Question:

How do I pick a model for a virtual makeover?

Using Virtual Makeover Models

So you've decided you want to try one of the virtual makeover programs that are available to you for free on the web, but you don't want to make the commitment of giving out your personal information, such as your name and email address to be able to upload a photo and use your own image. Don't worry, many virtual makeover programs offer virtual models that you can use instead. But how do you decide which virtual model is right for you to use?

First you will want to decide on your website. Virtual makeover pages on iVillage and makeoversolutions have lots of faces to choose from. You want to avoid sites that only offer four or five models. Some sites assume that offering an African American, Caucasian, Asian and native American model will be enough. Wrong. Remember there are dozens of facial shapes, skin tones, hair and eye colors all within each of those racial profiles. So make sure whatever site you use that they give you lots of choices.

When you are ready to choose your model, wash your face, brush back your hair and get out a mirror. Take a good look at yourself. It is our natural tendency to want to "make up" the model who is in our basic characteristic group, AND whom we find the most attractive. This may or may not be the model who looks the most like you. Try to find a model that is not only the same race as yourself, but who is in your approximate age group, has similar facial features and skin tones. If you find yourself trying to settle on one out of two or three possible models, take a good look at your own natural hair and eye colors and choose the one that most closely matches. A model with your natural hair and eye colors is more likely than the others to closely match your skin tones as well.