From Betty to Veronica

A Midsummer’s Night Makeover by Topshop and Lancôme

Isabel Celdran, 21, a management student from Ateneo, and Anna Seipelt, 21, also a management student from De La Salle have always been beauties. However, they also have always possessed a carefree attitude when it comes to grooming and dressing-up. A nearly-impossible school workload, killer exams, classes that last from morning to night, hanging out and trying to stay sane with friends and boyfriends have kept them from getting glammed up every day. Most of the time, you’ll find Anna and Isabel in jeans, a cute top, and comfortable shoes, hair tied back so as no to get in the way. Their beauty regimen consists of washing their face, putting on lip-gloss, and adding a bit of blush.

Putting on makeup properly is each girl’s greatest frustration. "Whenever I put makeup on, I just look worse or I look like I have a black eye," claims Anna. At the end of the day, all girls, even the seemingly low-maintenance "Betty’s," appreciate being the glamorous "Veronica" once in a while. Nobody can resist the opportunity to pamper themselves and look pretty. We all get a kick from the surprised gasps that follow dramatic transformations. Think Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman or Rachel Leigh Cook in She’s All That. No matter what we say, hearing how good we look is still flattering. That’s why despite their busy schedules, Anna and Isabel agreed to flee their comfort zone for a while, and lend themselves to the people of Lancôme, Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, and Wallis. They knew it would be fun to see how experts could bring out a side of them they had yet to discover.

Lancôme’s new spring-summer collection is an ode to Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream. The brand’s official makeup artist, Abby Arenas-de Leon, used colors from a palette of cool pastels to bring out the "enchantress" in Isabel and Anna. By combining blacks and browns with pearlescent whites, pinks, blues, and greens from the Culte eyeshadow palettes and Juicy Tubes collection, she managed to liven up and transform each girl into a stunner. No black eyes for Anna this time. Her normally straight hair was teased and turned into cool styles reminiscent of Debbie Gibson. For Isabel, Abby used soft curls and smoky eyes to bring out her sexy side.

Since Anna is constantly in pants, short and sexy pieces or fun, feminine and flirty dresses were a refreshing change for her. A breezy but sparkly top also makes her stand out. Isabel, on the other hand, shows just how versatile she can be by being the epitome of a lady in one shot, and an alluring rocker chick in the next. Indeed a far cry from the days of logo shirts and flip-flops.

Nowadays things are never as simple or black and white as they seem. Girls are multi-faceted and accomplished. They’re no longer just a "Betty" or a "Veronica." They can be both and more. They can go from prim and proper one minute, to cool and rebellious in the next. Clothes from Topshop, Wallis, and Dorothy Perkins allow a girl to play many different roles. With the right outfit and the right make-up, a girl can be anyone or anything that she wants to be. Who would think that Anna and Isabel are plain Janes now?