Ambushed: Hard-working mom gets a new look

Sharen Froilan thought she was meeting her friend, Stoneham resident Filis Warren, for a casual cup of coffee Friday afternoon. Instead, she was ambushed by a team of ravenous fashionistas, determined to turn her lackluster image into one of a chic and self-assured super mom.

Froilan, a mother of two young children and a full-time nurse at Whidden Memorial Hospital in Everett, was in dire need of a makeover, according to her friends and family, who nominated the Saugus woman for the day of pampering.

“[My friends and family] know I have a lot of natural beauty, but I don’t give it a lot of effort,” said Froilan. “They thought I would benefit from a day of beauty.”

The makeover came complete with all the fixings — wardrobe, hair, nails and makeup. Rada Frohlichstein, owner of The Wardrobe Boutique at 939 Main St. in Wakefield, volunteered to help with the clothes, while Jean Brian, owner of the Jean Brian Beauty Salon at 8 Franklin St. in Stoneham, offered her salon services for free. This group of women (and moms) could empathize with Froilan’s situation and took the head-to-toe transformation seriously.

“I have a soft spot for working moms,” Frohlichstein said. “I know how hard it is to find the time to go shopping, especially if your weight changes ... [Sharon] is an average, busy mom, who doesn’t have time to mess with her look.”

So the women ventured to The Wardrobe Boutique, where Frohlichstein, a 10-year fashion-industry veteran, gave Froilan tips on how to wear jeans with flats, how to accentuate an outfit with the right amount of accessories and how to carry herself in a more confident way, whether through posture or the way she walks.

Froilan was to attend her husband’s holiday party that evening at the Sheraton Colonial in Wakefield, so the women wanted to choose an outfit that would be right for the occasion. They decided on a silk black dress, a beaded hot pink shawl, crystal pink earrings, pink pointy shoes, a simple satin black evening bag and “a little bling with a crystal ring,” Frohlichstein said.

“The shawl goes with anything and it sparkles — brings my eyes alive,” said Froilan.

The whole look, which was free for Froilan, would have cost under $150. “There is no need to go to Hollywood. You can change your look and style without going bankrupt,” Frohlichstein stressed.

After they picked the outfit, Froilan went to Brian’s salon, where she received all of the beauty services.

“First we waxed her eyebrows, then we gave her a color. We covered her gray with a rich brown and added red highlights. We layered her hair. [Before] it looked like a one-length bob with bangs, so we framed her face,” Brian said. “We gave her a French manicure and did her makeup. We showed her how to accentuate her eyes and lips and apply mascara and blush. She really learned a lot today about how to do this herself.”

And even though this isn’t Hollywood, the crew rolled out the red carpet — literally. Froilan, after hours of primping, walked out of the dressing room, feeling like a movie star.

“I feel beautiful. My hair is spectacular; my outfit is fabulous. I feel beautiful inside and out … I don’t put a lot of stock into the physical beauty end of things. But I feel spectacular now, like a different person. I am going to turn some heads tonight at my party,” Froilan said. “This really lifted my spirits … I feel like I can wake up in the morning and be beautiful.

“There is no reason to walk around with sweatshirts and sneakers,” she said. “When you look beautiful you feel beautiful, and people can tell.”

This was Frohlichstein and Brian’s first ambush makeover, but they said they would definitely do it again.