mind for Louise Roe and Preston Konrad of the TLC show, Style By Jury.
Ade made a complete 180 after they dressed her up in a preppy yellow skirt and a smart white blazer. They made sure to highlight Ade's edgy personality with perforated leather and sexy high heels, showing her she can draw attention for a whole different reason.
Mama Starr Makeover
Twenty-seven year old Patrick Starr has become a YouTube sensation. Known for being the boy who loves to wear makeup and loves to show others' how to wear it too, he is a big advocate for self-expression, and self-acceptance. But what's even more fun is the fact that his mom, Mama Starr, is a social media sensation in her own right. In this video, he decides to wave his magic wand and give Mama Starr a new look.
He pulls out all the stops — from the $100 Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream as a primer, to long false lashes to really highlight her big brown eyes. By the end, as Patrick says, "You look like me now." Yes, the two are spitting images of each other. Big, beautiful smiles, contagious confidence, and of course, perfectly-done makeup.
Grandmommy makeover
Makeovers shouldn't just be reserved for moms. What about the moms of moms?
The TODAY Show loves to surprise deserving women for "Ambush Makeovers," and nobody was more deserving than 65-year-old grandmother Randi Mascari. She lost her first husband to cancer, and found new love in her husband Chuck who had also lost his spouse to cancer.
Grandmother to three grandchildren and retired first grade teacher, Mascari was in desperate need of a makeover — especially for her hair, which, according to her, was never one of her best assets.
Hairstylist Louis Licari surprised her with a new red 'do, complete with layers and an effortless bob. TODAY contributor Jill Martin threw convention out the window and put this grandma in an off-the-shoulder black top, paired it with a grey blazer and jeans, and for the piece de resistance, stamped floral statement heels.
Hidden beauty
Gina was another TODAY "Ambush Makeover" surprise. This 33-year-old from Vermont is a mom to four children, and admitted she hasn't colored her hair in a decade. Upon first glance, you can see Gina doesn't put a whole lot of time and attention into her look, but it's obvious that she's beautiful. Even before the final results, we had a feeling it was going to be a "She's All That" kind of moment.
And boy were we right. The experts at TODAY turned her hair color a subtle golden hue. But more importantly, gave her long, face-flattering bangs. To top it off, they put her in a figure-flattering lace dress and neutral heels. She was so shocked by her sleek new look that she was worried that her baby wasn't going to recognize her.
Lesson of the day
So what did we all learn today? Sometimes, when you work your butt off for your kids, you forget to color your hair, put on makeup, and wear something that actually fits your body. Whether you're already a mom, or motherhood is in your future, let's all try to remember that when we take care of ourselves, we're happy. And when Mom's happy, everybody's happy.