Get the fab look...

Watching all the foreign glamour shows that showed foreign women looking all made up and beautiful, Samantha Gori decided that it was time Kenya had its own makeover show were local women could be magically transformed into beautiful, elegant women.

That was when she decided to create and produce a show on NTV which she dubbed ‘Magic makeover.’ Besides being a TV producer, Samantha is also in the beauty business and so had an understanding of the kind of advice ladies (and men) needed to make them style up on their grooming.

“I wanted to show Kenyans that it was possible to attain locally the looks of all the glamorous men and women they watched on foreign TV shows and read about in those glossy foreign magazines. We have the clothes, make-up, hair products and experts right here who can do a fabulous job advising and showing us how to look and feel great!”

“Not everyone understood the concept and why it would be such a hit. It actually took almost two years before we finally found people who were ready to partner with us.  But eventually we got Venus and NTV and we have not looked back,” says Samantha.

The Glam squad Carol Wahome (wardrobe), Eva Muchiri (hair designer) and Fatu Hassan (make-up) was selected and the makeover ladies were nominated.

Along with them, the fabulous crew and wardrobe sponsors, they set off to begin Magic Makoever . We bring you five women who were nominated by friends, colleagues and relatives for the makeovers. The results are amazing!

Find out what the team did to prove that hair, make-up and wardrobe need not be a challenge if you know how to go about it.

CATHERINE

Catherine, who is a brand manager needed to update her style and re-brand herself. Moving out of her normal dark suits for work and black outfits for weekends was the objective. Her daughter and friends all agreed that the black had to go!

Hair: Catherine was contemplating cutting off her long hair and so Eva, the hair designer was happy to oblige. Eva opted for an asymmetrical bob with a few blonde highlights in the front and layered at the back. This style can be worn straight, wavy or with flips inwards or outwards.

To set this style, the Venus Radiance range was used with particular attention on the foam wrap for body and shine.

Make-up: After foundation, powder and bronzer, Fatu, the make-up artiste used a light colour on the inner corners of the eye and on Catherine’s brow bone under the arch of her eyebrow to bring out her eyes. Fatu also used a silver liner on the inner rim of the lower lash line for that fresh look.

Tip: Fatu used this makeover to show how to balance the eyes and lips. When the eyes are bold, the lips should be a neutral colour and when the eyes are more neutral, you can emphasize the lips with a darker colour.

Wardrobe: Breaking the ‘black’ habit was Carol’s challenge so she opted to help Catherine break out of it slowly by introducing small bits of colour to the clothes and accessories. Catherine’s wardrobe was provided by Enkarasha.

FIONA

Fiona needed to find a way to have an ethnic look but with a young and trendy vibe. Working as a branch manager of a beauty store, she is free to play with her look at work as there is no strict dress code. Getting the mix just right for Fiona was the glam team’s challenge.

Hair: Fiona had recently cut her hair short and needed to know what options there were for styling. Eva opted to vamp up her style by adding moisture to the hair, wrapping it then using tongs to create an elegant, defined style. An extension was added just in the front to create a side swept bang.

Make-up: After cleansing, concealer, foundation and powder, Fatu showed Fiona how using a white or silver eye pencil to line the bottom rims of the eye can bring out the eyes more and create a fresh and youthful look. This is a great trick for anyone to use.

Since Fiona had oily skin, Fatu emphasized that she must get moisturizers, cleansers and make-up that go with her skin type as this will improve the condition of your skin. Steaming your face once a week and using a scrub regularly is also a great way to control spots and blemishes.

Tip: Always cleanse and moisturise the skin before applying make-up. Also, always remove make-up and cleanse before going to bed.

Wardrobe: Carol picked pieces that Fiona could wear as an entire suit or with trousers or jeans for a more casual feel . Matching head-wraps was also a bonus for Fiona as she absolutely loves them.

For this type of a look, accessories are most important as they can make or break the outfit.Fiona’s Wardrobe was provided by Pilotesa at the Village Market, Fabric Gallery for the kikoy wraps and jewellery from Majik Grace.

LEAH

Leah is a banker and very conservative when it comes to style. She needed a look that would work at the office and also when she goes for social events. She was nominated by a friend and her brother who said her dressing needed a change.

The challenge with Leah was to try and be trendy yet keep it conservative since showing a lot of flesh was out of the question. Leah also told us that she does not wear trousers so that was a real challenge for the team.

Hair: A subtle hairstyle is what Leah needed, so without losing the length, Eva re-touched, treated and styled her hair. Eva advised Leah not to tie her hair back too tight to avoid her hair breaking in the front and back. The hair was styled with flips outward to give it a fun and sophisticated look.

Tip: Always re-touch the hair after every 6-8 weeks to prevent the hair getting weak and breaking. Alternate your hairstyles and give the hair a break in between styles to keep it strong.

Make-up: Fatu showed Leah how to get a look that was subtle and natural and one which would work well both at work and play. Neuteral colours on the eyes and lips always looks fresh and youthful as well as tinted lip-glosses instead of full coverage lipsticks. Colours like copper, taupe and bronze worked well for Leah’s skin tone.

Fatu’s advice for improving dark circles under the eyes was to get a good eye cream or use cucumber or orange pads which have a cooling effect.

Wardrobe: Sticking with dresses, shirts, tops and jackets, Carol managed to pull it off and added brighter colours to compliment Leah’s skin tone.

After the makeover, she wore a gorgeous pink flowing top with a sequenced neckline paired with a full length cream skirt. This was a great outfit for those office cocktails. Leah’s entire Wardrobe was provided by MANGO.

MILKA

Milka was one of the younger nominees but one with a very interesting profession. This 19-year-old works as a matatu conductor — which is still very much a man’s world.

Milka tended to wear clothes which were not feminine at all and never wore make-up. As her boss and fellow colleagues said, she was more like one of the guys than a woman.

Her hair is natural and she always wore it very simply or hid it under a bandana. She needed a casual look for work and weekends as well as a look that would be good for socialising and going to church on Sundays.

Hair: Eva swapped her bandana for cool mid-length twist braids thus keeping her hair natural. The braids had a hint of auburn to add colour to the style.

Make-up: Fatu introduced Milka to the wonderful world of make-up and showed her how to use it to enhance her lovely features. After cleansing the face, Fatu shaped and filled in Milka’s eyebrows with brown powder.

Foundation was then applied and blended all over the face and neck. Powder was used to set the foundation and a bronzer used to give that alluring glow. Shimmery golds and browns were used on her eyes for a youthful, fun look and gold tinted lipgloss for that perfect pout.

Tip: When choosing your foundation, try three shades that are close to your skin tone on your cheek. The one that disappears is the right shade for you.

Wardrobe: Milka needed a look that was comfortable yet a bit feminine for work as well as a look that would work well for socializing. Carol swapped her usual T-shirts and jeans for cool coloured tops and trendy shoes that she could wear for church and social events.

After the makeover, Milka wore head-to-toe black with gold accessories and sexy leopard print shoes. Milka’s clothes were provided by ENKARASHA and jewellery was from Shital Gold Ornments.

ROSEMARY

Rosemary, a 40-something mother of one, is a trainer and facilitator and does a lot of NGO work. She was nominated by her daughter and sister who said that they wanted to see her look be a bit more trendy with more colour in her wardrobe. Her hair was usually in a ponytail and she hardly used any make-up.

She needed a look that would be good for work and also for going out in the evenings.

Hair: Rosemary needed a style that was versatile and easy to maintain. She did not want to lose the length of her hair so Eva layered it to give it more shape and style. A few coloured extensions were added to create highlights and then the hair was set on rollers to create more body.

Make-up: Fatu taught her how easy it is to do her own make-up in a matter of minutes. She began with a bit of concealer under the eyes and then used a liquid foundation all over the face.

She then used a coloured power to set the foundation and control shine. Fatu filled in the eyebrows with a dark brown eyebrow powder and then used black eyeliner on the top and bottom lash lines to bring out Rosemary’s eyes.

Neutral coloured eye-shadow and lip gloss were applied to keep the look natural. An overall glow to the skin was achieved by using a little bronzer on the cheeks and around the hairline.

Tip: Always use coloured powder that is one shade lighter than your foundation otherwise your skin will darken and look patchy.

Do you have any questions on fashion, hair or make-up?  Let the Magic Makeover team answer them for you. Send an email to [email protected] with your question and look out for the responses each week in your Saturday magazine. If you need a change, want to update your look or just need to get tips and tricks from our professionals, don’t miss Magic Makeover on NTV, Sundays at 6.30pm. All the glamour pictures were taken by Bobby Pall