Every time a new episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show airs in 2010, we will blog along with it. If you have plenty of time, read the long version. If you are pressed for time, read the “What we learned today” summary. If you are really, really pressed for time, read the Twitter-sized summary.

Archive for category Makeover

Date: May 12th, 2010
File Under: Entertainment, Live your best life, Makeover, Transformation
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Episode 69: Oprah’s Make Over My Man Crew Strikes Again

Oprah put out a call for tired, badly dressed men in need of makeovers and thousands responded. They had so much fun last time they did this, they decided to do it again. So many men, so little time says Oprah. The crowd laugh. Marilyn wrote in, desperate to get her 24 year old son John a makeover. He has dreads and calls his style hip hop, his mom calls it urban decay. She feels that he looks like a street person not a professional.

Carson Kressley is standing by in Louisville, Kentucky with his roving van which allows him to travel and meet the masses. Carson is there with Marilyn, John’s mom. They are going to ambush him while he is out playing golf and drag him into the Make Over My Man Van. Oprah says that this will be very interesting.

John asks Carson why his mom is here. Carson says that John looks dreadful but that he can work with him. Carson tells John to say hi to Oprah. John remembers saying to his mom that if she found him a makeover show on TV he would have his dreads cut off. He didn’t think that she’d do it. He is a little upset that his dreadlocks will be going. Carson says that they will work with the hair and make him look cool and young and artistic. Oprah commends John for taking this so well.

Carson greets Oprah from Indianapolis at the NCAA championship. It is crawling with badly dressed guys who need a makeover. He meets Jeffrey, a man with long hair and a long beard who hasn’t cut his hair for 20 years. They go to the grooming station on the “cruise-ship of style”. They work together for the afternoon and when he comes off the van to meet his wife April she screams and says that she is thrilled.

Project Runway star Tim Gunn joins Oprah onstage and they hug. Oprah says that she hears that people have stopped Tim on the subway asking him to make over their man. Tim feels that men think that they have a license to let themselves go. It is the semiotics of clothes and grooming, he says. Miles is an individual whose family say looks like Santa. Tim thought that he looked like a character from Dungeons and Dragons. Miles has a Harley lifestyle and they want to respect that but update his look, especially his hair. His daughters sent in a video asking for help. All his closets are filled with Harley shirts, and Miles looks like the garden gnomes he loves. They bring out Miles in a shirt and jacket with cut hair and no beard. The audience scream and Oprah shouts Get Out! Wowie Kazowie, good for you she says. Oh my gosh says his family. Miles feels great, everything was excellent. Tim says that Miles was very open although a little nervous. Tim says that they say this incredibly handsome powerful guy emerge as they cut the facial hair. Celebrity groomer Diana Schmidtke says that any man can pull off facial hair but it needs to be tended and groomed on a daily basis. Oprah asks if letting your beard grow is like women who keep going blonder and blonder. Miles says that it takes so long to grow a beard that he always changed his mind about loosing it. His family are almost speechless at how good they think he looks.

Carson goes into Hooters where he says that he goes for the wings. He says that he is looking for style violations- the staff ask him to make over their manager Terry. Carson puts on the Hooters outfit to take over for Terry… They return Terry in a shirt and blazer, with a new haircut and groomed facial hair. The crowd scream.

Oprah says that Tim will be the fashion consultant for the Dr Oz show. Tim says that he admires Carry Grant for his style, and George Clooney. Lee is 67 and his wife says that he has nothing from this century in his closet. He has a whole host of see-through shirts. All his clothes are from the 70’s, he will not get rid of any clothes. There is also a leather outfit that he feels he looks great in, but his wife disagrees and says that he needs help. Oprah says that women do this too- getting stuck in the decade where you think that you look your best. They bring out Lee, “Mr Shaft” now. He strikes a pose in his blazer and shirt and tie. His wife says that he looks good, he looks hot. Lee says that he feels great. Tim says that they knew he wanted to look good and that he likes to dress up so they dress him in separates. For a 67 year old man, they say he looks fabulous.

Carson says that things are going great in the van with John, they are working on his dreadlocks behind the closed door. Carson asks if the show can be an hour and a half long. Oprah says that she’ll see what she can do.

In 24 years of doing makeovers, Oprah thought that she’d seen it all until she saw Peter. She unveils a cardboard cutout of Peter. Her daughter says that living with her Dad is like living with a caveman. He wears hoodies and holey blue jeans. Peter says that if she can get Oprah to do a makeover, they can do whatever they want. Peter comes out on the stage in a shirt and trousers, with short hair, no beard and glasses. His wife cries and cries and hugs him. Oh my goodness, wow says Oprah. Peter models his GQ pose. Tim says that this was such a remarkable transformation that they had to recalibrate their thinking about the clothes. Peter is a 42 year old man who looked 70 and now he looks like he is in his 20’s. They cleaned up the ear and nose hair and got rid of the long hair. The daughters say that they wouldn’t recognize their dad. His wife says “I’m married to him.” Peter says that he loves it and thanks Oprah.

Their next man is a doctor who wears scrubs everywhere. 2 years ago he did a photo-shoot wearing a shirt on top and scrubs on the bottom. For their daughters’ homecoming he coordinated with pink scrubs. In Egypt he wore scrubs on holiday. His closet is filled with suits with the tags still on them, and he has an overflow pile of scrubs. He keeps more in the office and in his truck. He comes onstage in a white suit and blue shirt. Wow, says Oprah. He feels comfortable in his clothes and is now confident in his destiny as a medical inventor making the world a better place. He realized that he was trying to hide himself in his scrubs, and now he has the confidence to be himself. Oprah says that he looks fantastic and she loves the shoes too, they look so soft.

Oprah says that this is the evolution of makeovers- in the past they would do makeover like dress up dolls. Tim says that if you don’t respect the person and who they are, it will not stick. Dusty raises money for breast cancer awareness, wearing a pink bra with his hairy back. He is bald and feels undressed without his hat. At first Tim thought that there was a cross dressing issue, but Dusty has done remarkable work in the name of breast cancer. He comes on stage in a shirt, tie and waistcoat. He has a touch of pink in his pocket. He likes his look, he is not used to wearing so many clothes. He had his back waxed for the first time, he doesn’t think it will be something that he’ll do every week. He thanks Tim and says that he is priceless, and gives Oprah a hug and kiss for all his friends who are fighting breast cancer.

Carson found fashion fouls everywhere on his hunt in Indiana. Mike and Bill were sent to the van and made-over. The crowd go wild. Carson says that he had a fun time in Indianapolis and then he found a fashion emergency- a man in orange capris, a metallic shirt and giant mandels. He sent him off to the game in a suit.

Oprah says that Tim and Carson have shown how to polish up your man, but that manners must also be polished. Two women who have written a book called Undateable are going to shed some light on the topic. Take a look, says Oprah. Ellen and Anne are here to tell the secret list of being dateable, and if men are married, to make them sexable. They say that they are humanitarians. The first rule is to ask someone on a date, not to text them. On a first date, men mustn’t talk about their ex, complain about the bill and mustn’t be rude to the waitress. They should be polite, do not order girlie drinks, and turn off their cell phone. Anne and Ellen ask people in the bar what the worst thing is that they have had happen on a date. Don’t look at other girls. Don’t have your car repossessed on a date. Don’t chew your fingernails. A man refused to pay for a girls liquor on a date when she ordered a glass of wine. Oprah thinks that is worse than a car being repossessed.

Next up, back to Louisville for Mr Dreadlocks’ transformation. Carson is standing by with John’s mom. Tim was saying hats off to Carson for doing this in an hour. Out comes John with short hair and a blazer with jeans. Whooo, says Oprah. Marilyn says it is great and wonderful. Carson says that he looks really handsome. John says that it is different, its great, but he’s had dreadlocks for 4 1/2 years. He says that his mom is as happy as she has ever been so it’s great. Psychologically John is not there yet, says Oprah. She says that he looks fantastic and that this look will really work for him for a job interview. Oprah thanks Carson, she loves watching Carson and all the fun he has. Oprah asks all the men who have been transformed to stand up and the crowd applaud. Carson’s van has a No Phone Zone sticker on it, Oprah thanks everyone.

WHAT WE LEARNED TODAY:

Any man can pull off facial hair but it needs to be tended and groomed on a daily basis.

It is easy to get stuck in the decade where you think that you look your best.

There has been an evolution of makeovers- in the past they would do makeover like dress up dolls.

Tim Gunn says that if you don’t respect the person being made-over, it will not stick.

Refusing to pay for liquor on a date when someone orders a glass of wine. is worse than a car being repossessed mid-date, according to Oprah.

A VERY QUICK SUMMARY:

Pay attention, dress well, follow fashion (not too much), be polite and well-groomed to live your best life.

Date: March 30th, 2010
File Under: Celebrity, Entertainment, Live your best life, Makeover

Episode 45: Brilliantly Aging Women With Raquel Welsh

For four decades she has reigned as one of America’s killer sex symbols, with  that incredible body and amazing hair. Despite being a household name she has rarely spoken about her life off-screen. But now at age 69, Raquel Welsh is opening up with a new memoir. Let’s take a look.

A 26 year old Raquel Welsh appeared in a a doeskin bikini for the film One Million Years B.C in 1966. Almost instantly, the mother of two become an overnight sex symbol sensation. Raquel went on to star in more than 30 movies and dozens of television shows. Along the way she was on the cover of Time and starred with  leading men like Frank Sinatra. She took a turn on Broadway and also won a Golden Globe for her role in The Three Musketeers. Offscreen, Raquel’s signature wig line has made more than $500 million in sales, proving she has a head for business. Recently she made GQ’s magazines list of sexiest women of all time. They said, “back when women had bodies, Welsh was the body”.

If this is what 69 looks, like, bring it on. Welcome Raquel Welsh, says Oprah. The crowd go crazy. Wowee, says Oprah, wowee. Wowee. They embrace and compliment each other. Wowee, says Oprah. This is the question, do you feel as good as you look? Barely, says Raquel, laughing. She has her mornings when she likes herself but generally 90% of the time it’s Oh my God. This morning was disastrous- it takes her 3 hours to get ready which is why she looks so good- for her game face. In the book she says as you get older you have to decided if you are going to get in the game or check out, says Oprah. Raquel says that people decide that it’s over for them, they believe in the propaganda. Oprah says that there is a world of propaganda that when you reach 40, and especially 50, that it is over for you.

Oprah says that Raquel wrote the book because she finally wanted to be heard, and the title speaks to that so well: Raquel: Beyond the Cleavage. The crowd cheer. Oprah was interested to hear that she was a somewhat reluctant sex symbol. Yes, says Raquel, when she came to Hollywood she wanted to be a serious actress, she was already the mother of two small children. Oprah didn’t know that until she read this book. Oprah thinks that the powers that were at the time didn’t want us to know, because it would ruin the sexy image. It wasn’t common knowledge says Raquel, she didn’t parade it around alot. When she first came to Hollywood, it was really clear that no actresses really had children. So she didn’t really know which path her career would take. She had her first baby at 19 with her highschool sweetheart. When it turned out that people really liked her because of her body and her sultry look, then..,.

Oprah interrupts to say that at the time everyone was gaga over Marilyn Monroe and that Raquel was not blond enough. Yes says Raquel, when she came to LA and tried to do some modeling just to get a job, they hated her body, everything was wrong. Too much here, not enough here.. Can you imagine, says Oprah, the guy who turned down Raquel Welsh is in an institution somewhere.

On page 23 of the book, Raquel writes that several million copies of the image were circulated throughout the planet. She became every males fantasy from that film. What did that feel like, asks Oprah. “Part of it was really flattering and fun,” she says. “The other part was just really scary as hell.” She felt she couldn’t live up to expectations. Sex sells so then there was this barrage of attention, photographs and photographs celebrating things that she didn’t feel worthy of. She was happy that she had got a break so she could have her career, but at the same time, it was like: “This isn’t me. But this is what I have to do because this is my ticket to ride” she says. “I’m not in a position to just say: ‘Oh, no, wait a minute. You’ve got it all wrong. I’d like to do Shakespeare, I’d like to do something really serious”’.

Oprah loves that there is a point in the book where she went to see the director of the film and said she’d been thinking. It was on One Million Years B.C., when Raquel tried to approach director Don Chaffey with her ideas for a scene, making the best of her script. She said “Don, I’ve been thinking. I’ve been looking at the script and I’ve been thinking.” And he said, “Don’t.”He was the first in a long line of directors and producers who didn’t “give a rats ass” what she thought.

Oprah asks if she felt powerful or manipulated and controlled. “I felt I was being manipulated and things were moving without my consent, but I was also trying to calculate, because I’m not stupid. Maybe this has a good side to it and I better go with it and see where it might take me”. Oprah asks if they can have a really candid conversation when they come back from break because Raquel is a sex and beauty icon in the world. “Used to be” says Raquel. “No, still are” corrects Oprah, “absolutely still are”. The crowd applaud. Oprah says that she is always fascinated by extraordinarily beautiful women and what that does to your psyche. What happens when you walk into a room and the room stops. Oprah says that she has a good personality but the room doesn’t stop, you know what I mean? More after the break.

They show a clip from 1984 where Oprah first interviewed Raquel. She asked if Raquel was scared of aging because she is so beautiful, and Raquel replied “it’s a bitch”. Oprah says she learned from that interview that Raquel demanded a lighting test before appearing. Oprah had been sitting in the dark fro a year and after that she said that she wanted better lighting. That is what Raquel did for Oprah. They shake hands.

Oprah asks her about walking into the room as a sex symbol, she had been marketed that way, and went along with it, adds Raquel. Do you feel like you are that person asks Oprah. Its not that you are that person, says Raquel, she didn’t feel that she was that person, but she was addicted to the attention and power, the doors that opened for her. “It pulled me away from my more serious artistic side, and I kind of just let the other go, to tell you the truth.” Really, asks Oprah? Raquel did what people paid to see. She did a couple of serious roles and no one cared, no one turned up. They wanted to see Raquel Welsh being Raquel Welsh, just as they wanted to see Marilyn Monroe being Marilyn Monroe. Oprah says that she has talked to Beyonce a couple of times, who says that she becomes Sasha Fierce up on stage, a performer and entertainer, an artist. Totally, says Raquel, thats what she loves about Beyonce; when she’s not performing she is humble and works so hard, the humility is touching.

Oprah asks if she was afraid of getting older? Totally, she replies. To be an aging sex symbol is not exactly a picnic. In the book, Oprah says she liked that Raquel says that old is the last remaining dirty word for a woman. The crowd applaud. You can be called a ho, a porno slut, everything- none of that means anything, but if you are called old you feel like its over. Raquel felt that getting through 50 and surviving the menopause was like a new awakening. It was like Hello Raquel, you’re like that and like that, aren’t you. It was like starting over. On page 45 she said that the battle against aging truly begins in the onset of menopause. She found herself without energy and depressed. “I used to find myself just down on the floor in a corner crying my eyes out,” she says. “I couldn’t handle anything.” Nobody warns you how it will be, they commiserate. No one wants to admit that their eggs are over and on crutches, walking out the door, says Oprah. Raquel says that she thinks that it should be called, “men on pause”. For other reasons, yes, says Oprah. Raquel realized that when the body chemistry changes, it reveals some of the underlying problems that you have, some of the issues that she has never addressed.

Oprah loves that Raquel likened it to coming into the light. Oprah says its like our bodies are pushing through all the stuff that needs to be cleaned up and cleared up, the repressed stuff, so you can move into the light of yourself. Raquel had to face herself- her career and the men in her life were an avoidance of what is in her life. Sometimes a moment of silence can be the scariest thing in the world and you don’t really want to open the door and let things in, she says. Oprah is the opposite, she loves to be alone with her thoughts. Raquel does now, she says. Oprah says that when Raquel walks into the room, people are always looking at her, and what is there when she is home alone? Raquel says she has a heart and soul; her mind, her children and her emotions are all alive and well. She just had to unravel the things that she hadn’t been dealing with, she was always too busy. Coming up, Raquel Welsh says sex is over-rated, all the women watching at home can tell their husbands that when they come home tonight.

Before break, some women weigh in on what it means to age brilliantly. Linda age 55 says having a zest for life, going for it. Last year she hiked, rode dirt bikes and ran a half marathon. When her grandson was born she thought oh good, I have a playdate. Karyn loves being 62, she will not allow her husband to buy her a seniors ticket for the movies. She is excited by what is coming next, it keeps getting more exciting and she wants to live to be 120. Shirley, age 94, thinks it’s foolish to lie about your age. She was never afraid of aging, she didn’t think about it. Irene, 85, now has time for herself to play piano and read fat books, she can stay up late reading if she wants to, she can dance by herself having fun.

Raquel Welsh mentions “spending time” with everyone from Burt Bacharach, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Elvis Presley. In the book she made it like a multiple choice question, because she doesn’t believe a woman should kiss and tell. Oprah thinks Elvis and Dean Martin would have been irresistible to her.  “They were all interesting in their own ways,” she says. Those two guys were not the whole enchilada for her. In 1972, Raquel filmed Bluebeard in Budapest with Richard Burton. “He’s like a heat-seeking missile, a smoking hot romantic,” she says. “He was just so charismatic. He was really something”. In 1964, Raquel had a small part in Elvis’ film Roustabout. “He was like high-octane energy set on idle,” she says. “He had all this stuff in him. He was charged up. But it was all contained in this cool demeanor.” Oprah asks if Elvis ever seduced her.  “He invited me someplace that I decided not to go,” she says. “I just didn’t want to be another notch in his gun.”

On page 191, Raquel writes that sex is overrated and overhyped. If you are lucky it occurs with some regularity but its not the whole enchilada.  “Sex is great, of course. But sex to me is an expression of the relationship and the feelings that you have for somebody else,” she says. Oprah says that people always think that Raquel, especially at the height of her “Raquelness” must be having sex all the time. Raquel says that she is not a prude but that the chemistry is only one part. She feels that we are a society of sexhibitionists. Everywhere she turns she sees porno queens and bare midriffs and big hair on three year olds. This is crazy that we are promoting this attitude to life, what about our whole selves? As a professional actress, this is what she does but “All the men that I have really fallen for are those men that have reacted to me and have made me feel like I’m a person and it’s not that they’re going to bed with Raquel Welch,” she says. The rapport must be there between them as people, and that they are not tongue tied. She’s just a human being, she puts her high heels on one foot at a time.

Oprah asks if she’s high maintenance. “I am for work but not the rest of the time,” Raquel says. Actresses are self centered and self serving and you have to be to get certain jobs done, but the rest of the time you have to be yourself. “I’m usually just in sweatpants and some kind of raggedy shirt and my Keds.” Oprah asks how raggedy? Raquel says that the year she wrote the book she went to pot and it was liberating. What Oprah said to her earlier was the key. When she came along in that poster “I was a thing to be seen and not heard,” she says. “By the time you get to 70, you might have a couple of things you’d like to say, and you might like to reach out and have a conversation with other women.”

Oprah asks what she’d like to say to other women about aging. Raquel says the lesson for every aging woman is to embrace it. “I want them to stop being scared of it, because it’s just another chapter in life,” she says. “It’s not time for you to give up. You don’t need to repeat what you did already. Don’t keep comparing yourself.” You need to get in the game, don’t give up but don’t keep comparing yourself. It used to bother her that working out or doing yoga she couldn’t compete, but now she realizes that she is almost 70 and not 19 or 20 or 30 or 50. Improve on your own terms, don’t try and repeat the past. Oprah reads from the book where Raquel says she likes to think of aging gracefully as a game. “We might as well make up our minds to play it or just bow out and be spectators,” she says. “Sitting around doing nothing is far from the best option. Just as you maintain your home, your car, your garden, you should look after your greatest gift: your body.” Oprah loves that, thank you.

Linda, 55, says step out of your box, there is no reason why you can’t do something. Shirley, 94, would tell a young woman to learn as much as she can all the time, every day, every year. Karyn, 62, always tells people that if you don’t take care of your body, the most magnificent machine that you are given, where are you going to live? Irene, 85, says be resilient, be like a willow tree bowing to the ground in the storm. An oak tree is rigid and will crack. Things are tough, but you will get through.

Raquel has two children, Tawny and Damon. She is very honest in the book about her shortcomings as a mother.  “When I’m running around the world and being Miss Sex Symbol and having this big career in film and everything and I’m running from place to place, I couldn’t always be with my children when I wanted to be,” she says. She would have governesses and tutors but that was not the same. “Eventually, I could see that this was taking its toll on my kids, and it used to just break my heart.” Oprah asks if when she was there, was she really there, or was she someplace else in her Raquelness? Was she present and fully engaged?  “I was often preoccupied,” she says. “I felt loving toward them and I would tuck them in and I would soothe them, but it wasn’t the same as being there for them as a mother 24/7.”  In some birthday cards, Raquel signed “Raquel” instead of “Mom” because she was so used to autographs. They are great great kids, fun and smart decent human beings. Today, Raquel says she has a great relationship with her kids, but it took work. “I just started out realizing that I really needed to swim out to the wave. I needed to take a lot more initiative and just keep letting them know that I wanted to be there in their lives with them, that I had something I could offer to them,” she says. “Little by little, the disappointment or the lack of confidence they had in me in that area melted away.”  Oprah read of a time when Tawny was in private school and Raquel went to the Parent Teacher meeting in all her Raquelness. Raquel realized that she had to change gears, as their mother that was a different thing than she was used to.

Linda, 55, does not use soap, she uses Oil of Olay daily. Shirley, 94,  does a series of stretching exercises with the hope that she can stretch as much on Wednesday as on Tuesday. Annette, 52, is a big fan of Bikram yoga which is done in a 105 degree room, she takes a lot of walks with the dog. Karyn, 62, says that coconut oil is her number one thing. She uses it everywhere, she eats it, she moisturizes her hair with it. She saunas, detoxes, she drinks a green drink to get a lot of chlorophyll. Irene, 85, splashes water on her face and puts on some lipstick.

Raquel says that her friends are always asking for beauty and style advice. Oprah says that they decided to have some fun with her. Gail from Knoxville, Tennessee wrote in. Gail said that she used to be hot and something happened and she lost her mojo. Menopause hit her sideways and she never recovered her drive and enthusiasm and excitement about herself. But she has a really good spirit, she’s fun, says Raquel. Oprah say that they were talking in the commercial break about Halle, J-Lo and Beyonce, that the women have more than their faces and bodies, they  have a spirit  and joy. There’s a joy and femininity and warmth and heat that comes from them in a nice way, says Raquel. Raquel likes to think that she wasn’t just seen as beautiful- the world is full of good looking girls, but that there is something in your heart and mind that makes you, you, and makes you approachable.

Oprah thought Raquel should help 64 year old Gail get her mojo back. Take a look. Gail doesn’t know that Raquel is here waiting for her, she thinks she’s just getting a regular makeover. Gail is shocked to meet Raquel. They comb the racks of Neiman Marcus to find the perfect outfit. Next Raquel called in George, of George Salon, to give Gail’s hair some vava-voom. The final stop was the Laura Mercier make-up counter. Raquel has her own bag of tricks, which she is going to use on Gail. She says that she doesn’t make-over other people very often.

Gail is backstage, come on out. The crowd go wild. Look at you says Oprah. There’s some mojo in there. Oprah thinks that this is the coolest thing- how shocked was Gail when she say Raquel Welsh in Newman Marcus? Gail says that she left her contacts in Knoxville, so when she heard her name being called she thought, “I’m in Chicago, who knows me?” And all of sudden she was like oh my God, it’s Raquel Welsh, Gail was amazed. She says Raquel is beautiful, she’s sexy. Oprah asks if it was inspiring for her, first to have this opportunity and also to see Ms Mojo. Gail was amazed that this icon was the sweetest kindest person. They enjoyed shopping together, they had fun. Oprah asks how she feels, Gail says she is getting emotional because she feels beautiful. Raquel gets up to give her a hug.  Gail thanks her. Great job, Raquel says Oprah, and you look beautiful too, she says to Gail.

Karyn, 62, knows for sure that she’ll continue to live in thankfulness. If you continue to show up, life is beautiful. Shirley, 94,  knows that loving those around you is the best way to achieve any amount of happiness. Annette, 52, knows that if she was to do something crazy like dance around with her girlfriend, you don’t have to feel old just because you are growing old. Irene, 85 says write down the ten things you want most in the next ten years. Reach for the stars and put it in the back of your mind and your subconscious will take over. That she knows for sure. She achieved everything except for keeping her weight down. Linda, 55, knows for sure that she is not worried about growing older she just wants to ride her dirt bike for a little while.

Before she says goodbye, Oprah wants to show a photograph of Rodney Thompson. He was a Senior at Homestead High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He was very popular, a star athlete and a leader in his class. On October 17th 2008 he was driving and reading a text. He crashed into a utility pole and died instantly. His mother tells us that Rodney had recently decided that he would be a lawyer to help people less fortunate. She wants us all to learn from her sons story. No text is so important. Go to Oprah.com and take the pledge. Raquel Welsh is ready to take the pledge. There are three different levels of pledge to take. Raquel will not take any more meetings in her car. Her book is called Raquel: Beyond the Cleavage. Thanks to all the brilliantly aging women who shared their wisdom today. Goodbye everybody and thank you.

WHAT WE LEARNED TODAY:

Raquel Welsh was the mother of two small children when she became famous wearing a doeskin bikini for the film One Million Years B.C.

Raquel Welsh was turned down for modelling jobs when she first moved to LA.

Raquel Welsh was explicitly told not to think by many producers and directors.

Raquel Welsh thinks that sex is over-rated and over-hyped.

Raquel Welsh thinks that “old” is the last remaining dirty word for a woman.

A VERY QUICK SUMMARY:

Being an aging sex symbol is no picnic. Commit to the cause, don’t give up, don’t look back, reach for the stars.


Date: February 16th, 2010
File Under: Live your best life, Makeover, Transformation

Episode 28: Make-Unders: How’d You Get That Way?

Oprah says look around at these pictures of some of our most cherished viewers; mom age 34 and her daughter 16 from a few towns over, Wayne from Taylor Michigan who is clearly stuck in the 80’s and Cindy, God loves teachers, but should she be wearing this to lead our children into the future?, and Dawn… Dawn, Dawn. How did these folks  get this way? She knows we all know someone too overdone, too pooped, too painted. These folks don’t need a make-over, they need a make-under. They brought in the big gun who’s so much fun, with tons of experience toning down, come on in Carson Kressley.

So today they are going to have fun in the spirit of helping people look there best. Dawn is a 44 year old single  mother of two. As a child, Dawn was a girl next door; shy, reserved and not outgoing. High school was really hard, she was told she wasn’t going to make much of herself and it was a sad lonely time for her. At 21 she started to change her look and she started to get attention. She started tanning,  dieting, working out and coming into a different kind of look. She says her look doesn’t match her inside as much as people might think. She is a mother first and foremost. Her kids hate how she looks and she’d really like her son and daughter to be proud of her.

Carson hopped on a plane to Canada, which he says is more of a frozen tundra than Chicago, to knock on Dawn’s door. Oprah loves it when this happens; take a look. Edmonton Alberta in Canada in February, Carson says he’d do anything for Oprah. Dawn answers the door and starts shrieking. She takes him upstairs, and he asks if she’s had implants or if she’s naturally endowed. Dawn says they are natural implants. He says they got really big with silicone and she says yes. He asks about her hair- it is extensions. He asks if she’s had anything else done? She says her lips , botox, eyelash extensions. She was been doing this for way too long, over 20 years. Carson says is she asking who is this person and she says yes. Her daughter is 15 and she doesn’t want her to grow up in the same way. She says her daughter is beautiful and perfect the way she is and that Dawn does not want her daughter attracting the wrong kind of attention. Carson says that is what they should want for Dawn, right? Ok, they can do that. They talk outside her closet. Carson asks if there was a moment where she decided to change herself, her looks? Dawn says in high school she  overheard a guy she liked saying that Dawn was a nice girl but too fat so he would never date her. To this day she remembers that. Carson says wow. Looking in the mirror Dawn sees someone with alot of makeup on, someone that is overdone. Not someone that is really her. She thinks her kids see.. she breaks down… she doesn’t think her kids are happy with what they see. They see someone who is supposed to be a role model for them and they would just like to have a mom like everybody else’s mom.

Oprah says to  Carson that addictions affect people in all ways, and that he thinks Dawn has a beauty addiction. He thinks that a little beauty was good but that Dawn was doing as much as she could to be accepted. Just like a food or drug addiction, you do that to fill the void to make yourself feel better. Carson challenged Dawn to strip it all off and peel it down, not easy to do when you’ve had the same beauty routine forever, for 20 years. She gets up at 6am and she’s ready at 11am; Carson doesn’t do math but that’s a really long time. Oprah is speechless. This addiction was taking her away from her family and her job.

Carson asks if her look is a security blanket. yes, her hair has been a focal point, the little girl inside has always felt overweight and she felt that if she had the hair, then people wouldn’t look at the weight. They agree that’s pretty scary. He asks her to imagine how liberating it will be to get rid of it and not hide behind it. She removes her makeup, she’s nervous. Carson thinks she looks better without it, Dawn says it takes her back to the girl she was in high school. Taking out her hair extensions, they call in a reinforcement for help who says it will probably take 3 hours. Carson hikes up her top to cover her cleavage. Carson leaves her with the rules until they meet in Chicago- no makeup, tanning, bronzer, lipstick, eyeshadow, foundation, no bronzer, no hair extensions, false eyelashes and no outfit that show almost all of her boobs. He asks her to remove her false nails. She says that will be very hard. They hug. He is proud of her. He says they’ll discuss getting her nails back in Chicago. She thanks him.

Dawn’s 2 teenage  children are in the studio with Dawn’s best friend, Wendy. Oprah asks how they’ve felt about their mom’s look all these years? The daughter says its kind of hard because her friends look at their mom and judge- either she’s a porn star or… her brother’s friends think she’s a MILF. It’s been hard for her whole life- Oprah says she’s in for a big surprise. Dawn’ s children have been embarrassed for years. Troy, her son says that his friends at school call her a MILF. Oprah says if you don’t know what that is, then ask your children. The crowd laugh. Carson has been working around the clock with Dawn to set her free from the make-up which binds. The kids and wendy are really ready. Dawn comes out and the crowd go wild. The kids come up on stage and they all hug. Oprah says it’s great. Dawn did what Carson said and walked around stripped down- at first the lack of attention was hard. She’s so used to being looked at and asked if she was a celebrity, it was hard. Oprah says she was used to leading by her boobs, and Dawn laughs and agrees. Dawn says that you get so used to being a certain way that all of a sudden she felt naked that a piece of her was stripped away. She says that may not make sense as she used to walk around almost naked. Oprah says Dawn used to call her extensions her comfort food, and asks how she feels without all the hair. Dawn says it’s so freeing. Wendy says Dawn looks fantastic. Oprah asks if this look reflects who she is- absolutely she feels beautiful, pretty and classy. Oprah says she looks it. Carson explains what he did- Dawn’s look was so extreme- a stripper without a pole, but getting to know her she is a wonderful mother and a kind person. They stripped everything down, she has a great natural beauty. So many people with beauty addictions are hiding and they just wanted to reveal what was there- great bone structure, beautiful eyes, great body and legs. He says that you don’t have to show it all off at once, and this is a look to be proud of. The kids are beaming as much as Dawn is. Oprah says that’s a mom you can take to the PTA and Carson says she’s still a MILF.

34 year old Liz and 16 year old Vanessa are a mother and daughter from  Illinois. Carson stopped by their house a few days ago. He knocks on the door and they hug, Liz squeezes his bum and he says it’s better than a handshake. Carson says its 9.30am and they are done up like they are going to Caesar’s Palace. They say they always are. He says he sees a theme here, as the house is very, um… Liz says Soprano-esque. She does know that she’s a little much, she was a very, very poor child so she knew when she grew up she wanted the best of the best. He asks how long they invest a week in their beauty routine. Liz says alot maybe 20-25 hours a week. Carson says that’s more than he actually works a week. He asks what their friends think of their look. Vanessa’s friends think shes ridiculous and want to scrape off her makeup. her hair takes an hour a day or more based on the size of the look. They both have medium sized hair today; it can go bigger.

Liz and Vanessa haven’t seen each other since the transformation. Their husband/ father is in the audience along with some of their family and friends. Liz comes out and the crowd applaud. Oprah says it’s amazing, that she looks so much younger. Carson says that he told Liz that the photos with the make up make her look 45 not 34, and he says she almost stabbed him with a shoe-horn at that point. The make up was too heavy and ageing. Carson says make up should enhance your features not cover them up, which is aging. Liz feels freed and and is pleased that everyone else liked it as she wan’t sure they would like her this way. Vanessa who is only 16 comes out- and the crowd go crazy. Liz says she’s so pretty. Mom and daughter hug a little and cry a little. Carson and Oprah say it’s 16- young and fresh and dewey. Carson says for Vanessa, who he was calling Gosh Spice, it was about making her look age-appropriate, she’s so gorgeous. The husband/ father  says thethat they look hot, he likes it.

Cindy is a 48 year old mother of 2 and a professor at the University of Missouri. She says that  some of her students and coworkers don’t take her seriously dressed like this. She spends alot of time and money making sure that her hair, makeup and clothes make her look good. She is a professor in the journalism school and some of her colleagues say that some of the conflicts in her classroom may be because she dresses like the students. She likes to dress in unique clothes that you don’t see on everybody else, like this spotty dress where the sleeves join the skirt, which she loves because it’s different. Her favorite dress is a short sparkly number that she can’t understand why other people don’t like it like she does. She has evolved so many times from heavy to thin, she’d dress in the dark because she didn’t like the way she looked. She has kept her weight off for 19 years and her natural state will be interesting to see. Carson says alot of women who lose weight go too far showing off their bodies. Oprah loves CIndy’s biceps, Carson says she has Madonna arms. She comes out and the crowd applaud. Oprah says wow wow wow Professor. Cindy’s mom loves it. Cindy is getting used to it, getting rid of the nails was the hardest- Carson says she had eagle talons before with artwork on them. Oprah wants to talk about artwork nails- Carson is not a fan. Oprah says Cindy lookss fantastic and her students will love this.

Last fall they  had so much fun making over men, you can nominate your scruffy, shaggy-haired man right now on Oprah.com. For a little inspiration, meet Wayne. Wayne is an 80’s guy turned in by his wife. He has 20 sleeveless tie-dye shirts. He’s a software developer by day and a rock n’ roller by night. It takes him forever to blow-dry his hair to get the curl out. Oprah and Carson are speechless. Oprah says that’s why we love America, because there is room for everybody. Patty and her daughter Stephanie are here, and Wayne comes out now. The crowd applaud. Oprah says Wayne who are you? Wayne says he’s trying to figure that out too. Oprah says she couldn’t pick him out of a line-up. His family are stunned. Wayne is not used to it yet, it’s been a thrill, he hasn’t seen himself without facial hair since he was 14 years old. People have been encouraging him, saying his wife is gonna love him, so he’s thinking ok. Carson says Wayne had so many colors in his highlighted hair. He’d tried to hold onto his hair, his youth. Many guys have a Rip Van Winkle Syndrome when they haven’t changed their clothes in 40 years and think they look great like they did in high school. That was 3 decades ago. Carson recommends that men like this go shopping every Presidential election or something. Women are better at updating. Wayne’s family are stunned, he can change his identity, he doesn’t look like the same person. His wife loves it. Carson will be back with the man makeover show in July. Oprah says he is very funny with guys. He says men are his speciality, they are like puppies. Oprah thanks Bloomingdale’s, the Laura Mercier makeup team and Salon Buzz in Chicago.

From your look to your home, many people can use a make-under for their homes. Nate Berkus says edit edit edit. He says that everyone in the entire coutry who doesn’t feel good about themselves buys another trinket, another picture frame, another vase and shoves it on the bookshelf. They think that all gifts should be displayed. Christina wanted help with her mom Lois’ busy overstuffed outdated den. Nate met them in their home in Louisiana. He goes to their home. The den makes him say wow, what is this room? The den, gym,  greenhouse, trophy room and photographs share the space. He says it definitely needs a makeunder. They wanted a sunroom and a den. Nate says that they have the opposite, it feels like winter and death, quite honestly. He thinks there is too  much stuff; the texture of the panelling, the texture of the brick, the busyness of the rug, busy drapery, tons of stuff. He can’t see what he’s looking at and there’s too much furniture to move properly. They sit down, Nate says that they can’t figure out where the camera guys should go as there is too much stuff in the room. He asks what they would feel comfortable editing out- Lois says the table and the bookshelf. Christina says the entertainment center. Nate agrees that we no longer have the big TV’s that once needed such big furniture. He asks Lois if the photographs make her feel closer to her daughters? She says yes, in a sense, as they live so far away. Nate wants to take the focus off everything and on what really matters. He needs their help, which means with all due respect that they won’t help, they have done enough.

Oprah says she thinks that this is so great because everyone wants Nate to come to their house, but that everyone has too much stuff going on and the focus, what rises up to meet you when you walk into a room is important. Nate says that everyone can do that and the mistake so often made is that not everything is important. If a collection of statues are important and all the photos are important, rooms must be edited. It is a maintenance issue. We don’t load up our sink and leave it for 15 years, but people do that with their bookshelves until the Opra Show sends Nate. Oprah says she’s noticed that with photographs, people add and add. You need to edit.

Nate Berkus had 24  hours and a team to get this done. The crew dismantle the den while Christina and Nate pair down the photos, she uses post-its to indicate what can go in storage. In Lowe’s he gets a softer rug and some new curtains that he says are literally perfect. There’s so much going on in the den he will neutralise the space with a light paint color. They cover the brick with panelling and paint it all to get a backdrop. The photos will be reframed to be a focus. He uses paper cutouts to arrange the layout. He says focus the photos on one wall. He moves the bulky electric firplace to a new spot and paints it. He divides off some of the room with a screen which he says is a great idea for multi-purpose rooms. He turns the exercise equipment around and adds a small TV. He says it’s brighter, lighter and understated.

Oprah asks if you can paint over panelling? He says to ask an expert at a paint store as there is a base to go over almost everything. Oprah says that she’d never heard of Lowe’s before Nate started doing these shows but now she uses Lowe’s all the time.  Time for the big reveal- Nate tells Lois and Christina not to open their eyes until he says so. When they do open their eyes, they scream. They say it’s beautiful and pretty and they both have tears in their eyes. They couldn’t have imagined it. He shows them the moved painted fireplace to reorientate the room. He used alot of the same pieces and painted them. Lois says it’s elegant. Nate changed the background to be able to use their furniture. Now it’s calmer to the eyes, lighter and fresher and more like a sunroom. He kept the exercise room, added a TV, and screened it off to take the focus off the exercise equipment. He has edited down the plants and photos which used to go all around the room. Now Lois can really see the pictures and not a whole bunch of clutter. She’s blown away, her daughter is happy. Lois, live in the studio via Skype says the experience has inspired her to edit more rooms in her house, she is thoroughly enjoying it- she and he husband watched the superbowl in the den. She got so pumped up and excited that she decided to light up the walls in her other rooms. Christina says Nate did an excellent job in 24 hours and that he could hone in on what is important to their family was incredible. Oprah thanks Lowe’s.

Recently Nate took the No Phone Zone Pledge and he hasn’t broken it. He didn’t realise he’d have to reschedule his life- he used to call people in the car when he would have no other distractions. Which he sees now was stupid. Oprah won’t talk to anyone on the phone, God forbid someone gets into an accident and says I was on the phone to Oprah. Nate says he’d be seen on the expressway and someone would call Oprah to report him. They both say that they would turn the other person in. They laugh and high-five. Oprah says be like Nate, take the pledge. She then says when Carson comes back he’ll take the pledge. Carson says he lives in New York and calls people on the subway, even though it’s underground and doesn’t really work. Oprah says it’s a commitment to saving lives so we don’t have to keep telling stories about the 6000 people who got killed last year. Take the pledge. Thanks.

WHAT WE LEARNED TODAY:

Just like a food or drug addiction, a beauty addiction fills the void to make people feel better.

If you don’t know what a MILF is, then ask your children.

Make up should enhance your features not cover them up, which is aging.

A lot of women who lose weight go too far showing off their bodies.

Oprah says we love America, because there is room for everybody.

A VERY QUICK SUMMARY:

Too much make-up is aging, too much clutter is messy. Edit, edit,edit.

Date: January 12th, 2010
File Under: Live your best life, Makeover

Episode 3: From 52, Feeling Frumpy to Fabulous! Look Great at Every Age Makeovers

Age-defying transformations… She is the force behind two of the highest grossing movies ever, she is married to Tom Hanks and always looks great. Rita Wilson is a Hollywood bigwig in her own right, she produced My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Mama Mia. For the past three years this down to earth fashionista has been writing a column for Harper’s Bazaar. Rita Wilson is the girlfriend you wish you have, please welcome her to the studio.

Rita is happy to be here. She always loved fashion, even as a kid but when she was 14 she was discovered and started modelling for Harper’s Bazaar. That is just a coincidence , or maybe it was meant to be. Her mom sewed everything for them growing up;  they picked  the patterns, colors, styles, and fabrics. Rita developed her own style through style and error. In a montage of her most memorable mishaps we see the pouf dress, to which Rita says “pouf be gone”. In the 80’s she had an assymetrical hairdo which was Flock of Seagulls meets Miami Vice. Oprah says that  the 80’s were tough on us all.

Rita made a booklet telling you to be true to your own style. Oprah asks how do you know what your own style is? Rita asks, what feels good on you? Oprah says pajamas. Rita says this means comfort. Rita has some style tips to share:

Style Tip: Be true to your own personal sense of style (if you don’t know what it is ask a girlfriend. Take descriptive words- artistis, sexy- and translate them to your clothes)

42 year old Cindy has recently lost 1oo lbs. But she dresses like she’s 62;  her clothes range in size from 6 to 22W. Her style is frumpy and hiding things, she has no idea what her style is. She has twin boys who were born prematurely at 29 weeks- they were so needy she put herself on hold. Cindy comes to the studio, Rita says she’s teeny tiny. We see a glimpse of the hairstylist and make-up artist- Cindy is told she needs to loose weight on her hair. Cindy walks onstage through a Before Picture. She’s wearing a black top, printed  pencil skirt and heels.  The crowd applauds, Oprah says she couldn’t have recognised her. The crowd applauds her weightloss. She has a tiny waist, Rita says she can loose more weight by giving away her clothes. Pre-makeover, she felt 62, now she feels like a new woman, 28 maybe. Rita loves that. Oprah asks what she thought of her reflection in the mirror? It took a while for the look to grow on her, but it grew on her fast.

As Rita went into her 50’s she reconsidered wearing a little black dress, but what she has retired is  jeans with a muffin top, super tight jeans, bum crack, cleavage, anything too tight, 4″ heels, anything too fashionable. She has grown into comfort- she has platform heels which are cheater’s heels; she can wear them to walk around, but not all day, and she won’t be jogging in them.

Stacy is a 35 year old mom of two. She says she dresses like an old lady. Her husband describes her as looking  old, conservative and out of style. She wears her hair in a bun for convenience. She meets Rita at Macy’s  for retail therapy. She brings her mom jeans, 80’s power suits and a retirement home workout suit. Here Stacy is now in a little black dress, jewelry and heels. Stacy’s husband is very happy, wow he says. Rita says she looks spectacular. She’s going back to work, has lost 30lbs and needs a new professional look. The little dress is not the professional look, but she could pair parts of the outfit with other items. Her husband says she’s hot, Stacey wipes away tears. She has now lost her 90’s suits, and her bun is let-down. Stacey thinks she looks amazing, she didn’t know this was there. Oprah asks if she knew it was there, and Stacy  said said no. Collier Strong from L’oreal used  only 3 products for her look- she’s stopped wearing makeup since staying home with kids. She should go out tonight with her husband.

If you are sitting at home in sweats with your hair in a bun or ponytail, there is hope. Sweats can look stylish, even if you are home and no-one can see  you, you should look good. You can get stuck but you must always ask your friends if you need a haircut, a new color etc.

Style Tip: Follow the 1 year rule. If you are not wearing it, give it away.

Angela has a headful of grey hair and is being asked out by men old enough to be grandfathers. She turned grey at 18 and last year finally stopped dying her hair. She thought it would be liberating but instead she feels she’s dying inside. She is 45 years old but feels old. She has given up short skirts, dresses, boots; she feels old. She has alot of clothes but doesn’t know how to put them together. Joe and Jesse are style gurus. They come to your closet and are unforgiving. Without Jesse, you need a friend to help you be ruthless, to help you let go. Angela went to Oscar Blandi for a colour “tweak”. Angela comes out in a dress, heeled boots, blond hair. She already owned these clothes- some still had tags on. Jesse and Joe helped her put everything together. Now she looks like a “hot blond”. Nora Ephron says hair color is our greatest invention. Oprah says we should use it. Angela says she tried going grey and she won’t be going back.

Laura Brown from Harper’s Bazaar offers advice for dressing for every decade.

  • In your 30’s, shapeless clothes are your enemy. You should showcase your figure while you can. Form-fitting is good.  Avoid being too trendy, only one trendy piece per outfit. Make a nod to the trends but don’t let them take over your life.
  • In your 40’s, take the part of your body you are most proud of and showcase it.

The Harper’s Bazaar Fabulous at Every Age book is out now. Whenever you figure out your style, that’s good. We’re not our parent’s generation anymore, we can wear our hair long if we like. Rita has been doing makeovers in her head for years. Doing makeovers in real life is great, it is like the little dolls with magnets.

There are 4 things Rita Wilson says everyone needs in her wardrobe, regardless of age:

  • Black legging or black jean legging
  • Black boot or black shoe boot
  • Jacket
  • Scarf

Models demonstrate how women of any age can pull this look off. In your 30’s there can be bling, sparkles. In your 40’s you should have a fitted blazer with details. The cotton scarf looks like a necklace. The tunic is longer but sexy black boots are still there. In your 50’s, a sweater- scarf is good for on and off wear. It’s a “twofer”, it does double duty. Black jean leggings are comfortable and flattering. Being in your 60’s doesn’t mean that you don’t have style- you can get sexy boots to walk in, a coat and scarf to go for lunch. All the models are comfortable and they all like what they are wearing.

Backstage, Jessie and Joe show Angela in another outfit pulled from her closet, this time with no polka dots or prints. All her own clothes except for the platform shoes and bangles. Its tough to get dressed when you work from home “Get cute for you!” they all say and Oprah says shop in your own closet.

52 year old frumpola coming up…

Laura Brown from Harper’s Bazaar offers more advice for dressing for every decade.

  • In your 50’s do not steal your daughters clothes. You can wear a great blouse and have classic outfits.
  • In your 60’s do not throw in the towel. Do not use clothes to cover yourself up. You shoud look beautiul and wear jewelry.
  • The biggest mistake people make is comfort.

Tamara felt fabulous at 40 but at 52 she feels frumpy. Her husband says most of her clothes are awful. Going through her closet, she says she’s stuck in a timewarp, she has clothes from high school. She lives in cargo pants, skorts, and  has a sun hat that her husband hates. Her last hair cut was by her husband around 8 months ago. Oprah says “Thats a wower” Tamara comes out- artistic, sexy and feminine are her three descriptive words. Rita put her in stretch jeans, new glasses and she has new blonde, wavy California-girl hair. She didn’t like the tailored look. Her husband says she loks stunning, Tamara cries because it’s like bringing who she is forward, it was an incredible experience; hugs all round.

Rita’s secret weapon for hair colour- a little pen by Oscar to cover grey, which fills in your roots for a couple of weeks before you get your hair done.

All of Rita’s tips are in a handy booklet free for the audience or downloadable on Oprah.com

This 67 year old grandmother feels far from sexy. She is an incredible hard worker, she gives gives gives. Laurali puts in 18hours a day. Her daughter says she’s always in sweats, she never gets a chance to dress up. On a normal day, her hair is “yikesy”- if it was up to Laurali she would wear it in elastic bands.

Laurali comes in to the studio in black trousers, short hair, jacket and white blouse. Rita loved working with her. Laurali raised her kids, sent them through private schools, and runs her own business. She wanted to be professional and elegant. Rita dressed her in practical ballet slippers instead of tennis shoes. Everyone says she looks amazing, Laurali thanks everyone including the limousine drivers for the last two days. Daughter say she looks amazing. that the years have disappeared. She  looks like the  mom she grew up emulating.

Rita said she had the best time, Oprah’s team said Rita is the best celebrity they ever worked with, she is one of the girls.Oprah gives thanks to Macy’s and George’s Salon in Chicago. Rita had so much fun.

Style Tip: splurge once a year on new pajamas. Something that looks good on you and is modest.

Rita’s favourites are Cosabella’s; they are expensive but last a long time.Everyone in audience is getting a brand new pair of Cosabella pajama’s (cue wild applause), and everyone at home can get 25% off for the next 24 hours. Thanks to everyone, great job you guys.

WHAT WE LEARNED TODAY:

There is always stylistic hope for you, even if you are sitting at home in sweats with your hair in a bun.

You need to identify your style. Think of three words to describe your personality and translate those words to your clothes

Every woman needs a jacket, a scarf, black boots and  black leggings

Dress sexily but age-appropriately; neither too old nor too young

Never, ever let your hair go grey

A VERY QUICK SUMMARY:

Be cute for you! Find your own style! But follow the  rules and never let your hair go grey.