Meet Brooke…Our January Contest Winner…Clothes, Makeup & Hair…She Looks FABULOUS!

I always enjoy our makeover contests and spending time with our winners and this month, meeting Brooke and spending the day with her, well, it just reminds me of why we do this. When we met that morning, she was excited, appreciative and maybe a bit apprehensive? When we parted, over 8 hours later, she was one happy, sassy, confident, and fabulous looking “hot mama”.

Brooke’s a mom of a 4-year old son, Braydon and her and her husband, Bud, have been married for 6 years. Bud, who’s in the Army, just got home from a 9 month deployment in Afghanistan, so even though this was a random drawing (as it always is), I was happy Brooke got this day to herself.

The Clothes

We started our day at 9:30 at the Discover Goodwill on Circle (here in Colorado Springs). www.discovermygoodwill.com  My fashionista friend Ashley joined us and she brought her mom Cherie with her (now I know where Ashley gets her fabulous fashion sense). With four of us hunting through the racks, we were able to find a ton of clothes for Brooke to try on. You know, I think one of the most fun things about these contests is the fact that we usually have never met the person before so we don’t have any “preconceived” idea of what that person usually wears. And then we hear the person say, “I would never have even thought to try this on”…..we all can easily get in to a wardrobe rut.

Brooke wanted to look for outfits that fit her “stay at home mom” lifestyle but with more of a fashionable look….comfy but not sloppy. We were also on the look-out for a date outfit since her and Bud hadn’t been on one in about a year. Since she also won a $25 gift card at The Cliff House, they will be able to remedy that!

This cute green/yellow and white patterned sweater looks great with Brooke’s coloring and is an easy way to dress up her “mom outfit” of jeans and a tank. It instantly makes her look a bit more polished for running errands or going out for a cup of coffee with her friend Lindsay (which is typically her “me” time). Switching her comfy boots with a pair of flats or dressier boots would “up” the look. She can also wear this with a skirt, dress or pair of nice pants.

Brooke loved this grey Mossimo wrap ($5.99), which is another easy way to add a bit of punch to her regular jeans and tank look.

When you’re on a budget or have limited closet space, choosing versatile pieces is key. By adding a “dressier” top and a pair of heels, this grey wrap and jeans instantly goes up a notch….nice enough to wear on a casual date night or for shopping or lunch out with the girls. This black “criss cross” dressy top (which looks great casual too, as in this outfit) was $4.99 (Julian Taylor) and the black Connie heels were $3.99 and Brooke said they were super comfortable and easy to walk in….important when you have a 4-year old! The tear-drop necklace Brooke has on was $2.99 and she liked it so much, she put it on the second she paid for it.

We found this black Carlisle ruffle hem skirt that fit perfectly for $3.99 and when paired with the grey wrap and her black tank, is a totally different look and feel, just by changing up the bottom half. The heels go great with this outfit or she could put on a pair of tights and black boots for yet another different look.

This print B Smart dress ($9.99) is an example of something Brooke typically wouldn’t have tried on. And while we loved the color on her, it was just a tiny bit too snug and short….otherwise we would have bought it.

Brooke said this grey Daisy Fuentes dress ($7.99) was just as comfortable as wearing sweats….but obviously way more stylish! And because grey is neutral, she could change the color of her tank and give it a totally new look. This looks great with the heels or she could wear boots or flats. And by adding different accessories, she can dress it up or down a bit. When something looks great and feels good, you’ll be more likely to wear it!

Another black skirt we bought was this black Separates by New York City Design Co. one for $3.99. It has a bit of a different look than the ruffle hem one and with this black criss cross tank (that was paired earlier with the jeans), she has a date-worthy outfit for less than $10.

Just a slightly different look and feel when we switch out the skirts. This skirt almost makes the outfit look more like a dress and is just a bit dressier.

As you can see, a lot of these pieces can easily be switched up with other pieces (and items she already owns) for totally different looks. The green and yellow sweater would look great with her black skirt too.

We all loved this purple print Donna Morgan dress ($9.99), which fit and looked fabulous on Brooke. Another dress that can be dressed up or down, depending on the type of shoes she wears and how she accessorizes it. Love the color on her and the fit is perfect!

As Brooke, Cherie, Ashley and I shopped and talked, Brooke revealed how excited she was to win our contest. But she also worried a bit if she “deserved” it (I’ve heard this from some of our previous winners). She shared that she saw comments for the contest that made her wonder if someone needed it more than she did. I said of course she deserved it! We ALL deserve some pampering and “me” time and I just wish we could do this type of contest every month! Or every single day! But I love how our winners think of others. One of the reasons we choose our winners randomly is because I can’t choose one comment or woman over the other!

The Hair

With our clothes shopping finished (thanks to the staff at Discover Goodwill Circle location…as always, very nice and accommodating!), we headed downtown for Brooke’s hair appointment at Genesis Salon .

Hair stylist Ron Rather has been so nice to volunteer his time and expertise for our “big” contests (which we do every 3 months). If you are looking for a new stylist, you should check him out. I will say, that Brooke was so happy, she told me she almost started crying when she saw the finished look. And she nabbed a ton of his cards to hand out to her friends….she said she will be a life-long client (or at least for as long as she lives here!)

Brooke “before”

Brooke “during”

Brooke and Ron….she LOVED her new cut, color and style! THANKS Ron!

The Makeup

Brooke and I left the salon and then headed to my house for makeup. Brooke said she had texted pictures of her new “do” to 4 friends before we even left the parking lot….so happy she didn’t have a wreck as she kept looking in the mirror and touching her hair!

Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant, Teresa Schmitt, volunteered once again to provide a makeup makeover (Thank You Teresa!).(If you’re in need of makeup or a consultation, Teresa is offering a special for the next month to anyone who contacts her and mentions 719Woman)

Brooke’s before pic with no makeup on….

I could tell at this point, Brooke was REALLY feeling good! She kept “stealing” looks in the mirrow….made me so happy as I watched her and Teresa.

Brooke’s going to look fabulous as her and Braydon enjoy their mommy and son time together, which includes baking, working in the backyard and playing cars.  Her husband Bud’s time with the Army will be up in about a year and Brooke said she’s looking forward to time together and getting to enjoy spending birthdays, anniversaries and holidays together again.

Look how BEAUTIFUL Brooke looks! Her face is glowing and she looks natural but polished. She was SO HAPPY, which makes me happy!

Final Thoughts

I got an email from Brooke saying, “You, Ashley, Ron and Teresa are such amazing people! I’m so glad I got to meet all of you.”…..Thanks to everyone who helped us!

Brooke unfortunately can’t be on today’s segment of KKTV’s Moms Everyday because of a medical procedure she couldn’t reschedule but she’ll be watching from bed! Moms Everyday is on Weekdays at 9:25 am and 4:55 pm with host Jen Lennon. My friend and 719Woman contributor Ashley will be joining me on today’s segment.

Brooke also won a 719Woman tote that we filled up with wine, spices, candles, beauty products and some other goodies we’ve featured on our past posts.

Here’s part of the email Brooke sent me when she got home that evening….(which almost made me cry because she was so happy and it’s such a great feeling to help make someone’s day!)

….”Thank you so much for such a wonderful day! My husband told me I looked very beautiful and had to touch my hair. Braydon also said, “Oh mommy, you look pretty.” Then he wanted to touch my hair and said, “It’s very nice.” I love my boys and I’m glad I look pretty for them again. Thank you so much for helping me get my sass back!”

What a truly wonderful day we all had with Brooke!!

Again, thanks to everyone who helped make this happen for Brooke. We so appreciate the gift cards Discover Goodwill gives us for these contests and the air time KKTV’s Moms Everyday gives us to show other women how being on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t look and feel fabulous!