| Deepti
Seshadri
It must be said: Deepti Seshadri,
the 20-year-old Hopkins pre-med student, is a
beanpole. She's tall and reedy, with skinny legs and--the bane of
her existence--"small ankles!" (is there a support group
for that?)
"I look horrible in skirts,"
sighs Deepti.
South Moon Under
to the rescue.
Turns out, even the calf-impaired
among us can wear skirts, as long as they are accompanied by textured
hose (like fish-net) or a knee-high boot. Who knew?
Next year, Deepti will be attending
medical school, and she thinks it's time to throw away her Hopkins
hoodies for a more sophisticated look. With the help of store manager
Michelle Shawyer, we get Deepti going on a variety of outfits. Once
Deepti gets over her ankle phobia, we discover that almost everything
looks great on her, a pair of pin-striped pants with a pink cashmere
sleeveless sweater.; a polka-dotted silk skirt; a mesh wool off-the-shoulder
ivory sweater with a texturized stripe. One snag: Deepti's tiny
frame is swallowed up by blazers and coats. So Fashion Editor Pascale
Lemaire suggests pairing skimpy skirts with form-fitting cardigan
sweaters. Bingo!
The winning outfit is a true classic:a
pair of boot-leg pants and a white ribbon belt, a white lace camisole,
a black cardigan, pointy-toed shoes, a black and white flower pin,
and an oversized patent-leather shoulder bag. The look is hip and
stylish without being too "runway" for med school.
Next stop: Giuseppe's
Hair Studio in Parkville, where
the salon's "Dream Team"---owner
and stylist Giuseppe Castellano, makeup guru Dean
Krapf, nail and waxing expert Pasqua Kramer,
colorist and stylist Mario Rentuma, and assistant
Antonio Cola---await us.
"The first thing I noticed about
Deepti was her hair, not her face," says Giuseppe, referring
to Deepti's long curly mop. "It overwhelms her and that's not
good."
Giuseppe elects to lop off six inches
(whoah!) and remove the bulk by layering the bottom and making the
strands airier and piecier. It's amazing what a good haircut can
do: Deepti's hair, so weighty and bulky when she first arrived at
the salon, now looks soft and luxurious.
Mario then colors the hair a cool,
medium iridescent brown, working with Deepti's pre-existing highlights
to add reddish tone and depth. Later, he blows the curly hair smooth
and uses a flat iron to shape the final style.
Deepti is a real trooper about losing
half her hair, but she's a little less agreeable during the waxing
stage. Not only do we wax Deepti's eyebrows, but we remove some
unwanted hair from the side of her face. (Yes guys, women do that.)
"Ahhhhh!" screams Deepti,
clearly not amused.
"This will make you a little
more sympathetic to your patients," offers Pasqua (apparently,
that's her version of bedside manner).
To atone for administering this painful
procedure, Pasqua gives Deepti a long, luxurious manicure, soaking
and massaging her hands and painting the nails a rich cabernet.
Now that's more like it!
Esthetician Dean holds court as he
applies Deepti's makeup:
"Curling the lashes opens the
eye up and adds length. It's a must-have. I think it is important
to rim the entire eye in shadow. It completes the circle. When it
comes to concealer, a little dab'll do ya."
Team Makeover takes notes.
When Dean is finished, Deepti is positively
glowing. The look is fresh, clean, and unfussy: orange-brown eyeshadow
with a little shimmer on the brow bone, black mascara, a subtle
blush with a pop of extra color on the apples of the cheeks, a dark
lipstick and liner finished with a little gloss.
Knowing that this was Makeover Monday,
Deepti cleverly scheduled an early-in-the-week date.
"If he doesn't fall over when
he sees you, kick him to the curb," says Pasqua.
All agree: Deepti looks ravishing.
Her date won't know what hit him. |
