A Little Pre-Alt Makeover!

(During our ‘Kickstarting Your Next Project’ Panel with Anne Sage, Rena Tom and Lisa Congdon)

Before Alt Summit started I was lucky enough to have my favorite hair stylist in town, Christie Somers. She’s a good friend of mine I met in Manhattan where she worked at a fancy salon on Park Ave, and she now takes clients in both Utah and NYC. She gave my hair a little upgrade color and cut, which it desperately needed. A photographer friend of mine who specializes in headshots, Alisia Packard, tagged along to document the process and make diet coke runs. Afterwards, they even let me raid their closets to pull together a few more outfits for the conference! So, it was a good day for old Liz.

So. Are you ready for the before/after pics?? (drum roll please…)

I have to be honest, I was hesitant to go so blonde, but I trust Christie and she always does amazing work. I’ve really loved the result (it looks and feels really natural!) and it felt great to have a new cut/color before heading to Alt Summit. But what I’m really thinking when I see these images is that sometimes I feel goofy when I have makeup on (she even darkened my brows!). I don’t wear makeup very often besides red lipstick for an evening event. I’m kind of a less is more, natural kind of girl. But looking at these images makes me think maybe I do look more polished with makeup.  It also makes me look a little more alive (could also have been the 44 oz of diet coke and the gossip fest??).

Honestly, though. What do you think? Makeup, no makeup? Natural hair, lightened hair?

A little photo of the process!

You can find Christie Somers at two locations in Utah: B Space Salon in Salt Lake and Relik Salon in American Fork. She is also available in NY if you contact her privately.

Photos by Alisia Packard, top photo by Justin Hackworth

Comments

You’re pretty in the first place but that second pic….BAM!! Gorgeous! With the added benefit of looking totally natural.

The colors in the second pic are softer all around. if I didn’t know you at all (and I really don’t, actually!), the person in the second pic looks more approachable. Something about the softness makes you look…friendlier.

Ha! I know this sounds like crazy talk, but have you noticed how little things like that come with first impressions of people?

you look hot. the makeup makes you look more polished. you don’t need it, and it barely looks like you have any on, but it does make you look refreshed!

I have to say I do like your hair with a bit of color. I know that my blonde hair is considered “ashy” so when I kept my hair blonde I did add in a few highlights to make it look less..blah(?).

I think that the second photo has better lighting. I think you could definitely go without make, but either way looks lovely!

It almost seems unnecessary to say because it’s exactly what everyone else is saying but you look fabulous in the second photo. Very natural, but so good! I didn’t even notice that your hair was colored until you mentioned it. It seemed like because it was straighter, there was just more light reflecting off of it. I say keep it. You look great!

I’m a hair and makeup artist myself 🙂 I think the makeover is beautiful and only enhances your natural beauty. Rock on Mama! Beautiful work Christie!

Wow, you really look fantastic. I’m a natural kind of a girl, too, but there’s nothing about the after picture that looks unnatural or “too much” at all. You just look rested and alive and gorgeous. You are a natural beauty without the makeup, but the makeup is just like, “Blam! I’m a natural beauty!” Looks good on you.

Love the cut and color. If you hadn’t mentioned it was dyed, I’d barely be able to tell. I always have a hard time with the brows with my light hair too. On you I really like it. I always like it when someone else does it for me but hate it when I try it myself! Need to get over that though.

I don’t know anyone with skin that amazing! The photo with make up is great because it still looks so natural. If I hadn’t seen the before, I would think the after was without makeup because it looks so natural and gorgeous. The after just looks so fresh. Dang, I wish I could get away with wearing that little makeup… my skin hasn’t looked as good as yours since I was maybe 10! Jealous!

I love the new blonde (looks very natural) but your skin is far too beautiful to cover!

So, eyebrows. They are important, especially for those of us who have been gifted with naturally light locks and have no eyebrows to speak of! Whenever I’m having a particularly blah-looking day, I realize that my eyebrows are too light, and if I fix them, I look instantly better!

Long-term fix: I dye them using Just For Men beard and mustache color from the drugstore. True story! I leave it on for a heartbeat, and it gives me great brows that I don’t have to fiddle with for weeks!

Short-term fix: Lancome Powder Pencil for Brows in Sable. I’ve had the same pencil for ages!

Now that this comment has become a novel, I will just say that I love the haircut, and I love the red lips in the first picture; it looks so nice with your coloring! What is it??

Great tip about the brows, Melissa! I might try out the dying thing, although it does sound a bit scary (brows are hard to cover up in things go wrong!).

It is a little scary the first time! If you ever decide to go for it, email me and I’ll give you some tips!

I’ve always thought you had such a classy, natural look…but I have to say that after shot is amazing. Fresh, dewy, and really pretty. Not at all “made up”. Just perfect. Especially the blush. Subtle and sweet!

Kudos to you and the makeover team!!

So beautiful! You have a great natural look, and I think with the make over you look brighter and totally polished. Not at all over done. Just fresh. Congrats!

I love it! The hair color is amazing!! I love the makeup too. I’m a fan of going all natural, but I really think a small amount of makeup goes a long way. Especially some blush and chapstick or lip gloss. Just looks polished and awake, like you said!

I wish I had been at Alt! All those beautiful, good people in one place! You are refreshingly pretty. I did a portrait for you a long time ago right? I just recently moved to Palo Alto, and Northern California is such lovely place.

oh my goodness. i LOVE your new cut and color. it looks just fab on you! and about the make-up, i think you look great either way! i think the lip color definitely makes your lips look refreshed and the rest of the make-up gives you a more polished look but i think that you look beautiful without it, as well.

c:

I prefer your hair in the “after” shot, but your make up in the “before”. You look like what I always imagined Emily from Our Town should look like–a fresh-scrubbed beauty. No glitter required.

I thought you looked so uber-fab at Alt. Your haircolor is so gorgeous; I think the lighter blonde looks so natural and pretty. And I agree – you do look more polished with makeup, but like another commenter said above, you can get away with less because your skin is so lovely.

The blond looks really natural and pretty (most natural blond is dishwatery) and the makeup looks very minimal. Just wear a tinted moisturizer everyday and a few other key things and you will still feel like the girl without makeup on but looking fresh and pretty.

I like the make up! It looks natural and polished- nothing too crazy.

And side note, it was so lovely to meet you at Alt! I can’t wait to see what you have in store this year.

The blonde is very nice, very natural looking. And the made up face looks refreshed because it all looks natural. (I did notice your brows before I even read that she darkened them for you. They look good, and I’m not a brows girl. I never pay attention.)

The make over looks fantastic, but you’re beautiful without it, too. So even on days where you wake up, don’t put on make up, and maybe put your hair in a sad bun (haha) rest assured that you’re not exactly scaring away the public. 🙂

You look like you can get away with the “less is more” makeup look because you have such nice skin but I personally think you look amazing with the amount you have on in the after shot. I think an easy, daily makeup must-have that would help make you look “alive” is concealer under your eyes, blush and lip gloss. Of course, some pressed powder and mascara looks amazing too. I have never seen a woman who doesn’t look improved with a bit of natural-looking makeup on. To me, it shows that she takes care of herself.

And your hair looks great too! The blonder look makes you appear refreshed and bright! That’s how I feel when I get my hair done, too!

Your new lay out looks awesome. I love that picture at the top.

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