For one night, “hockey mom” Sarah Palin went from schoolmarmish gran to subtly sophisticated glam – thanks to a makeover of darkened hair, rust-toned cheek hues and perfectly applied mahogany gel eyeliner.
That was the opinion of beauty experts yesterday, who said Palin’s turn on the GOP convention stage took her from Sarah Barracuda and poofy-haired 1985-era beauty queen to the vision of a flawless and feminine professional woman.
Think of Audrey Hepburn’s tight upsweep circa “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” turning into Paula Abdul’s soft bangs and against-the-shoulders ‘do.
“She was really polished and it brought out the absolute best she could be,” said makeover expert Jacki Norrie, who owns the shop “Wedding Tresses” south of Boston.
Patrick Melville, a New York hair stylist, said, “The color’s good for her. I think she needs to stay in the warm tones. The highlights could be a little more subtle, maybe toned down a little bit more” from the streakier blond they appear to have been.
George Walker, owner of Ilo salon in Washington, DC, also praised Palin’s hair and her “softer” slate gray suit jacket and dark skirt.
“Before, it was the black suit, the black glasses, the hair in a bun – I mean, that’s no-nonsense,” Walker said. “Black is the color of nuns, priests, Nazis.”
But Melville and New York designer Nicole Young think Palin still needs a stylist. “She needed to be wearing a color-coordinated suit, or a power suit,” Young said. “Instead, she went with separates in two different colors, with nothing accessorizing or pulling it all together.”