America’s Next Top Model 8, Episode 3: You Can Make Over Someone’s Look, But Not Their Personality

Last week, the girls learned how to walk from Ms. J. Alexander and participated in a prom fashion show at a high school. The theme stuck, as the photo shoot for the week was themed “high school clichés.” Samantha had a hard time being “the girl with a reputation,” which is what Renee wanted to be (go figure), and she (Samantha) was sent home. There’s 11 girls left, and it’s time for makeovers, so let’s begin!

The girls are sitting around the house. Whitney and Diana talk about being the plus sized girls in the house, with Diana telling the camera that she likes having Whitney there to talk about things. She thinks they click well. Jaslene and Cassandra are talking in another room, and Jaslene tells the camera that talking with Cassandra really puts her at peace. Cassandra says that she can compete and still be herself and nice to people. As usual, Jael is in another room being weird. She says that she’s different than the other girls, but is still making the most out of this opportunity and trying to be the best model there.

Tyra mail arrives! It says that yesterday, one of the girls was cut, but tomorrow, they will all be cut! Right away, everyone knows it’s time for makeovers. Jael and Brittany talk and Brittany promises that she won’t get upset no matter what Tyra decides to do to her.

It’s 6:30 a.m. and the girls arrive at the salon, greeted by Ms. J., Jay Manuel and Neeko, a stylist who has worked with Tyra since she was 17. Cue Tyra in curlers! She says she wasn’t sure about makeovers this season since there’s a girl that cries every season… shots of Giselle, Catie, Ann, Brandy, Cassandra, Jade and Jaeda – each girl took her makeover a little too seriously during their season, thinking it was going to ruin their lives. The girls assure Tyra they are ready and she starts rattling out what they are getting done:

• Jael – Long and brunette.
• Cassandra – Losing her wig that is sewn on her head and getting a curly weave.
• Renee – Her hair is too long, and she’s going “Yoanna short.”
• Whitney – Losing her weave and getting hear to her breasts.
• Diana – Blonde and thicker.
• Felicia – Bangs with more layers.
• Dionne – Short like Kelis. Longer in the front, short in the back.
• Sarah – Dirty dark with much more volume.
• Jaslene – Getting some of her hair cut and thicker.
• Brittany – Big and bushy, she’s getting a weave.
• Natasha – Vidal Sassoon short. Also, she’s going chocolate.

All the girls seem happy and ready for the makeovers, but to prove a point, Tyra has them cut off some of her hair, as she gets all dramatic to show the girls that it’s not the end of the world – it’s just hair!

Tyra now leaves and the girls are on their own. Sara likes her new light brown hair and feels it’s bringing out her facial features. Dionne loves her hair as well, and says it’s nothing she would have ever done to herself before. Cassandra likes her new afro and thinks she can really handle it.

On the side, Brittany is complaining about her coloring process saying she can put up with it if she has to. Jaslene says that getting her hair cut off was like losing anger and resentment. She looks great! Renee is excited to work with her new, shorter hair, and I have to say – she looks great as well! Ms. J. is also getting a little work done and has his hair straightened. That thing needs a lot more than a new hair style to look better!

Felicia has a new darker look and she thinks it looks perfect with her new bangs. Personally, I liked her old style better. Natasha says she can work any look. Does this girl know how to not turn something into a compliment? Brittany is still complaining about her hair and never knew a weave took so long. Whitney comments that her hair is everything she ever wanted and more.

Diana says that she went blonde before but she did it herself. This time it looks better and she might stick with it. Jael is going through hell with her weave and Cassandra comments that she knows it hurts. In comes Jay to tell Jael, after she has been sitting for eight hours having the weave put in, that he talked with Tyra and they changed their minds – the weave wouldn’t help the cause so they are cutting it out and shortening her hair. Jael admits to being traumatized and starts to cry. I’m going to let this slide since the girl just sat for eight hours for them to take it out. Even Whitney says that she never went through anything like that and it must be like hell. Jael tells Jay she can get used to her new look – she’s a rocker. Good for you, Jael!

The girls get home and they have Tyra mail. It says that for those of you that didn’t make the cut today, they will have a chance to “make it up” to her tomorrow. Everyone thinks it’s going to be a makeup challenge. Brittany tries to scratch her new weave and complains about it in the confessional. Diana says that she knows Brittany wants sympathy, but she just doesn’t have time to give it to her. Whitney says that all Brittany does is cry, so she does the WRONG thing and actually tells her about it. I know Whitney meant well, but focus on yourself, not Brittany!

Jael checks her messages and has a message from a friend saying that one of her other friends passed away. She calls him back and finds out that their friend died of an overdose. Jael is upset, of course. She hangs up and the girls try to comfort her, but honestly, when you lose a friend, there’s nothing that can be said right away that can help the situation.

The next day, the girls arrive at a garden for their challenge. As they wait, Brittany tells the other girls that she thinks she has a stomach flu and might have to go to the hospital. Sarah and Jael urge her to compete though and tell her to pull it together. She does, as the girls are greeted by Roxanna Floyd from Cover Girl and Carissa from Seventeen magazine. They tell the girls that the spring collection from Cover Girl is inspired by all the colors of a garden, so the winner of this challenge will get to choose two friends and they will have a shoot in Seventeen.