New year, new you

Jan Iwase gets a makeover subtle enough to continue at home

WHY SHOULD "reset" buttons be limited to computers and digital games? New Year's is a magical time when new beginnings for human beings also seem possible, with just minor tweaking.

Resolutions generally call for achieving career goals, breaking bad habits and improving one's appearance. While the first two call for determination and hard work over time, the last resolution can be addressed in less than an hour and yields immediate results, leaving you plenty of time after the fact to work on other goals.

Just ask Jan Iwase, who went through a mini-makeover earlier this year and continues to employ tips offered by Kensei Takeda of Chez Kensei salon.

The change came when, at a Japanese Women's Society Foundation fashion show in May, she won a makeover offered by Kensei.

"I was trying to win a trip," she said, and would have passed on the prize if her husband, Randall Iwase, had not been in running for governor.

"Everyone at my table was really envious and told me how lucky I was, but I'm kind of a country girl. I wasn't sure what a makeover would entail, but I thought it was as good a time as any for a makeover."

After all, political aspirations tend to put one's whole family in the spotlight, with anything from dress to hair to children's behavior open to criticism.

"I'm always aware that perception is important when I go out in public," Iwase said. "I try to look at least decent, but a makeover is not something I ever thought I would do."

WHILE makeovers are nothing new to anyone who has kept up with reality TV in recent years, Iwase is not a typical makeover candidate. She and her husband hail from a world where substance counts more than vanity. She grew up on the outskirts of Wahiawa, the second of five children born to Keiji and Vivian Amemiya, and wanted to be a teacher.

She and Randy had raised three sons -- Justin, Jarand and Jordan -- with a "family first" mentality that left little room for individual indulgences. But since her makeover -- and perhaps more importantly, now that her children are grown -- she's found such indulgences may be worth the time, if only to have a few quiet moments to clear her mind.

"I think most women would find it enjoyable. I continue to get my hair cut by Kensei. I don't really think of the experience as having had a makeover; I call it being pampered.

"The things he did were not drastic, but subtle changes," she said. "Because I'm older it's important to lift the face, so he said to use an eyebrow pencil to slant my brow up instead of dropping down. He told me how to stand for photos, not facing completely forward, but turned slightly to the side to look slimmer. There are a lot of common sense things that can make a lot of difference.

"I think anyone could look better, but most people don't know where to begin, and it takes someone like Kensei, with an artistic eye, to show what can be done. He told me to practice to get better and said that I didn't have to do everything every day, but just suggested, 'When you go out you might want to do this, this and this.' "

KNOWN to his clientele by his first name, Kensei is no stranger to performing subtle makeovers, although he said most people seeking a new look want to look 10 years younger. He maintains there's no excuse to "give up" at any age. "Even 70 years old is young. Everyone has a chance to be beautiful."

As people age, he said many forget what it felt like to look good. "They wear the same clothes for many, many years. They get very comfortable. Their clothes are not current, just comfortable. They shouldn't be lazy.

"You always have to think about balance," Kensei said. "When you are older you have education, wisdom, but your body changes and maybe you have to exercise more. It's better to say, 'Oh, I'm not too bad,' instead of, 'It's OK, I don't care,' because then people are not taking care of themselves."

IN JAN IWASE'S case, whether as a politician's wife or dealing with schoolchildren, it is important for her to look both professional and approachable, Kensei said, so he softened her look, starting with a less severe haircut. He worked in stages over three sessions, cutting her hair gradually to acclimate her to a shorter, layered look over time. He later lightened her hair color and added highlights for warmth.

He also examined her makeup "kit," which consisted of fewer items than a typical 16-year-old might use -- just foundation, an eyebrow pencil and lipstick -- but he said the foundation color "was wrong. It was too white and powdery, not moist enough."

Just as with clothing, skin changes over time require changes in the type of makeup used, so he had her update her makeup kit with concealer, a darker foundation slightly lighter than her skin tone, eyeshadows and blusher. Her new regimen now adds time to her morning routine, but she's making the effort.

"I can't say I would do everything as he did," she said. "For one thing, it doesn't look the same as when I just come home from the salon, but it was a really enjoyable experience and because he spent so much time with me I should make the effort."

But you won't find her going further than augmenting her appearance in such basic, common sense ways.

"I guess there are some people who want complete makeovers, surgery and all, but that's not for me," she said. "Inside is the same person. I go to work every day. But this experience has helped me to be more aware of my appearance."