Looking great is difficult. Particularly on the campaign trail. I have first hand experience in this matter. I did Hillary Clinton’s hair and makeup her first time on the campaign trail. What distinctly stands out in my head was how different she was from the women I was used to “improving.”

At the time I did the hair and makeup for the news talent on the local ABC affiliate news station. When a television personality sits in the chair there is always one eye open watching. “I think that’s too much.”

Or “Can you spray that more?”

When Hillary was ready for hair and makeup she calmly closed her eyes and exhaled. As if, “now it’s time for this. Not my thing, but he’s the professional.”

I told her “I’m just going to follow what has already been done.”

To which she replied “Thank you, I appreciate that.”

When I got done with her hair she looked and said “Wow! How did you get that volume on top?”

Then finally, “What can I do for my skin up here in Minnesota, it’s so dry.”

I don’t know if she was actually interested, or asked instinctively knowing everyone is a voter. I didn’t care. I liked her. She was calm, positive, interesting and focused. I liked her.

I still like her. Only now she has my great respect. There’s a famous quote that says “Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, only backwards and in high heels.” This applies. I continue to wonder at how put together and attractive is Hillary Clinton. Against genetic odds she takes what she’s got and makes it work. Radiant isn’t easy. Particularly for a 60 year old woman running a race while the whole world watches. But she does it looking good. And that alone is a huge testament.

Hillary does what Obama does, only backwards, forwards and sideways in heels, hose, makeup, highlights, hairspray, foundation, powder lipstick...and a really good bra. Try that for a couple weeks, Obama.

What a blast! Saturday evening boasted a glitterati of local fabulistas all joined together to raise funds for HIV/AIDS at the annual DIVA event held at the International Market Square and directed by the uber sexy Mark Durkop, a man with many talents, not limited to production creation. (That man CAN create a production). It caught me off guard, however. After entering I was whisked to a separate corner with Robert and boom, lights, camera “you’re ON!” Suddenly I left my body thinking, “Am I on the red carpet?”

Standing with cordless microphone in front of a mini DV Camera were Shop NBC’s Brian Kessler and Wendy Russo. I assumed this was some sort of promotional video that would be edited for DIVAMN. Quickly I snapped into “on camera” man.

“Who are you wearing,” (What? Am I in Los Angeles? Who cares?)

“Valentino…on sale.”

See, I’m a complete Minnesotan at heart. I avoided actually going into that it was originally $1195.00 and I got it for $391.00” at Saks Off Fifth.

“Who is Robert wearing?”

I searched and read aloud inside the jacket, but, to be honest, I still don’t know “who” he was wearing. And I bought it. You can see how important designer names are to me.

Then the banter got racy. Which, of course I love, and can take about as far as anyone shouldn’t. But I figured, hey, it will all be edited out. It’s just a mini DV camera.

Ooh. I kind of like the visual. Of the title. Press…mounting. Ok. Never mind. It’s the testosterone. I’ve been on HRT for about 4 years now. This is where people like to debate: risks/benefits/natural/synthetic/what God intended. I love that one. What God intended. Like they have a direct line.

“God, what did you intend? Oh? How perfect, that fits seamlessly with my own belief system! Thank you. Chat later?”

What was I saying? Oh yes, the press is mounting.

Ooh.

First. I got a call from CJ (Cheryl Johnson). I like to think of her as Cheryl Johnson; it sort of humanizes the woman who strikes fear in the hearts of local celebrities. CJ is a gossip columnist for the Minneapolis Star and Tribune, as well as a local personality. She has her fans and her detractors. But I’ve never had a run in with CJ. I like her. I like that she isn’t “Minnesota nice”, you know what she thinks, and her opinion is entirely hers. Deal with it.

My mother is a detractor. The first time she met my mother was at the front desk of reVamp! salonspa. CJ asked for me, and my mother said “May I tell him who is inquiring?” To which she replied:

“If you don’t know who I am you don’t need to know.” Ha! Bam! Instant detractor.

But this isn’t about CJ, it’s about me. CJ got the book and called me.

“I got the book. You’ve got a good looking book there.”

Then she just casually started chatting, and, completely off guard so did I. That’s her M.O. It’s all on the record, but you don’t realize it until you’ve spilled. When you start to hear the clicking of her keyboard you suddenly rethink.

“What did I just say?”

Fortunately, I don’t mind being on the record. She tells the truth as she sees it, and I’ve never been misquoted. Which, in this case, might not be a good thing. We’ll see. I’m just happy someone is interested. Interested enough in me to think I’m interesting enough to be quoted. I’m flattered.

FM 107’s Lori and Julia were next. Lori got the book and was impressed. Impressed enough to give me some high praise along with Julia for a good 10 to 15 minutes. Priceless. And sincere. I was again flattered.

Up until now it’s been pretty dry. A lot of, “call us at the end of the month’s” and “we can’t use it at this time but we’ll keep it on file for future opportunities.” O.K. Not so flattering, but at the very least “they,” the press, are starting to notice. More importantly the readers are starting to notice. They like the book and are inspired. What more could I want (aside from an Oprah endorsement)? Still, as the press mounts I continue to press. Blogs, email pitches, newsletters, post cards and book marks. Follow up calls, never ending emails to my publicist, trade shows, book shows and product endorsements. So much more, the work after a work has been written. Just wait for my story about mounting the press.

I’m running like a chicken with his head cut off….and I haven’t even started. But I do have to say, the pre pub buzz on the book is building. Check out this response from Authorbuzz.com:

STAGING YOUR COMEBACK/Christopher Hopkins received click-thru at unprecedented levels. It is the top AuthorBuzz of 2008, and would rank 2nd vs. all 2007 author buzz ads only to Crazy Aunt Purl which received 2 more clicks.

So [they] have outperformed every other AB book in the last 16 months.

The average book…gets 14 clicks in a day…but Staging got 134 over the two days.

In layman’s term, book dealers are interested and excited enough to check it out. In fact Staging Your Comeback is already in its second printing before it has even been launched.

Pretty exciting!

A relatively new client sat in my chair after having her makeup done and looking beautiful. I liked her hair length, and when I asked, she told me she just wanted it shaped up. This, to me, means trim the ends and leave it basically the same, but, well, shape it up. It had been over six months since she’d been to me, and since I had only done her hair once, I didn’t really remember how I had cut her hair. It didn’t exactly resemble one of my cuts, so I pressed further asking if she liked the haircut that I had done the last time.

“Yes, I loved it.”

Has anyone else cut it since?

”No.”

And you liked the length?

“Yes—I got so many compliments on it.”

In my mind, if it’s been six months since her last cut with me, and she liked it, simple math tells me that if hair grows an average of half an inch per month, then it was three inches shorter when I last cut it. I decided for safety’s sake to cut just an inch and a half. It seemed a better length.

When I turned her to the mirror she was shocked. Oh my, that’s short! I repeated our consultation when she remembered, “Oh yeah, I DID get one haircut in between.”

Though the haircut was attractive on her, she wasn’t comfortable with the length, and I wasn’t comfortable with her being uncomfortable. Had we communicated better, and had I trusted my intuition, I’d have pressed further. Fortunately her words, “It’s just hair, it will grow,” helped. I will remember everything the next time she’s in my chair and will undoubtedly just trim the ends.

What you say. What we think.

I want something fun. She wants choppy texture.
I want it to feel sexy. She wants movement and length.
I don’t want it too neat. She doesn’t want to feel old.
I don’t want to look frumpy. She needs more makeup.
I need it long enough to pull back. She wants control.
I look terrible with short hair. Trim the ends.
I like fullness. She feels fat.
Not too short. Wa wa wahh, wa wa wa wahhh.
I don’t have time. She won’t take time.
My husband likes long hair. She likes long hair.
I have a fat face. If I had a penny…
How long have you been cutting She’s testing me.
hair?
Can you come do this every She’s not going to style it.
morning?
It has to be easy. Wa wa wahh, was wa wa wahhh.
Whatever you think. She trusts me.
You’re the professional. I love you.
Do you think its short enough? She wants more off.
I’ll have to work with it myself She doesn’t like how I’m styling it.
I’ll have to get used to it. She hates it.
Ok, it’s fine. She wants to get out of the chair