Virtual beauty makover is clicking at you

By Lim Tri Santosa

BANDUNG (JP): Sometimes choosing a new hairstyle can be quite confusing. Many of us choose to keep the same style year after year, due to either fear of change or fear of a horrible and irreversible mistake. You may find however, that being brave enough to make a change can result in a more flattering and perhaps even easier to handle hairstyle.

The first step you should take in finding a look that works for you is to look for styles that you would like to try for yourself. Look through magazines and catalogs to find a good representation of the style you want. It doesn't have to be exactly the same as what you want; the color or even the length can be a bit different.

According to Cosmopolitan Magazine, 90 percent of women would like to change their hairstyle or their look, but they're afraid to take the chance because that they might not like the result. Looking for that hot new look, but not sure how it'll look on you? Fear no more, eMakeover.com can help you decide what the best style is for you. Well, with the virtual makeover from eMakeover.com, you get to see the results on your PC before doing the real thing.

eMakeover utilizes cutting-edge technology and harnesses the power of the Internet and digital imaging to bring dramatic change to the beauty community. A new Web application just might transform a deadbeat into a diva with the click of a mouse. Such applications have been in development for several years by companies hoping to make the virtual experience more lifelike.

What would you look like as a blond? With different makeup? Without leaving the privacy of your home and, even better, without risking ridicule at work the next day. This service site is free to join and offers members a plethora of services. To begin your virtual makeover, all you have to do is scan in and upload a photo of yourself or, if you're more the private type, you can choose a model to test out the new styles at a distance. And with hundreds of options, you are sure to find exactly the right look.

To liven up your looks pick from a number of different styles for short, medium or long hair. If you're feeling risky, you can also choose from eight different hair colors. Styles range from more formal "up-dos" to casual everyday looks. But the virtual makeover fun does not end there. The site includes some "eye- catching" aspects. Try out different sunglasses and experiment with different colored eyes; no, they don't replace your eyeballs, they just use simulated contact lenses. If you really like the accessories you can buy them. To top off your whole new look, try different shades of lip colors.

Ladies, if you're wondering how you would look with a makeover, this site will reveal a new you, but you simply must be realistic when searching for a new style. Don't expect eMakeover to be able to work miracles. Even the best stylist can't turn Liz Taylor into Pamela Lee. Instead of going for an all-out transformation, just think of your new look as a new and improved you, and use that as your guide.

Change hairstyles, makeup and glasses to see how you'd look. When you find something you like or something absolutely outrageous you can e-mail your makeover to your friends and family! By the way, I was doing an experiment with my mother's photo, when Yenny, my nine-year-old niece, peered over my shoulder at the computer screen. "You know something?" she said. "Grandma looks really good without makeup."