Makeover Madness

by Jessica Rossman

If you don’t know what “jeuging” is, if you cant rattle off your hair products on command and if, heaven forbid, you have not even heard of the term “metrosexual,” then I hate to break it to you, but you need a makeover, my friend.

No worries, then, the dynamic trio in charge has come to save the day. Mario A. Romero, hair designer and owner of Avant Garde Spa Hair and Makeup Studio, is the coif master. Todd Ramos, fashionably (and all-around) fabulous local stylist and Couture boutique owner, is fashion commander, and Nordstrom’s Fadi Armanious is the lifestyle and culture man. These men have committed to root out bad hair, outdated ensembles and uninspired routines wherever they may be and make Houston prettier, better accessorized and more chic than before – we have the technology.

The H Texas Trio’s eye can zero in on when a makeover is due, and Casey DeShazo‘s was running overtime. Even DeShazo knew it was time for a makeover and had started on it on her own. A native Houstonian and single mom, she was in a rut. For eight years, DeShazo split her time between her daughter (“9 years old going on 17”) and her “crummy job.” She spent no time on herself, her health, her lifestyle or her looks, and it had taken its toll. Suddenly, she realized, “Excuse me! I am out of shape and sit all day in a 10 by 12 foot room with no windows.” This mom didn’t fool around – she quit her office job, enrolled in college courses and began a new job as manager at hip eatery, Blue Plate Bistro, on Post Oak. She even decided it was time to change her diet and exercise habits, as well. The result is several lost clothing sizes and a brand-new buzz about life. But there was something missing, and that something was the magic touch of the H Texas Trio.

Makeover Madness

DeShazo’s makeover begins with groundwork – DeShazo herself. She admits to spending less than approximately one second on her hair and makeup every day, a self-confessed “mascara-in-the-rearview-mirror kinda girl.” That’s just fine, according to Romero and his staff at Avant Garde Spa. At Avant Garde, DeShazo learns that looking hip and polished doesn’t mean waking up at the crack of dawn and heating up rollers every morning. Shortly after a smart mani/pedi with nail specialist Heather Pedregon and a invigorating facial by facialist Maria Muñoz, Casey is sporting a new cut and hair color by Romero himself. This new do is one that she can still “wake up and run her fingers through” but that will look good even at the end of a long shift at Blue Plate. After a tiny reprimand from makeup artist Lourdes Garcia for putting on mascara in a moving car, DeShazo learns how to apply minimal but fresh makeup that looks like her, just a little bit better. Her “just rolled outta bed look” is a thing of the past.

Next comes a whirlwind fashion tour under Ramos’ expert guidance. What did DeShazo need to shop for? Ramos’ answer’s short, “She needed everything.” DeShazo has lost so much weight and dropped so many sizes that her clothes simply didn’t fit her anymore. “She needs good, solid basics for her new and improved – and smaller – body,” counsels Ramos. ?She will need to learn to start dressing like a thinner person.” This lesson includes smart and casual denim pieces from Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger with low-heeled, pointy-toed boots from Foley’s at the Galleria.

Makeover Madness

Finally, it’s a lifestyle adjustment, Armanious-style. Even though DeShazo spends a lot of time at work and on her feet, quality of life, according to Armanious, is just something that cannot take a backseat. For DeShazo, the quality of life boost she needs involves learning how to combine effort with relaxation. Off to the park they go for a brisk run. Although tough to do when she works on her feet, DeShazo learns that no tough task should ever go unrewarded. For her lap around the park, DeShazo is rewarded with a rose-petal bubble bath and a glass of wine by candlelight. “It’s all about the reward,” says Armanious. “I’m not going to just make her run and then just send her home. That’s no fun at all. This is a lesson in learning how to start pampering herself so that she can get ready to go out there and meet someone she can be happy with.”

Coiffed, dressed, exercised and bubble-bathed in a flash, DeShazo has been “made over.”

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