There are some things in the Amish belief system that are seen as unusual in our modern society. One of them is that it isn't acceptable for women to dwell on their image or appearance. Makeovers, therefore, are a foreign concept to a lot of them.
So, when Sarah, an Amish teacher, and housekeeper, was given a fabulous makeover, she grabbed the opportunity. For someone who has never undergone a makeover, it was definitely a lifechanging experience. And her friends and family were left completely speechless!
A Boring Life
Sarah was a 21-year-old in 2014. She described her day-to-day back then as "pretty much a boring life." The small town where she was born in was predominantly Amish. Naturally, her parents were also practicing the Amish belief system.
She, therefore, was raised in Amish society. This means that she lived under strict rules and comprehensive codes by which to live by. So she couldn't spend any time or money on things like makeup or any other kind of trinket.
Origins of the Amish Community
The Amish community is a religious congregation that originally came from Switzerland. They follow Christian teachings. However, the belief system that they espouse to this day can be traced all the way back to the 16th century.
The word "Amish" is also a pretty old term coined in 1710. It meant "shame". The Amish community, therefore, became outcasts of society. They removed themselves from the rest of society and they choose to live outside the influence of common modernities. This includes cosmetics.
Factions
The civil unrest during the 18th century in Europe caused quite a stir in the Amish community. In fear of getting sandwiched between two warring nations, they relocated to the United States. They initially picked to start up their community in Pennsylvania.
Later on, however, factions began to grow. Due to growing differences in belief about the Amish tradition, some factions decided to secede from the original group nestled in Pennsylvania. The core belief system, however, remained generally the same.
Ordnung
Ordnung is a powerful word for the Amish. It's a Swiss word that directly translates to "order". The Amish Ordnung governs almost everything about its follower's affairs. From clothing to personal grooming, it's a powerful influence on the lives of those who choose to follow in the tradition.
The fact is that Ordnung dictates that one must put the focus of one's life solely on God. Makeup and even fixing up their hair is interpreted as placing more focus on the self than on God.
Never Changed Her Hairstyle
Being raised in such a restrictive society, Sarah has never paid any attention to her hair or even thought about putting on makeup on her face. She has never had her hair colored or even cut in what one may call on-trend hairstyles. She has never even changed the style of it in any way.
However, this was all about to change. Glamour Magazine sent the renowned hairstylist Theodore Leaf her way. He was tasked to work his magic on Sarah's locks.
The Bad Hair Team to the Rescue
The Bad Hair Day team, knowing about Sarah's predicament, decided to pay her a visit. When they arrived, she was wearing a modest brown dress. The neckline, as one would expect, was high. Her skirt is equally modest with the hemline falling way past her knees.
The team arrived as she was working. She as running errands and doing chores around the house. She can be seen in this image hiding her hair behind a traditional Amish cap.
Why the Cap?
She explains the cap to the team. "The cap thing, you always just wear the cap, and your hair is just flipped up in a barrette. It's an act of modesty," she tells them. In essence, it's a way to keep herself humble even if she does have great hair underneath the cap.
However, despite her conservative religion, there seems to be an experimental side to Sarah who's willing to try new things. Her hair seems to be the first thing that she may agree to change.
Adventure of a Lifetime
The Bad Hair Day team recognizes that there's a part of Sarah's personality that yearns for a change. "I'm definitely up for the adventure. I always like an adventure. And this 'doing my hair' thing, that is definitely exciting," she explains.
For someone who's always had her hair hidden behind a cap, just simply showing it to other people in all its glory is already an achievement. That's why completely changing it up seems like a huge adventure for her. It's definitely going to be a milestone moment for her.
Unveiling Beautiful Hair
The team's lead, Theodore, was eager to see what Sarah's been hiding under her cap for so long. When she finally took her cap off, he was awestruck by the beautiful locks that she's been keeping a secret.
Sarah confesses that she has not let other people see her hair before and Theodore and the rest of the crew were one of the few people who've seen her without a cap. However, she was feeling particularly adventurous as of late.
Age of Exploration
Sarah has already turned 21 and she's finally approaching the stage of Rumspringa. In the Amish culture, it's a phase one's life where young people are allowed to explore the more mainstream way of living. This is one of the main reasons she allowed herself to indulge in a hair makeover.
From age 14 to 16, the restrictions on Amish people are relaxed a little bit. From this period, they're allowed to explore. At the end of this period, they'll have to make a decision on whether to get baptized or leave the community if they should so choose.
Being Different
Sarah further expounds about the Rumspringa. She says that it is "when you have this period of time as an Amish and you get to choose if you want to be Amish or not. During that time you get to experiment. And when I say experiment, I mean doing your hair and wearing different clothes."
It's definitely an exciting time for Amish youth. But nevertheless, it can be quite nerve-wracking to do things differently than the way you're used to doing things.
Changing Her Hair Color
Theodore was particularly excited to work on Sarah's hair. He's specifically keen on changing its color. "Blondes have more fun", he joked. And Sarah definitely got a kick out of that. It doesn't even matter if it's true or not.
What matters is that the simple act of changing her hair color is definitely going to introduce a level of fun that she has probably never experienced before. Her conservative life so far makes even the smallest change such a big thing for the young Amish woman.
Keeping Things Practical
Since it's such a special event for Sarah, Theodore decided to go all-out. Aside from the hair color, he also went to introduce a couple more hair improvements such as layers. This, according to the stylist, is going to raise the 'fun factor' even more.
Although, he does acknowledge that Sarah might still want to tuck her hair in with a cap so he kept it practical. He, therefore, decided to keep it a little longer than he wanted to cut it.
Problem With Maintainance
As Theodore worked his magic on Sarah's hair, the two of them have a little chat. Sarah explains that there's more to the Amish practice of neglecting their hair than they initially thought. For the Amish communities, she claims, electricity is a luxury that they don't subscribe to.
This means she doesn't have the capacity to blow dry it the way she wants to. She also confesses that this entire makeover is an extra special treat for her because of that.
Working Around the Lack of Electricity
Since she has no ability to blow dry her own hair in her community, Theodore suggests a couple of tips for her to try. Strategically air-drying her hair is the best course of action, he says. He proposes that she set her hair in braids.
This, he claims, would add a little bit of texture to her locks as it dries. He also recommends that she start using some hair care products to give her hair some much-needed waive and conditioning.
The Big Reveal
As Theodore was cutting and styling Sarah's beautiful hair, the suspense kept building. The camera crew was careful not to reveal everything that he has done immediately to the viewers. The show's producers and editors want to keep the big reveal at the end.
When the stylist put the finishing touches on her hair, the world was finally ready to see the big changes he's done to Sarah's hair. The first person that lay eyes on her was her friend, Laura.
Drastic Change
When Laura eagerly walked into the room to see her friend's big hair makeover, she was in total shock. She was extremely taken by surprise by the huge difference that a hair makeover has done to her friend. "Oh my goodness! Wow!" she exclaimed.
Also in the room were the owners and staff members of the inn where they taped the show. They too were dumbstruck by Sarah's makeover. It was such a drastic shift from her old look to the new one.
Seeing Herself for The First Time
But perhaps the biggest surprise was yet to come. Sarah still hasn't seen herself in the mirror at this point in the show yet. When Theodore finally gives her the chance, she was almost rendered speechless. There was no more muted brown hair of an ultra-conservative Amish young lady. She was unrecognizable.
What lies on her head instead was some gorgeous locks with a playful bounce and fun highlights. She wasn't able to say much but it was obvious from her face that she was absolutely shocked by it.
Seeing Herself for The First Time
But perhaps the biggest surprise was yet to come. Sarah still hasn't seen herself in the mirror at this point in the show yet. When Theodore finally gives her the chance, she was almost rendered speechless. There was no more muted brown hair of an ultra-conservative Amish young lady. She was unrecognizable.
What lies on her head instead was some gorgeous locks with a playful bounce and fun highlights. She wasn't able to say much but it was obvious from her face that she was absolutely shocked by it.
Bad Hair Day Gone Good
Because Sarah was so speechless, Laura spoke for her. She believes that the transformation fits Sarah's personality perfectly. "This look is totally Sarah: carefree, happy. Somebody you'd go up and have a conversation with and just chat about anything," she says.
While the makeover was a huge departure from her daily get-up, it's really good to hear that the look Sarah would be totally at home with her new look. For Sarah, It's definitely a Bad Hair Day gone good, says Laura.
Kelly From Michigan
But you don't have to be in your twenties to enjoy a good makeover. This Michigan grandma proves it. In some aspects, the effect is even more dramatic. Her name is Kelly and she underwent a hair makeover by Christopher Hopkins.
When the guru was through with her, her family was in utter disbelief in a good way. But, like Sarah, the biggest shock belongs to Kelly herself. She couldn't quite believe that she could change her look quite that drastically.
The Artist and His Canvas
Hopkins accepted Kelly's makeover as a challenge. And he rose over that challenge with flying color. He began by applying some well thought out cosmetics that immediately transformed her appearance. He was a true artist with his application.
He worked on her makeup as a painter works on his canvas. His goal was to accentuate the natural features of Kelly's face and hide the features that Kelly didn't particularly like. Another part that he changed was her hair. Both makeup and hair worked together to bring Kelly's true beauty shine through.
The Transformation
When he finished his work on her, Kelly wouldn't even be able to recognize herself. She says that looking at the mirror was like looking at someone else. Kelly's family is equally baffled by how much she would change with just a few strokes of the brush and the comb.
Kelly and her family all had their collective jaws dropped by the makeup artist. Her friends, when they came through the door, were also equally surprised by the drastic transformation that their friend went through.
Kelly's Viral Video
Hopkins has already made countless makeovers happen. He's an accomplished makeup artist, after all. However, even he has to think that Kelly's transformation is one of the most satisfying he's ever done. The viewer count and reactions to the video were a testament to the impact of her transformation.
This particular video begins with Kelly introducing herself to the viewers. "My name is Kelly. And I came from Iron Mountain in Michigan's Upper Penninsula." Next, she tells people what exactly it was that brought her to Hopkins' door.
A Generous Mother
By the way she speaks of her children and grandkids, it's quite obvious that she's a doting family-oriented woman. She spends quite a lot of time with them, she says. "It's time to do something just for me," she tells the viewers. So, she sent out an application for the MAKEOVERGUY.
"Hopefully, this going to be just the ticket," she says in the video. If there's one thing she wanted the show to change, it was her hair. She's lost track of keeping it fresh lately. And because of that neglect, it has become quite unruly.
A Generous Mother
By the way she speaks of her children and grandkids, it's quite obvious that she's a doting family-oriented woman. She spends quite a lot of time with them, she says. "It's time to do something just for me," she tells the viewers. So, she sent out an application for the MAKEOVERGUY.
"Hopefully, this going to be just the ticket," she says in the video. If there's one thing she wanted the show to change, it was her hair. She's lost track of keeping it fresh lately. And because of that neglect, it has become quite unruly.
Running Wild
To make her case, she showed the camera crew her hair. Initially, she had it tied up in a ponytail. She untied it and spread it out for the crew to see. "Here we go. Hold your breath," she says in an embarrassed voice.
She shakes her hair free. It was truly very unruly. It ran wild and was all over the place. This, she claims, was a result that only a long time without proper hair care can bring about.
The Biggest Challenge
She explains to the viewers that her hair used to be pin-straight. "But it's changed now from, you know, my age," she says. In the video, Hopkins tells her that her hair was going to pose the biggest challenge for him even with his years of experience in the field.
It was going to take every bit of skill that he's accumulated over the years to tame Kelly's wild hair. "Kelly came in from the Upper Michigan Peninsula with very fragile and overly processed hair," he tells the viewers.
The Team Begin Their Work
Hopkins also seems to think that Kelly has always had wavy curls all along. It just so happened that her straight hair hid them from plain sight. Luckily, Kelly was game to do just about anything at that point.
She would let the studio and the show do whatever they wanted to her hair for the makeover of her dreams. The team, therefore, started with conceptualizing and visualizing what hair color and style would best suit Kelly. And then, they began to work their magic.
Unexpected Visitors
Before the show revealed the finished product, they first showed viewers how Kelly's family reacted. Her grandkids, of course, were the most important reactions that were featured. They visited the set while they were still working on Kelly.
Even in the middle of the process, they could already see the drastic changes underway. What's even more dramatic is that it seems like even Kelly didn't know that they were coming over to see her as she was taping the episode.
Shocked and Awed
"Oh, my babies came to see me," Kelly exclaimed as they walked through the doors of the salon. Her visitors were: Kelly's daughter, Jessica Books, and her grandchildren. Book's reaction to the whole thing was a premonition for the shock of what was to come.
Her face lit up immediately upon seeing her mother's face. Initially, there was a huge grin on her face, then a wide smile gradually replaced it, and, finally, her mouth settled on a dropped jaw in utter disbelief and shock.
The Big Reveal
But it wasn't just her immediate family that was present in the salon for her big reveal. The rest of her family members and friends were gathered just outside the makeover room. They came to say hi and just be there for Kelly who's made such an impact on their lives.
They had their smartphone cameras at the ready for the big event. It was a pretty smart move because the moment was full of raw emotions that flooded the room pretty quickly during the moment.
Jaws Dropped
When they came in, you could hear Kelly ask them off-cam, "Does it look like me?" The children probably shook their heads in the negative because Kelly then said, "No, it doesn't? It's me - it's Mimzy!"
For a brief second, the crowd, including her grandkids, stood in silent awe. Book tried to talk but she couldn't find the right words during that moment. It was obvious that they hadn't seen Kelly fix herself in that way ever before. It was a huge change from her daily look, after all.
Rendered Everyone Speechless
Book was definitely stunned. She stammered through her words. She said, "Look at... guys... Look at." You could hear one of the male visitors exclaim, "Oh my God! You look great!" Another male visitor couldn't even explain how he felt about Kelly's makeover once he got into the room.
He just said, "Oh my God!" He tried talking more but no other word came out of his mouth. They were all struggling to find the right words to describe how shocked they were upon seeing Kelly for the first time since the makeover.
Not a Doppelganger
For a brief while, it's as if Kelly couldn't quite comprehend that it was actually her own reflection that she was looking at in the mirror. She looked at it with obvious disbelief. She stared for a couple of seconds until finally being able to mutter a singular "Wow!"
Finally, she began to accept that it was really her new look that was staring right back at her, not some doppelganger hired to confuse her. She smiled silently and found her composure. Then, she showed everyone just how happy with her transformation with some dance moves.
Dancing Her Way to the End of the Video
"I feel gorgeous!" she exclaims. "It's not pretty, it's freaking gorgeous!" She then invites everyone for dinner because that's just how happy she was. She felt fabulous and she was ready to show the rest of the world how she looked like.
But, if you thought that she was done with her dancing, you're wrong. She pirouetted her way out of the show by dancing all the way until the video rolled its credits. If that wasn't the sign of satisfaction and happiness, we don't know what is.
The Reasoning Behind the New Style
Hopkins, the artist behind the transformation, revealed in the end why he chose what he chose for Kelly's makeover. He said that, in order to accentuate her natural features, he chose a hairdo that offset her "pear-shaped" face.
This meant that he had to make the hair wider at certain points. The temple area, for example, is significantly wider than her original hairstyle. He also used some visual tricks with the makeup. He made her lipstick a little bit subtler so that her eyes got more attention.
Outpouring of Support
The viewers of the video were just as shocked as the people present during the big reveal. They were utterly impressed with the huge transformation in such a little time. "Well, that's how to shed 20 years in one day, oh wow," wrote one viewer in the comment section.
Other people were more enamored by Kelly's personality rather than the transformation. "She's got a wonderful personality and now her outside matches the inside - beautiful, spunky, and funny!" said another YouTube viewer.
Books Can Finally Speak
"She looks great, but the most awesome part is the confidence," said another commenter. Of course, Kelly's daughter also couldn't go without saying anything. This was, of course, after she was able to compose herself after the initial shock.
In the video, she also commented: "This is my mom, and it was so incredible to see her transform." she wrote. In thanks to Hopkins, she also writes, "You're so wonderful inside and out, thank you to you and your glam team!