Ditch the '80s with a Fashion-Forward Makeover

Most women who lived the '80s remember them fondly but have nevertheless ditched their old leg warmers, big shoulder pads and even bigger hair for a new, trendy look. But there are still a few stragglers who haven't quite been able to ditch the outdated look.

For one "Good Afternoon America" viewer, Dawn Siedlarz-Aponte, the 1980s were very much still alive. Fashion and beauty expert Gretta Monahan, along with her team from her Boston spa and salon GrettaCole, shows us how they updated Dawn's '80s style with fashion-forward tips.

Hair:

Dawn's color was brassy, uneven and the tone was making her skin look drab. Gretta believes that a bold hair color is essential to a youthful look. For Dawn’s color, she used Clairol's Nice and Easy at home treatment in a dramatic, dark brown shade.

Dawn’s 80’s mullet had to go. Gretta blunted Dawn’s back and ends to create fullness, connecting the top and sides of her hair. The cut instantly updated & modernized Dawn’s outdated look.The cut instantly looks more modern.

Styling: Gretta is a spokesperson for YesToCarrots and used their natural de-frizz shampoo, conditioner and frizz serum products to correct Dawn's dull, crunchy, stiff 80's frizzy perm curl look. Use softer products because sticky, dry hair is old-fashioned. She also swapped Dawn's harsh metal hairbrush for a ceramic boar bristle brush for more shine and to reduce breakage. Gretta recommends using a T3 Styling Iron on your hair because it automatically adjusts temperature to reduce damage and increase shine for dry, colored hair.

Makeup:

Dawn has used the same makeup for almost three decades. The technology in makeup products have vastly improved since the 80’s, so Gretta and her GrettaCole makeup artist Stacy Frasca had to do a makeover on Dawn’s beauty bag. Dawn was using a too-heavy orange shade foundation, which was replaced with a warm neutral shade shade of Cargo's airbrush makeup.

Dawn also complained of her skin looking shiny and oily. This is caused by old fashion pressed powder, so Gretta switched her to a colorless mineral product and a Smashbox primer to retain color and keep her complexion free of oil buildup.

Eyes:

Dawn’s best feature is her eyes, but her old formulas smudged and clumped her lashes. She was also stuck using bright 80’s greens and blues that made her look outdated. Gretta threw away her clumpy mascara and replaced it with a new one in a brownish black shade. We also swapped the green liner for a more natural plum brown color.

Lips:

Dawn used a retro '80s brown matte lip color with red lip liner. But Gretta changed the color to a modern blush satin stain formula by Urban Decay. Cover Girl Long-Last formula is similar to this product. You can use lip tints for conditioning and touch-ups throughout the day.

Blush:

Dawn was using a powder blush that can tend to draw attention to fine lines and skin blemishes. For a more youthful look, Gretta went for a cream blush in a rust shade by Almay.

Brows:

Dawn is a "pluckaholic" and her brows were thin and uneven. Brows are important for sculpting a face, so we got our professional to help. Expert Julie Tussey resculped Dawn’s brows by first adding a tint. Then she used a brown pencil, powder, and setting gel to redefine and shape them. Dawn is in serious brow rehab for the next month to let her brows grow again.

Clothes:

Dawn is a petite, curvy, size 10. Her 1980's ill-fitting, unflattering dresses and outfits were aging her. Gretta put her in a fitted, shapely dress from Macy's. Gretta picked a Michael Kors dress that complemented Dawn’s silhouette.These dresses are the most lengthening and flattering choice for Dawn. They compliment her fuller bottom-half, while highlighting her curves and showing a bit of lower leg. They also allow Dawn to get dressed in one piece so she will look great without adding time to her busy schedule.

To finish the look, Gretta paired the dress with metallic Bandolino wedges and Calvin Klein clutch, which not only pick up the gold details in Dawn’s dress, but are also wearable for everyday use.  To round out Dawn’s look, we added some sparkle with a Chloe and Reece bracelet and Big Bang earrings.