FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Library contest winner gets makeover

Cancer survivor selected in drawing

Longtime Newport News resident and cancer survivor Rita Dennis gets the long-awaited makeover she won through the Newport News Public Library System’s 2008 Dream Makeovers contest.

Dream Makeover winner Rita Dennis shows how bold accessories can improve the look of colors.

She looks great in cool, bright colors. Skirts just above the knee with pointy-toe shoes do wonders for her legs. These are just a few of the many tips that Rita Dennis learned during a long-awaited personal makeover in October.

Dennis, a longtime Newport News resident, grandmother and cancer survivor, won the grand prize in the Newport News Public Library System’s Dream Makeovers contest. Her entry was randomly chosen from more than 150 submitted by those who attended free “how-to” workshops presented by the Library System in 2008.

Rita originally had hoped to schedule her makeover in February 2009 to prepare for a special ceremony planned for her granddaughter, but cancer surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation changed those plans. But after her last surgery on Aug. 28, Rita finally was ready to claim her grand prize -- a day spent with Sandy Dumont, a personal and corporate image consultant and coach in Norfolk.

“From the standpoint of where I am in my life, I don’t feel like I’m particularly stylish, but I want to look my best,” said Rita, who arrived at Sandy’s townhome in the Ghent area of Norfolk on Oct. 13 with her wardrobe in a suitcase, ready for Sandy’s evaluation.

“The way you look and dress announces the outcome that people can expect,” said Sandy, explaining the concept of her work as The Image Architect. “It sets the stage for who you are.”

After discussing goals and challenges for her changed appearance, Sandy took Rita to her studio on the second floor of her home. Draping her with fabrics of different colors and sheens, Sandy, and another client partnered with Rita for the makeover session, evaluated how each one affected her appearance.

“Picking which season you look best in is not based on personality, hair or eye color. It’s not cookie cutter,” Sandy said. “Each person is individual. You have to see the colors on the person to determine which ones are best.”

Sandy explained the effect of optical illusions, lighting and reflected colors on appearance. “In picking out colors, you cannot trust logic and reason,” she said.

After determining that cool, summer colors suited Rita best, Sandy then “graded” hundreds of variations of those colors to narrow them down to the very best shades for her – peacock, royal purple and red, as well as those Rita should avoid: “Pepto-Bismol” pink, Chinese red and orange.

“Orange lights up our spirits, not our faces,” explained Sandy, who dispenses advice and information based on 30 years of researching color. “Orange is not good for any European skin.”

She also explained that colors can be chosen for their psychological effects, as well.

 “It’s in our DNA: Red says life,” Sandy said. “When you wear red, it makes people smile. It means, ‘I’m alive.’ I call it the networking color. Everyone will like you when you wear red.” But be careful to choose your correct shade of red. “Wear red; don’t let it wear you,” Sandy cautioned.

And while brown is a nonthreatening, passive color that is soft and comforting, it’s not interesting, Sandy said. She illustrated how this can be fixed by pairing brown with turquoise and peacock blue and the right jewelry. “Some colors need accessories -- earrings, necklaces and pins -- to soften or fix them,” Sandy said. “Accessories say, ‘Get on my team. I’m a leader not a follower.’”

After providing lunch for her guests, Sandy moved on to helping Rita choose hair styles and the correct shade of foundation and lipstick to reduce splotchiness and create a more youthful appearance.

“It’s a jungle out there,” said Sandy, in explaining the challenges of choosing makeup, such as store lighting that is too pink, makeup companies constantly changing colors, and recommendations that actually make you look older.

 “I could really tell when some of the colors brought a favorable appearance to my face,” Rita said. “ I thought it was evident.”

Sandy wrapped up Rita’s makeover by having her try on some of the outfits she brought with her and making suggestions for improvements, such as wearing fewer patterns, shorter skirts and jackets with feminine details.

“I have heeded some of her recommendations,” Rita said. “I tried to get the makeup that she recommended, and I’m trying to select the right colors from my wardrobe.”

Sandy provided Rita’s personalized makeover session, a Branding for People (TM) image development workshop valued at $697, without charge through the Newport News Public Library System’s contest.

“I feel that I picked up some things from her that were easy to accomplish,” Rita said. “And based on what people have said to me, I think some of it has worked. I’ve had a lot of compliments.”

###