Susan Boyle

The buzz that everyone is talking about this week is the ‘plucky’ middle-aged singing sensation discovered on “Britain’s Got Talent.”  For the scant minority of you who haven’t heard it yet, be sure to check out her performance on YouTube.
 
If Susan’s voice wasn’t enough to move the audience to tears, juxtaposed with her story, even the most untouchable hearts were touched.  Susan was terribly bullied as a young woman and was seen by most as more or less that kooky neighbor.  She looks funny, lives alone with her cat Pebbles, and has a great sense of humor.

She has been quoted saying "They say that television makes you look fat and it certainly did.  I looked like a garage. It was mortifying to see and a bit of a shock. I didn't realise I could reduce people to tears and I hope it wasn't because of that."  I love Susan’s candor!  I must say that her rendition of one of my favorite songs “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables was superb and her voice is gorgeous, but I do think that the context of her background, the song’s lyrics, her appearance, and the element of surprise certainly affected the reaction of the audience.  
 

I would love to see and hear her in a different context, to really appreciate her talent as a separate thing from her story.  Unlike some who have commented on articles about Susan Boyle, I don’t thing she should keep her present ‘look’.  She doesn’t seem to like it and I have more respect for her talent than to say that her success is dependent upon the seeming contradiction between her appearance and her voice.  And… in my own girlish excitement, I would love to make her up.  Here is what I would do if given the chance:

A Make-Over for Susan Boyle

By Rachel Walker

HAIR STYLE:  I’m sure it was obvious to anyone who saw the Britain’s Got Talent audition that Susan’s hair would look a lot better if it looked different.  In fact, just this morning she appeared on the Early Show in the U.S. with a new do.  However, I still don’t think it suits her at all.  Personally, I think that Susan should go with an updo, using extensions if necessary.  If she wants her hair down, it should be longer, with extensions until it grows out.

HAIR COLOR:  I don’t see anything wrong with gray, but I think Susan might look much better with a more reddish gray.  She has the perfect complexion, and seems to have the perfect disposition, for a defiant redhead.

EYEBROWS:  While Susan’s eyebrows certainly call out for help, I wouldn’t be so quick to run at them with tweezers.  In my mind, the main issue is that they are so dark.  I think that if they were lightened, and perhaps made a tad red, then some light cleanup would be all that would be required.

I see it --- something like this:

MAKEUP:  I would be very careful doing Susan’s eyes, as I saw in her interview on the Early Show that she squints a lot.  If eyeliner were to be applied in just the right fashion, then her eyes would look bigger and more open then they actually are.  With her complexion, greenish eyeshadow and a hint of blush would be perfect.  I can’t decide on lipstick color, any ideas?

JEWELRY:  Susan needs long, narrow earrings to offset her round face.  Her necklace isn’t the right negth, it should be either shorter or longer.  Or given last year’s trends, absent all together.  However, with her regal stance, I can totally see her in a Paula Crevoshay type creation.  The simple, thick gold chain just doesn’t look right.

DRESS:  I actually really liked the dress that she wore for the audition.  However, I think that, to try to put it tactfully, that her dress would look a lot better if she wore specially designed underclothes.  Susan has beautiful poise and posture, but as an average bodied 48 year old, she is a bit frumpy and a better designed dress style and/or underclothes would do wonders.  I think that longer sleeves would look better.  For that matter, I think a floor length dress would be the most becoming on her.

SHOES:  For some reason it made me quite uncomfortable to see Susan in such high heels.  A floor length dress would fix this, or else just lower heals.  Also, the black stockings looked terrible. 

Anyway, that's my take on the new British Star.

A Lone Star over London at Night

Picture Credit:  See Source

And don’t give me this “Shame on you for talking about her outside when she has such a beautiful inside” business.  She is the one that brought it up.  Plus, why shouldn’t she have the right to external beauty?   I have faith that her talent will not be hampered if she looks more the part.