Mom makeover

Catherine Jheon can’t remember the last time she set foot in a salon. She’s always opted for low-maintenance haircuts and natural-looking makeup, but these days, Jheon is too busy caring for three-year-old Oliver and 12-month-old Zoe to maintain any semblance of a beauty routine.

On a sunny spring morning, Jheon makes her way to Hair on the Avenue Salon for her makeover.

Jheon’s limp locks got a blast of warm tones and shine from a demi-permanent colour treatment. It restores the vibrancy that many mothers lose post-pregnancy, covers greys and only takes 20 minutes.

Hairstylist Matthew Ingraldi began by removing a lot of the weight off the back of her hair, which reached her mid-back, before shaping it into an elongated bob. “This will be easier for her to manage,” he said. 

Where to Buy? Touchably Smooth Smoothing Serum, $5, Herbal Essences
Medium Round Brush, $65, Shu Uemura

Makeup artist Robert Weir applied a tinted moisturizer with SPF 20 to enhance Jheon’s natural skin tone and to help cover up any imperfections: “It’s a great product because it allows you to skip a step since it already contains sunblock.”

Where to Buy? Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20, $45, Sephora
Magic Lumi Concealer, $13, L’Oréal

“Applying shadow correctly to Asian eyes can be tricky because it smudges,” said Weir. He started by using the darkest colour in his palette along her lash line, then used the mid-tone along her crease, and highlighter under her brow. He finished off by curling her eyelashes and applying two coats of black mascara.

Where to Buy? Eyeliner in brown, $22, Elizabeth Arden
Eye Shadow quad in cool neutrals, $10, Joe Fresh
Precision Eyelash Curler, $36, Chanel
Scandal’Eyes Mascara, $9, Rimmel

Since Jheon’s hair and glowing skin were playing a starring role, Weir opted for a more subtle lip colour. “This is a neutral shade that works well on most skin tones and could definitely be worn to work,” he said.

Where to Buy? Korres Cherry Full Colour Lip Gloss, $23, Sephora
Photoready Sculpting Blush in pink, $16, Revlon

When Jheon finally gets to see her finished ’do she can’t stop raving about how great it looks – and feels. “It’s so light,” she exclaims, jumping out of her chair and sliding up to the mirror for a closer look. “I can’t believe I’ve been carrying all that weight around. No wonder I’m so tired.”

And voila, after just a few hours in the salon the team has transformed Jheon from ho-hum mum to hot working mama. “This is so awesome,” she says, smiling for our camera. “I don’t think I’ve ever looked this put-together.”