4 Real-Women Beauty Makeovers

After: Aliah Davis-McHenry

Her hair: Dean Holcombe, the creative director of the Cutler/Redken Salon, in New York City, clipped Aliah’s hair into versatile, midlength layers. “They look sleek and polished when she wears her hair down for work,” he says, “but she can still pull them into a ponytail on weekends.”

Her makeup: New York City makeup artist Melissa Silver wanted to give Aliah a current look that was still natural and easy to re-create. So she used modern shades in the coral family, which play up Aliah’s warm brown skin. Silver dusted cantaloupe blush onto Aliah’s cheeks and then coated her lips with a tangerine stain. (Try Josie Maran Mambo; $19, sephora.com; and M.A.C. Sincere; $20, maccosmetics.com.) She finished with a sweep of mascara. “I finally feel like I can hold an event for my clients and look like I’m running the show,” says Aliah.