Sacha before her makeover. Photograph by Chris Leaman

Sacha Salazar, 30
National Security Sector consultant

Why she wanted a makeover:
Sacha had to follow strict hair restrictions for close to ten years because she was in ROTC and the Air Force. She and her husband, Juan, were married in August, and now that the wedding photos are out of the way and her parents have formal documentation, Sacha says she’s free to do what she wants: “I don’t normally do anything really drastic in terms of dress, makeup, or hairstyle. I was very limited on how I wore my hair. I don’t think this look will be something that I maintain. It’s more of a new me that I just need to do.”

Reaction when she found out she was getting a Washingtonian.com makeover:
“I was shocked and happy. I really want to do this, so I scheduled an appointment with my local beautician to do it if I didn’t get picked. I was floored.”

What she likes and dislikes about her current look:
“I like that I can change my hairstyle. I can wear it straight or curly, which is my natural look. I don’t like the fact that because I go a long time between haircuts, I get triangle hair—it’s a curly-hair problem. My mom tells me I don’t have a hairstyle. It’s sort of just medium length and kinda curly and brown.”

How she wants to look afterward:
“In the military you must have a natural hair color. You’re allowed to have most haircuts, but you have to be able to pull it back with less than one inch of bulk, like if you put it in a French twist. Or it must be cut right at the collar or above. No braids. You can wear clips or bands, but they have to be exactly the same color as your hair. It’s the same with makeup and nail polish—very natural-looking. I just want something color-wise that’s totally new for me. I want to surrender to the stylist and trust her.” Sacha has been told that a cut similar to Victoria Bekham’s would be flattering for her, and she wanted color similar to Reese Witherspoon’s blond.

See Sacha’s transformation after the jump!

Sacha after her makeover. Photograph by Chris Leaman

Where we sent her:
For cut and color: Karen King at Sugar House Day Spa in Alexandria worked her magic on Sacha’s hair. Karen has been a stylist for 15 years, five of which she’s spent at Sugar House. Her forte is coloring.
For makeup: Maggie Hadeed at Sugar House used olive and warmer tones of Bare Minerals products to give Sacha a nighttime look.

Karen’s impression of Sacha’s “before” look:
“Her hair was too long and had no style. It was aging her and was too plain. With the texture of her hair—it’s naturally curly—it was just laying too flat. She needed some shaping around her face, and it needed some brightening to make it an updated look.”

What they did:
Karen says she was pleased that Sacha has an oval face because it’s the best shape for a wide variety of styles. She used a razor to create Sacha’s textured, graduated, asymmetrical cut. Karen used several colors so that Sacha’s hair framed her face. Sacha originally wanted to go really blond, but Karen says Sacha expressed that she isn’t high maintenance, so this color is something she can keep up with. Additionally, Karen says the shades she used fit better for the winter—blond wouldn’t have had enough shine.

“She looks so much more professional, updated, sophisticated, and a lot more fun,” Karen says. “There’s a lot to learn from Sacha. She had long hair that all girls want, but she finally let it go.”

Number of inches cut:
Seven. “I’ve never had it this short,” Sacha says.

Sacha’s reaction to her new look:
After four hours spent at the salon and missing her office’s holiday party, Sacha says she was thrilled with her transformation, though her morning routine has now doubled in time. “I like it. It’s definitely not blond, but I’m happy. The stylist was great and explained the color system to me. I kind of like that the cut forces me to dry my hair because now I never leave for work with wet hair like I used to. The makeup was awesome. Maggie gave me some tips and pointers while she was applying it. I’m not used to having to do as much, but it’ll get easier as I get used to it.” Sacha says she’ll probably keep the cut, but she hopes to go blond this summer.

Weigh in on this makeover!

Tired of your look and ready for a change? Send an e-mail with a recent photo to makeovers@washingtonian.com, and tell us why you’re ready for a new look.

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