A brand- new you

There are perks to living the life of a millionaire: the cars, the jewelry, the instant social cachet, the not-having-to-work-till-you-feel-like-it, the unlimited room service, and, of course, being able to throw out all the old clothes in your closet at the start of the year, because, hey, you can buy truckloads of them, fresh from Paris and New York. It’s perhaps being able to start from scratch at this time of the year, to forget all the horrible mistakes we’ve made – from the misguided gauchos to that acid-yellow top – and move on, that makes us wish for loads of cash and a ticket to New York. To shop and erase all the past’s wrongs – isn’t that what every girl wishes at the beginning of the year?

For Nicole Warren, 23, a young mom, and Binky Fornier, 24, a med student at UST, their wishes came true. As winners of the YStyle makeover, they had their hair done, got free makeup and loads of free clothes. Not a bad way to start the year.

"I’ve been looking for a way to break free from the tedium of everyday life," says Nicole, who gave birth to her first child, Ethan, only a year ago. Having taken an extended break from work (the company she worked for no longer exists) to be with her offspring and now on the hunt for a new job, she was eager for a change, something to bring her up to speed and ready her for what’s sure to be an exhausting search.

Binky, meanwhile, knee-deep in medical texts waiting to be read and cadavers waiting to be examined, just needed to do something else that didn’t have anything to do with medicine or studying. "It’s hard to dress up or put together a fun outfit when school takes so much time," she says wryly. "Plus, I wear a uniform." Ah yes, after waking up at 5 a.m. (sometimes earlier), she dons her uniform, tries to eat a little breakfast and then catches up on her reading. "It’s nonstop over here," she adds with a laugh.

The two girls share a cause: they want to revamp their wardrobes, which could breathe new life into their lifestyle as weary semi-adults, but they don’t have the budget. Binky still lives on her parents’ goodwill ("They give me an allowance," she says, "but then I am still in school") while Nicole, currently on a job hunt, is strapped for cash ("The Christmas season hasn’t helped either," she says jokingly with a toss of her hair, "buying everyone gifts left my ATM crippled for life").

Our makeover victims received a plethora of fabulous free products from Shu Uemura, like Depsea therapy trial kit with Cleansing Oil Classic, Depsea Therapy Nanowater Toner and Depsea Therapy Cream; UV Underbased SPF 17; Depsea Perfect Water-in cake foundation; Rouge Créme; and drawing pencil in metallic khaki.

"These are the essential tools to create a basic, yet perfect makeup look," says Shu Uemura's Tina Tinio. "For effective skin care, these multi-purpose products provide radiance and protection at the same time. It's makeup to help you achieve a natural glow – that’s all you need to start!"

For the luckless majority who want to revamp their outfit, but don’t get the shopping free-for-all our lucky YStyle makeover winners got, just update your wardrobe with a few key pieces. The tiangges at Market! Market! are filled with great stuff that’s not pricey. And if that’s not enough, you can always try out for the next YStyle makeover. Till then, toodles!

Nicole Warren

Job: Young mom

On the hunt for: "Work-ready clothes that are chic and practical!"

First wave: Hairstylist du jour Philippe Tordjman of First Aid Salon in Greenbelt 3 gave her long flat hair a rest. "I’ve had this kind of hair for ages," Nicole says. "It’s time for a change." For a wash-and-wear look, Philippe gave her a spiral perm. He pre-cuts her hair to remove length and give light layers then proceeds to wind her hair into curls. "With a perm," Philippe explains, "you get body and fullness. It’s one of the easiest ways to add volume to typical Asian hair which is stick-straight."

Work it: With her lean frame, anything looks good on Nicole. The key is to find work-ready separates that can be mixed to create a wardrobe that’ll carry her from day to night. A selection of filmy blouses makes for a perfect fit with its elegant and sophisticated look. Paired with rough-and-ready jeans or a silky skirt, the blouse is a great accent for people with lean figures.

Binky Fornier

Job: Third-year med student

On the hunt for: "Fashion that flatters my petite frame and hourglass figure! And also something that won’t make me look so baduy."

Short cut: With her strict schedule, Binky doesn’t have time to mess with her hair. Hair stylist Philippe’s solution? A practical cut that accentuates her oval face, and one that’s stylish and easy to maintain. Philippe trims her hair, advising her to pull the ends of the hair by her neck forward. It makes the cut look more defined. He updates her hair color with a rich auburn-rust shade that sets off her fair skin. To style it, Philippe suggests a product like Bench Fix Hairstick. "Just apply a little to give your hair texture," he says, "and you’re good to go."

Go figure: A petite frame is common to most Asians. Binky finds that most pants and skirts are too long for her. The quick-fix solution is to have someone trim hemlines accordingly. To flatter her hourglass figure, tulip skirts, the kind that hug the hips then swell at the hem, are best since they accentuate the hips. Since she favors blindingly bright colors, the solution for this soon-to-be surgeon is to tone down her color range and select pieces in colors that flatter her skin tone like brown and rust. Black is particularly slimming and flatters any skin tone.