As a full time working mother, Amy Larson doesn’t have much time in the morning to worry about her style. She is more preoccupied with getting her two little girls ready for the day. This is why Larson applied for Plymouth Magazine’s makeover contest. As contest winner, Larson underwent a transformative day that included hair, face and makeup services by Simonson’s Salon & Spa, professional styling by Lillian’s Urban Market Medina and a photo shoot by our magazine’s creative team.
Larson lives in Plymouth with her husband, Kurt, and her two daughters, Brooke and Claire, who are 5 and 3. She works as marketing manager for Tonka Water. After being selected for the makeover, Larson awaited the day with great anticipation. She wondered what they would do to her hair—she is training for a half-marathon and wanted a hairstyle that would not get in the way. She was also curious about what they would do for makeup—Larson is fairly conservative in that department, typically wearing little to no makeup. When the day finally arrived, Larson walked in the door with an open mind and walked out bubbling with excitement at the results.
“You just feel so pretty,” Larson says after the big day. After the makeover, she went straight to her husband’s work and then to her office to share her new style. She sent obligatory selfies to her out-of-state family, who were anxiously waiting to see the results. Everyone loved it, including her girls. “They were intrigued and excited,” Larson says of Brooke and Claire. “They love dolling up. To see their mom glammed up like that was really fun for them.”
Larson ended the day with a celebratory date night at Chino Latino with her husband. She arrived at the restaurant with show stopping style, wearing one of her new outfits. “It was nice to be able to show off and be recognized for the work that has been done before it had to be taken off,” Larson says.
It’s safe to say that the day—a mixture of feeling relaxed, being pampered, learning a new styling trick or two and feeling beautiful—ended on a good note. “I am very grateful for the opportunity and I am extra thankful for Lillian’s and Simonson's for everything they did,” Larson says. “It’s fun to feel fresh and new.”
The Face
Simonson's aesthetician Madison Coles left Larson’s face glowing after her services, which included an hour-long HyrdaFacial and a full face makeup application. To start, the anti-aging facial rejuvenated her client’s skin by cleansing, exfoliating, extracting and rehydrating it.
After the facial, Coles applied Glo Minerals medical makeup. She used the Luxe Foundation because of its unique diamond technology. Unlike regular foundations that reflect all colors of the spectrum, the Luxe Foundation only reflects blues and greens, tricking the eye and reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, evening out the complexion and hiding any impurities.
Coles continued with makeup styles that are trending, including applying highlights and contouring as well as incorporating a nude lip color. Her attention to detail did not stop there. “I wanted to really focus on her eyes because she has beautiful, bright eyes,” Coles says. She used neutral colors, a dark and full eyelash, and a dark eyeliner with a small wing to make her eyes pop.
The Hair
Simonson’s stylist Chelsea Bohn Bergaus didn’t have her hair plan set in stone before meeting Larson. She wanted to hear her client’s thoughts on style, hair routine and upkeep routine first. After discussing, Bergaus came up with a stylish plan that suited Larson’s lifestyle.
For the color, Bergaus followed the two-color hair trend and created an ombre effect. First, she applied a warm brown color to Larson’s roots, deepening her base 2-3 shades darker than her natural hair color. She then brightened up Larson’s existing blonde highlights on the tips. Finally, Bergaus applied a balayage technique that included freehand painting hair pieces to ease the transition between the two colors.
The stylist did not chop off much length for the cut. Instead, she altered the hair’s shape by cutting only a few inches off at an angle with the longer layers in the front. Using a 1’’ curling iron, the stylist transformed Larson’s hair into simple loose waves, another trending style. The best part of the new hairdo for Larson? It’s stylish yet practical: she can still pony it back for her training runs.
The Style
Sue Olmscheid of Lillian’s met with Larson weeks before the makeover to pick out the two perfect outfits. Olmscheid pulled several items for Larson to try on while offering her expertise on the clothes. Together, they decided on two looks that were fashion-forward and flattering.
The first look was a holiday outfit. Larson selected a bell-sleeved embroidered tunic to wear with leggings and heels or boots of her own. She imagines wearing this outfit to a holiday work party. The second outfit was geared for fall. Larson chose a beaded Bohemian top that she will wear with skinny jeans and camel boots or flats. To top this look off, she selected a camel vegan leather jacket and a navy crossbody bag.
We asked Olmscheid to name a few trends and details that will be in this fall. First on the list is plaids. “You will see fun and familiar plaid print button down tops and longer tunics to wear with leggings,” Olmscheid says. She predicts that peek-a-boo shouldered tops will carry into fall as will fall florals printed on everything from sweatshirts to long, flowy dresses. And let’s not forget about ruffles. Olmscheid adds that this detail will be popular on top fronts, necklines and sleeves. Other popular trends the stylist notes this season are the color navy and chokers.
