Two Women Go From Tired Moms To Divas With Stunning Makeover
Nov 30, 2020 by apost team
Back in the summer of 2015, 58-year-old Lenise Melton and 60-year-old Bonnie Amend were picked for TODAY’s Ambush Makeover and got rocking new looks.
“We found two ladies that were just so excited about being made over that it made our jobs easy,” said celebrity hairstylist Louis Licari in this episode of TODAY’s Ambush Makeover.
The first woman they found at the plaza was Lenise Melton. She was 58 years old and from Charlotte, North Carolina. Lenise is a mom of two and an accountant who worked in the financial aid services. Lenise described her style as “missing.” She had extreme long brown hair and only ever wore minimal makeup – she was ready to shake things up. Lenise’s best friend of 52 years, Sheryl, woke Lenise up at 5.30 in the morning so they could head to the plaza early to increase Lenise’s chances at getting a makeover. And her plan worked! In the pre-makeover interview, a TODAY reporter asked Sheryl, who was holding a sign that read “Ambush Needed,” with an arrow pointing to Lenise, why she so badly wanted a makeover for her best friend.
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“Well, she has been my best friend now for 52 years,” Sheryl replied. “We go way back together. We’ve had much fun, just so much good times together and I just wanted her to radiate with beauty that she deserves.” Touched, Lenise then turned to the reporter and said, “That’s really sweet, isn’t it?”
The reporter then asked Lenise if she’s “ready to chop off that hair,” to which Lenise replied enthusiastically with a string of yes's. The scene switched to the studio where they got Sheryl in a blindfold to keep Lenise’s makeover a surprise. For the big reveal, Lenise enters the studio looking like a whole different person. Her hair is half as long as what it used to be: It’s bouncy, feathery, and dyed a lighter brown. She also looks absolutely chic in an all-black ensemble. The hosts go: “Wow, oh my God, amazing!”
Sheryl proceeds to remove her blindfold and looks at Lenise in total disbelief, but in the best way possible. Now that the hosts and her best friend have seen her new look, it’s time for Lenise to see what she looks like for herself. She turns to the mirror and her jaw immediately drops: “Oh my word, that’s not even me!”
“That IS you,” one of the hosts reassures her. “You look beautiful!” Licari explains that by “[washing] away a few grays and [adding] a few highlights” it has made a huge difference. Licari had chopped her hair but maintained it at a long length. The new style has her hair framing her face nicely which is very flattering. “I think it’s great. I love it,” said Sheryl, who still can’t believe what’s going on. Sheryl tells Lenise that she knows she loves her outfit because it’s so comfortable and loose.
Up next is Bonnie Amend, who was about to turn 60 the next day, from Le Roy, New York. She worked in education for 47 years and is now a library clerk. She never wears makeup and for years she’s been wanting to appear on the Today show. Now she’s here, she can cross off what’s at the top of her 60th birthday bucket list.
“Please get rid of her gray hair,” one of Bonnie’s daughters told the TODAY reporter. “It’s my mom’s 60th birthday and we’re celebrating with all of us here in New York and we just wanted my mom to get a fresh start. She’s so little and cute, and we just wanted her to get all polished up and look great and everything for her 60th birthday.” The reporter then turned to Bonnie and asked if she’s up for this, to which Bonnie says she is.
The scene switches and we see Bonnie’s husband together with their two daughters, Adrienne and Danielle, in blindfolds. “Let’s bring out the new Bonnie, I bet she’s a redhead,” says one of the hosts excitedly. And sure enough, she is! Bonnie comes out with hair much shorter than before and no longer gray. She also has dangly sparkly earrings on! As her family takes their blindfolds off, we see that no one is more pleasantly surprised than her husband, who adjusts his glasses and mouths ‘oh my gosh’. Her two daughters are applauding with big smiles on their faces as they look at their mom who looks absolutely stunning now.
Now comes Bonnie’s turn to be amazed: She turns to the mirror and is in awe! She walks closer to her reflection as if to make sure that it was not a dream. Watch the video below to see the full transformations of the two ladies for yourself!
Whose makeover do you like best - Lenise's or Bonnie's? Tell us your pick in the comments and be sure to pass this article along to your friends and family!