Because I have no life and was just on my lunch break, I want to share this article about the contestants and their makeovers.
http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/61316.htm
IDOL TUNEUPS
By SERENA FRENCH
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March 21, 2006 -- Secrets behind the singers' makeovers
Clothes make the man - but it's hair that creates pop stars. That's why the final 12 contestants on "American Idol" are given more than a vocal critique. Wallflowers like Clay Aiken are transformed into heartthrobs (or close enough) ready for the Billboard charts.
"He basically should give me 10 percent of everything he makes in his life," jokes hairstylist Dean Banowetz, who gave Aiken his pixie 'do.
Banowetz is part of a team of three - including wardrobe stylist Miles Siggins and makeup artist Mezhgan Hussainy - who have been together since the second season of "Idol." Although their work was on display late last week, when the field was winnowed to 11, they spend the entire season thinking of ways to transform the contestants.
"I travel with the judges during the auditions, so I get to see them from the first day they audition," Hussainy says. "Most of them come from smaller towns. They've never worked with professional makeup artists and hairstylists or wardrobe stylists, so they don't know. I have to say, for the most part, they've done a good job this season. Usually other seasons, I'm like, 'Oh my God, I've gotta do something.'"
The team acknowledges that Clay Aiken was the biggest transformation they've ever made on Idol, but they promise some surprises this season.
"I will say that each season, contestants are more prepared," says Banowetz, who introduced Kelly Clarkson to hair extensions for the first Idol finale. "They're very aware and very conscious of their look."
Definite ideas about what they want to wear isn't the only difference. "A lot of girls this year are a lot more savvy to wearing heels," says Siggins. "Previous seasons quite a lot of them didn't know how to walk and we had to give them lessons."
But makeup artist Hussainy was most shocked when she was approached backstage during the top 24 process when Idol potentials don't yet have the benefit of their services - by some of the guys.
"A few times I saw Chris or Taylor, and they were like, 'You're going to be doing my makeup in a couple of weeks right?' And I was, like, 'Yeah. Hopefully.' Because you never know who's going or not."
Makeup-friendliness is good. "I don't have to sit down and have the talk: 'Listen, you guys, you really need makeup for camera.' They've made my life easier. Clay, I have to say, he was completely fine, he let me do what I needed to, but most of the guys were always like, 'Oh come on, I don't need anything.' And then I had to go chasing them down the hallways and finding them in the dressing rooms, to get them done."
The Idols' whole shot at fame in front of 30 million people hinges on a weekly two-hour shopping trip with stylist Miles Siggins, who has styled rock stars such as Bryan Adams. "American Idol" has just signed on with Starstyle.com, a web site launching today where fans can purchase the same products worn by their favorite stars on TV and film.
All the Idol contestants enjoy the trip says Siggins, "but I think in part it's the fact that they can get out and get some semi-fresh air for a couple of hours."
"With Chris this week, we spent, like, half an hour because I knew exactly what I thought he'd like and luckily he liked it."
Siggins' philosophy for Idols is build an image. "You don't necessarily have to dress to the song or dress to the theme. Justin Timberlake has a certain image and Christina Aguilera has a certain image, which she has now changed." But he likes to pace his makeovers. "I hate to try to give people a complete transformation straight away. A lot of these people, especially Kellie Pickler - it's the same thing I said about Carrie [Underwood] last season: she'd never really seen a Vogue. So showing people Jimmy Choo shoes the second week, it would freak them out completely. I remember we bought Carrie a tank top that was 80 bucks, and she said Oh my God! She's used to a Hanes tank for 7 bucks. You need to make sure they still feel like themselves, which is hard because they've got so much on going on."
He also doesn't want to throw them off. "The one thing I do say to everyone is the most important thing is when you get on the stage, you can't be thinking 'How do I look?' You've just got to be thinking about the song."
"We all know the quickest way to get press is to change your look,' says Banowetz. "I've been trying to change Simon's hair for five seasons. I cut his hair but I just do exactly as I'm told. I think after the third season I was like, it's all part of his character. If I changed it now, people might think he's really a sex symbol and handsome."
serena.french@nypost.com
KELLIE PICKLER
Wardrobe stylist Miles Siggins: "Simon complained last week, 'It's like you've gone to Dolly Parton School the way you look tonight.' It was the hair. I'm sorry. If she'd had straight hair it would have looked completely different. Because I thought the dress was great on her and the shoes gave it a little kick. She's this sweet innocent naive girl who had calamari for the first time. We got her a pair of red Steve Madden shoes and we said they're a copy of a Christian Louboutin shoe. She's like, 'I can't even say that.' She's being genuine."
Makeup artist Mezhgan Hussainy: "She wore (fake) eyelashes for the first time." On television, she said they felt like tarantulas. "When she's in the makeup chair, she's just the funniest thing. I cannot stop laughing. She's completely fascinated with the makeup world and everything that's going on with her."
TAYLOR HICKS
Miles: "He's a man after my own heart: He loves suits. He's great because he's got that whole Joe Cocker vibe. He likes to look sharp, and it's interesting because he's really not afraid of spending money. He was wearing a J. Lindeberg suit. He realizes he's in front of 30 million people, and it's the only chance he's going to get to impress. He's really going for it."
Hairstylist Dean Banowetz: "I cut Taylor's hair. We de-bulked it, made it more tailored." Ryan Seacrest said it was suggested that Hicks color his hair. "I throw suggestions to every one whether or not they'll do it, it's their decision. He's not the only one I've talked to about getting color. At the end of the day it's there, so if they don't feel comfortable of course I'm not going to force them to do it."
Mezhgan: "I'm like, 'Have you been wearing makeup?' And he's like, 'I asked the girls if I could have some powder.' Before I got my hands on him, he used to do a little something himself."
ELLIOTT YAMIN
Miles: "He's been the big baggy jeans look, so we're trying to streamline him a little bit. Because the camera adds 10 pounds so I'd like to slim him down a bit. I don't want him to become a blob on camera. I took him shopping for Stevie Wonder week and with the white jacket, he was like, 'Wow I've never spent this much on a jacket before.'"
Dean: "I wish he would grow his hair more so we can do fun things with it. Really short hair doesn't look the greatest on camera."
MANDISA
Miles: "One of the sweetest people I've ever met in my life. With her, it is a little restrictive because of her size and she'd be the first to admit it, but we have been able to shop at her favorite store in the world, which is Ashley Stewart."
Dean: "I think she has a really beautiful face and plus she gets hot so when the hair is up, it's a lot cooler. Last week we put the sides up with a flower, because we don't want everybody to look the same."
Mezhgan: "This is a beautiful girl. She's got the perfect eye shape. The only thing I have to worry about her is that when she's on stage she gets oily, so we have to make sure she doesn't look so shiny."
BUCKY COVINGTON
Miles: "He's just such a genuine soul. It must be people from the South. They haven't been jaded by the industry. We're keeping him true to his roots because he is that kind of Southern country boy, so it's denim and western shirts."
Dean: "We love Jessica Simpson and she's got amazing hair, so if you're gonna be compared to somebody, it's gotta be Jessica. He usually has wet hair, he puts it in a ponytail and he goes. I just wanted him to have it down because he's got this great, gorgeous blond hair but nobody ever sees it. I didn't realize he was going to be whipping his head around, which just makes the hair bigger."
Mezhgan: "I got to tweeze his eyebrows and shape them up a little bit more. He just needed a little help grooming him up a bit."
PARIS BENNETT
Miles: "Paris is very savvy. Paris is very eclectic. Every week she wants something completely different. So it's almost like playing catch-up with her."
Dean: "She's very adventurous with her hair so if I said to her, 'I think you'd look cute in this wig,' she'd be like, 'Ahright.' I mean hey, this is their opportunity to really play with different styles and just have fun. Because if you look good you feel better, and if you feel better you have more confidence, and I just love when people are open to change."
Mezhgan: "I'm trying to keep her away from all the blues and greens that she used to like to wear. So I'm trying to give her a nice healthy glow, without looking too made up."
KEVIN COVAIS
Miles: "Kevin's very tricky, and I said to him when we started taking him shopping we can't do a massive transformation on him straight away because it'll be really obvious and he'll just look stupid. If he stays in the competition it'll be a gradual process with him. For the coming week, he's in designer labels but it's not going to look like designer labels on him. But he's very receptive to ideas, because he hasn't got a clue about clothes at all."
Dean: "If you remember when you first saw him he had this buzzed mohawk going on. I love that he's grown it out a little bit."
Mezhgan: "Kevin, he's so cute, he likes makeup now, too. Randy said, 'You're wearing makeup' and he's like 'I like it.' When he came in the next day, he said, 'My skin looks even, I don't have the redness. I like it.'"
LISA TUCKER
Miles: "Lisa's fantastic because she's this secret little rock chick. We've got to keep her young because she is young. It's going to be a lot more slightly funky, kinda rock-y, slightly different, but still young."
Dean: "She has naturally curly hair. When your hair is more curly it's more juvenile and fun and playful, and when it's straight it's a little more serious, more sophisticated. We just want to make her look like she's not so young."
Mezhgan: "With Lisa, she likes a little bit more makeup because I remember for the Wednesday night we did a really nice natural, and then she came back and she's like can you darken my eyes a little bit and I was like, 'Honey, you're so young you don't need all of that.'"
ACE YOUNG
Miles: "I've actually said to him, you know I can go to the mall and see 25 guys who look just like you right now. And if that's what you're happy with, then that's what we'll go with, but you've got to bear in mind you're in front of 30 million people. I'd like to dress him up a little bit more because the short-sleeved T-shirt over a long-sleeved T-shirt has been played to death."
Mezhgan: "Ace loves the makeup chair. He's like, can you cover that little zit up and can you leave my rosy cheeks?"
KATHARINE McPHEE
Miles: "She's very fashion savvy. She used to work in a clothing store so she knows her labels. She'll show up with a pair of Fendi shoes. With her, we've taken her out of jeans and put her in dresses, which she's loving at the minute."(Her dress from last week was Mint.)
Mezhgan: "Katharine was a very natural pretty girl, she has very natural striking features and you can't go wrong with her, so I just wanted to bring out her eyes and give her a smoky look. She's got that movie-star quality and I wanted to give her that flawless, glamorous look. She has a tendency of just putting lip gloss on or she'll do a little bit on her eyes and be done."
CHRIS DAUGHTRY
Miles: "There's a store in L.A. called Lords and they make clothes for every rock band on the planet, so I've introduced him to Lords, and he loves their shirts. They're nothing too crazy, they're very understated, they have some little tweaks to them. But the cuts are fantastic for him."
Mezhgan: "Chris is just a really good-looking guy and with him, he just lets me do what I need to do - foundation, concealer, powder, a little bit of bronzer."
Yay! I'm so glad that Ace got the shit scared out of him last night. And the look on his face seemed as though he really did poop in his pants! 
