Now She's Rockin'- A Beauty Makeover with Rob Closs

Dawn Skinner, from 94.5 The Bull a.k.a The Cougar... just got tame!

My mission was to do a beauty makeover, and provide Dawn with some usable fashion advice and beauty tips. To be honest, I didn't know what to expect walking into the Cougar's den. The first words out of her mouth were "Are you the guy that's going to make me cougar-lishious?" She immediately set the tone for the rest of the day - fun, fun, fun, and more fun!

My two years on the "So Chic" television show with Chris Hyndman and Steven Sabados gave me the tools to break this wildcat. By doing makeovers for literally dozens of women, all shapes and sizes, with different expectations and dreams, I learned that knowing your client is crucial for a successful beauty makeover / transformation. Making sure the process is fun, smooth and empowering is just as important as the outcome. Using this formula, we walked into the lion's den and wooed her into a kitten with a new attitude.

Fashion Advice: Let's Get Dressed!
A woman's style is broken down into two components: what works for your body type and what you want to wear. Coloration, fabric, how it falls on you body and the design all play a very important role, but nothing is more important than feeling comfortable in your own style. If you have to be talked into an outfit - don't buy it! The reason behind this is because when you wear it out on that special occasion, it will feel more like Colombo's raincoat and that's when you will begin to curse yourself.

Dawn tried on a collection of luxury. Her first fitting was a beautiful Anne Cline silk dress, which had a flowing hemline that followed her around like a ballet dancer. However, the empire waist, which can be extremely flattering on many body types, (i.e. short- waisted women) did not work on Dawn's slim, fit frame. This mother of four has done some serious Abdominal work in her day. The empire design offered a slightly lanky look on her body type, and ballooned her bust line, giving her a matronly look. The outfit we ended up with was initially outside of Dawn's comfort zone, but within minutes of having it on, she was sold.

Beauty Tip:
The cool red tone of this velvet bandolero jacket is beautiful for Dawn's skin tone and overall constitution. Dawn's natural hair color is brown/black. This puts her in a color category of cool-vivid. The jacket is in the same color category -- a harmonious match.

Your natural hair color is a strong guideline for your makeup and wardrobe colors that are going to make you look hot! The flattering centre line of this outfit is snug on Dawn's mid-section, giving her an elegant, subtle cleavage, exposing her midriff occasionally, while still demanding respect. The hugging lace and satin skirt continues the tight curvy lines that make this ensemble so appealing. Although Dawn's first choice for footwear would have been the soft leather boots that felt "like butter" when she put them on, we went with slick, black stilettos, with some bling detailing in the centre.

Beauty Tip: Hair Dare
Unlike makeup, hair cannot be washed off. My advice is to work with your hair stylist in stages. Don't go off the beaten track too soon. Get to know each other and work as a team through your evolving looks. With Linda and Dawn's first meeting, we stuck to clean and classic. Linda tidied up the grey, threw in some subtle highlights, smoothed the split ends and gave Dawn a blow out ready for a photo shoot.

Makeup Tip: Make Up Your Mind
…then your face will follow:

The overall facial design is feminine, flirty and classic. All three color areas -- eyes, cheeks, and lips -- have been coordinated with the same color: rosy, taupey browns. The common color theme on her face works well. A hint of unpredictable creativity adds some pizzazz because we didn't match Dawn's lips to her outfit.

Beauty Tip:
Lips can match an outfit, or be in opposition to it. For instance, the complementary coloration of yellow shirt and plum lips can be a real show-stopper. Or, a "blended" color may be worn. A blend is one lipstick that contains multiple warm and cool tones. Blends offer a broader spectrum for coloration and can be worn with a multitude of attires. When lining your eyes, a thin, vivid dense eye line is more effective and flattering than a thick, faint line.

Dawn's Top Three:
Custom blended silicone foundation.

Silicone is the new oil! It's smoother, lighter and delivers a second skin coverage. It's set with little tono powder, leaving your skin looking flawlessly natural. $45.00.

Kiss me and my mascara! He will want to when he sees what this formulation does to your lashes. Unlike traditional mascara, it coats each individual eyelash forming an individual tube around it, adding incredible volume. This technology is water resistant without harsh chemicals, and requires no eye makeup remover. Just shimmy the lashes with a warm wash cloth and watch the tubes dislodge. Kiss-Me-Mascara: $29.95

Get Gorgeous Gloss… is slightly vanilla scented. It has long-lasting power and feels great on. Dawn is wearing "J. - LOW" and "Spot Light" in the centre of her lip.

Makeup Tip:
Glosses that are overly sticky will last but are not comfortable to wear. Glosses that are too buttery, feel great on, but are gone by the first kiss! Look for a gloss that rests somewhere in the middle. These shades won't break the bank at $13.00.



Rob Closs is the founder and managing Director of The School of Professional Makeup in Toronto, Canada. He has provided Fashion Advice, Makeup Tips and Beauty Tips for almost 25 years. Rob has most recently appeared on Life Network's popular makeover show "So Chic" with Steven Sabados and Chris Hyndman. Rob can be reached through his website, www.promakeupart.com.