Teachers Get Back-to-School Makeovers

Sept. 16, 2002 -- It's back-to-school time for Maureen Desmond, Breanne Barnard and Joanna Blangiardo, three teachers who say they have a lot to learn — when it comes to their looks.

"My style is classic and it borderlines on plain," said Desmond, a 34-year-old who teaches kindergarten in New Jersey. By the end of the day, her hair goes flat, her skin appears pale, and she feels messy, Desmond said. She wanted a more professional and trendy look.

Barnard, a 23-year-old drama and dance teacher in New York City, said she wanted a look to distinguish herself from her students, since their age difference is not that large. At the same time, she needs to feel comfortable, since teaching drama and dance keeps her quite active.

"I'm out of school. I'm a teacher now," said Barnard. "I want to be more mature. I want to look older."

A third teacher, 26-year-old Blangiardo from Long Island, said that she wanted to stray from her classic look.

"My style is very simple and I would like to jazz it up a little bit," Blangiardo said.

Since children get a back-to-school wardrobe each year, Good Morning America decided give the teaching trio a back-to-school teacher makeover.

The first stop was Lord & Taylor, where the women received some one-on-one clothes counseling with Lucky magazine's fashion director Andrea Linett, who helped each woman update her look.

Makeup Intelligence

The women then had their hair and makeup done at the John Sahag workshop, where cosmetic queen Trish McEvoy gave a makeup pop quiz that the teachers failed.

McEvoy had a few tips for women looking to update their look for the new season.

"Stick with the neutrals, browns, greys, blacks," McEvoy said. "Just add a little color to the cheeks and lips. That's where you can play with color, and make sure you have a look that works in your everyday life, and that you are comfortable with."

Desmond's makeup was toned down a bit to match her more casual dress style.

For Blangiardo's makeup, McEvoy concentrated on bringing out her eyes.First she used concealer to hide dark areas underneath the eyes, and used softer colors on the eyelids, cheeks and lips.

Breanna doesn't normally wear makeup, so McEvoy concentrated on giving her a little color on her lips, and getting rid of dark circles under her eyes.

Haircut Homework

Next, the teachers got some haircut homework with stylist John Sahag.

"We're going to have fun today," Sahag greeted them. "You ladies ready? We'll do something really smashing."

The two most important things that women looking for a new style need to remember are cut, and product.

"You must have a great cut to work with, or there's no hope," he said. Find a cutter with a great reputation in your area, then work with them to get what you want.

"Next, make sure they tell you what product they are using on your hair, and how you should use it to get the right look," Sahag said. "With the right cut and product, you may not need another cut for three or four months."

Desmond went from long hair to a fairly short cut that gently frames her face.

"The back of her hair is layered throughout, about four inches lengthwise," Sahag said. It is carved a little shorter through the nape, to emphasize volume in the crown. He kept the layers longer, and shifted the volume to give it a unique shape. Around the face, he left it "piece-y, soft and playful."

Blangiardo went from a straight long hairdo, to a wavy, wet look, which included more highlights.

Her hair was cut "uneven," in shorter layers, and Sahag added several different color highlights. The goal was to create a little contrast, and give it a "sandy" look, and the layers helped add volume.

Breanna's hair is thick and she normally wears it in a ponytail. Sahag cut it so that she could just "wash it, muss it up and head out the door." He gave her a layer cut that allows her to wear her hair free.

After two days of being catered to, the three women passed the makeover test.

But the real test would be how their new looks would go over with a roomful of students.

"I think that my students will be very surprised to see me," Barnard said.