(From top): The Pond’s Femina Miss India Makeover sessions with Jamuna Pai and Esperanza Gasper from the Pond’s Institute in Madrid working their magic; Ruprekha, Qazi and Rex — the three finalists of Fame Gurukul; Meenakshi Dutt in the middle of a makeover session at her salon

The artist formerly known as Sonali Rathod has a new look, a new image and almost a new name. She is now Sunali, and friends from an earlier age might be forgiven for not recognising her on the streets. The wife of singer Roopkumar Rathod, who is herself a ghazal singer of no mean repute, has given herself a Madonna makeover.

Gone are the saris and the flowing jet-black hair. Today, she sports a layered hairstyle with stylish streaks, the saris have been packed away in favour of bright kurtis, and her makeup has a new glamorous touch. All this is in aid of a new album called This is Me. The new album marks a departure for Sonali from the ghazal beat ? it’s a mix of club songs, hip-hop and ballads, and is of course in keeping with her chic new image. The magic was wrought by the director of the album’s music video, Kiran Deohans, and his wife Aban. The duo helped her with the styling, while professionals contributed to achieving the final look.

“If performers abroad can reinvent themselves with each album, why not Indian singers,” Sunali says. The makeover, she feels, has helped her find hidden strengths and has put a new spring in her step, besides making her husband “fall in love with her all over again”. Though she was reluctant to go in for such a drastic makeover initially, especially getting rid of her trademark long hair, Sunali felt it was justified as it was in keeping with the image of her latest album.

The hankering after a new self is neither new, nor uncommon. And though it may be dismissed as a superficial change, it can often be more than that. It signifies a step towards a new future, a wish to pursue a different goal, and, in 21st century marketing terms, a change in the brand image. In an age when reaching stale-dom is easier than getting your hair cut, re-inventing yourself from time to time is perhaps the only option for people in the public eye, such as Sunali.

But it is not just minor stars who go in for makeovers. In a phenomenon that is perhaps inspired by the stars, minor or major, your average girl or guy next door is also getting increasingly comfortable with creating a whole new me. “When I saw the Indian Idol contestants start looking so starkly different and glamorous almost overnight, I thought if they could do it, why not me,” says 25-year-old Bangalore marketing executive Sandhya Bisht. Inspired by Indian Idol 2 contestant Monali Thakur, who went from being a docile plain Jane to a glamorous, confident youngster during the course of the show thanks to a complete overhauling in the looks department, Sandhya got her act together.

The first to go was the long, uninspiring hair. She walked into a hip Bangalore salon, where they cut her straight hair short giving it a wet, layered look and a rich burgundy colour. Next, a complete wardrobe overhaul followed. The loose Fab India kurtas were replaced by sporty tees, jeans and smart formals. A bit of daywear make-up ? just a dash of eyeliner and mascara and a glossy lipstick ? was the final touch. “I discovered a makeover doesn’t just change you externally, it also gives your confidence a boost. You perform well at work and socially because you feel good about yourself,” says the ecstatic young girl.

“The large number of reality TV shows with contestants looking like fairy tale versions of themselves has led to a huge interest in makeovers among common people,” says makeover diva Queenie Dhody who is adept at giving Bombayites glamorous overhauls. What began with an arrangement with a Mumbai tabloid to give its readers makeovers landed her a contract with Sony Entertainment, when she gave television’s ugliest duckling, Jassi, a whole new look. “That was just the beginning of the makeover craze,” says Dhody.

Nitesh Khatpal — one of VLCC’s many success stories — with a portrait of his former self

Dr Amee Daxini, chief dermatologist at Bangalore’s Kaya Skin Clinic, agrees. It was one of the Kaya clinics where Jassi was shown to have gone for cosmetic treatments and subsequently, the beauty chain had to start a ‘Jassi’ package to keep up with the demands of people walking into the clinic demanding to get all the treatments Jassi had got, Dr Daxini reveals. “It included, broadly, a microdermabrasion procedure, laser to get rid of unwanted hair, a glycolic peel treatment and a complete consultation with a doctor to take care of your particular skin needs,” says Daxini. The cost? Anywhere upwards of Rs 50,000.

Also cashing in on makeover mania are weight-loss clinics. Going by the fact that once you’ve shed those extra kilos, your whole outlook towards life changes, top weight-loss clinic VLCC introduced a ‘Head-to-Toe’ package recently that goes beyond losing weight and its maintenance. As the name implies, the programme also gives those who go in for it advice on a new hairstyle, make-up techniques and a wardrobe change. “A makeover is not just wearing the right make-up but also carrying the body perfectly with oodles of confidence, which is incomplete without getting into shape first,” says VLCC president Vandana Luthra. Under this programme, clients are under the care of qualified health and beauty experts including doctors, psychologists, cosmetologists, nutritionists and physiotherapists. Moreover, councillors also conduct personality development classes for the clients.

Ask Calcutta-based beautician and columnist Bridgette Jones (who now owns an eponymously named salon and is a columnist in this newspaper) how the makeover business is doing, and she immediately goes into raptures. “Makeovers are the flavour of the season. I’ve done around 10 makeovers since the time I opened my own salon little more than a month ago, and that’s not counting the bridal ones,” Jones tells us. So much so, that she has formulated a ‘quick makeover package’ that includes hair colouring, hairstyle change and light make-up for a party. The cost of this ranges is between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000 depending on the length of hair and extent of colouring. Bridgette also has a package called the ‘classic makeover experience’ in which the client is “pampered like a celebrity”. One gets a hairstyle change, hair colouring, a customised facial to suit your skin type, a back polishing session and a spa manicure and pedicure. The cost: between Rs 4,000 and Rs 8,000.

Most importantly, Jones has found that it isn’t just the hip young college girl who wants an image change. From your neighbourhood auntie to the sedate colleague to the software CEO, everyone wants to be painted with the glamour brush today.

Bina Kapoor, who manages Bangalore’s upmarket salon, Squeeze for stylist and image consultant Prasad Bidapa, feels it’s the older ladies who have discovered makeovers as an excellent way to feel young all over again. “We have women of all age groups walking in asking for a new look, and it’s the older women who seem to be more confident about what they want. They earn well, have the money and are not shy,” says Kapoor.

Men are not far behind in the makeover race either. After all, it’s not just the Aditi Pauls and Ruprekha Banerjees of the world who benefited from reality show makeovers ? the Amit Sanas and Qazi Touqeers underwent equally drastic changes. So it’s not surprising when Kapoor reveals how a software entrepreneur came in to the salon one day looking for a new look and walked out with short, spiked coloured hair. “Initially, he was afraid it wouldn’t go with his image, but he was ecstatic with the final result. And it really made him look so young and dynamic,” says Kapoor. Kaya’s Dr Daxini also says that more than 30 per cent of the people walking into the clinics in the south are men.

While getting into shape, acquiring a new hairstyle or learning make-up tricks are important, all this would fall flat without a great sense of style. Which is where your stylist comes into the picture. At the recent Ponds Femina Miss India makeover session, fashion designer Neeta Lulla was present along with make-up and fitness experts to guide the participants (family members of the Femina Miss India contestants, who were being given free makeovers) to provide gentle guidance in matters of style.

According to Lulla, one of the most vital things to look out for when working on a makeover is the comfort level of the person going under the scanner, as they should enjoy the process and not be uncomfortable. “At the Ponds Femina Miss India Makeover session in Mumbai, there were three women on whom we performed makeovers. Since they were housewives, I had to take in account their age and overall dress sense. They were comfortable in saris, so I gave them saris in soft fabric and soothing colours” says Lulla. She also gave them general suggestions about the kind of clothes that would suit them and that really worked, she says.

Customisation, the experts agree, is the name of the game in the makeover business. And it’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all remedy, something you can buy off the shelf at a supermarket. “It has to be customised to suit your needs and personality,” says Meenakshi Dutt, owner of Delhi salon, Beautiful Makeovers. Whenever a potential customer walks into her salon, the first ritual is counselling. “I talk to the customer and find out what is in their mind, what is it they are looking for,” she says.

While some people may be comfortable with a fairly drastic change, others may want a more subtle one, affirms Kevin, the hairstylist at Squeeze. “But most people today are very open to the idea of experimenting with their looks. Whether it’s just hair re-bonding or a complete makeover, it’s not difficult to convince them about a change,” says Kevin. Dhody agrees with this. “There’s a new confidence among people towards accepting change. Maybe it’s because of all the TV shows, but the openness to creating a different persona is definitely on the rise,” she says.

While getting a makeover may not exactly upset your annual finances, it certainly isn’t cheap, either. Depending upon what kind of cosmetic procedures you go in for, and where, what you do with your hair, what kind of clothes you choose to refurbish your wardrobe with ? it could cost anywhere upwards of Rs 50,000. Most packages, like the VLCC ones, are customised ones, where the price depends on the amount of weight to be lost and the kind of consultation a client requires. At Dutt’s salon, where one can get all sorts of procedures from hair treatments to skin polishing and whitening done under one roof, makeover packages start from Rs 5,000 and go up to Rs 25,000.

“While most people go to professionals for the hair and make-up bit, they pick up ideas about clothes themselves, by watching TV or flipping through magazines. But these are mostly college girls. Those who are looking into it seriously, for personal or professional reasons, usually go to a stylist,” says Dhody.

This is, after all, a highly commercial age that lays a huge premium on change. So, it’s hardly surprising that everyone is getting in on the game.

Makeover magic

Chanella ’Brien is a 34-year-old mother of two sons. A busy homemaker, who also helps out in her husband’s tennis coaching business, Chanella, like most moms on the move does not find the time to pamper herself. We had beauty expert Bridgette Jones and designer-duo Pooja and Mona Nihalani of Purple give Chanella two entirely new looks.

• Bridgette on Chanella’s new hairstyle: “I felt that her hair was looking very dry and dull. Plus, she had a lot of overgrown layers. I wanted to refresh that look with shades of rich chocolate brown and slashes of cool blonde. It was all about giving definition to the new shattered shag style that I’ve given her. Also, because she has a broad forehead, I wanted to soften it up by sweeping her fringe across to create a sultry, sexy look. The shades I played with for Chanella’s hair colour are Schwarzkopf’s Special Blonde Natural, that was used for the undergraduation, and Dark Blonde Beige for the platinum streaks on top.”

• Bridgette on Chanella’s make-up: “I wanted to give her a sophisticated look with a focus on her eyes. The first look (left) is a softer one with shades of peach and pink and neutral lips. I also used Pearlised Ivory shadow on the brow bone for a wide-eyed look. The second look (extreme right), which is meant for a night out, is all about drama, glamour and impact. Hence, the dark lined eyes, which under the ambient lighting of a nightclub, looks just perfect.”

• Pooja and Mona on Chanella’s outfits: Since she doesn’t wear much ethnic-wear, we wanted, for the first look (left), to give her an ethnic touch. The pretty blue kurta with intricate shellwork and embellished churidar is perfect for a special lunch. For the night out look (extreme right), we decided to go with classic black. But this is punched up with the turquoise beadwork which, draws attention away from Chanella’s waistline to the upper part of her torso. The short skirt adds that element of flirty fun.”