If you paid close attention, you may have noticed that we often use denim in our photoshoots. That’s no coincidence: denim gives your face an instant healthy, fresh glow. Classic or trendy, there’s a denim piece out there that works wonders for everyone. Just look at the results of yet another unforgettable before & after shoot with 4 Rosette la Vedette customers. Not a denim fan yet? You will be now!

Make-over 1: Tine wants to feel confident grabbing drinks with her friends

Tine saw her body change during her cancer treatment, and that—on top of the uncertainty around her wish to have children—has been difficult. For herself, but also towards her boyfriend, she feels quite insecure about it. And when summer comes and she wants to sit on a terrace with friends, how can she still look hip and fashionable without her gorgeous long waves?

Our restyling team to the rescue! Not that our stylist Sarah and our make-up artist An had to do much. Sometimes it’s the little things. Like the eyebrows An draws so naturally. Honestly, no one does it better than An.

Practice makes perfect, says our make-up artist An. Take enough time to draw your eyebrows, she advises. Don’t rush in front of the mirror to scribble a few lines two minutes before you have to run out the door. That’s a recipe for disaster. Practice at a calm moment and start over until you’re fully satisfied. Want more make-up tips for hair loss? >>

Don’t let anyone tell you that losing your hair means losing your femininity. Tine proves the opposite in this unique denim dress. All our stylist needed to boost Tine’s confidence were a pair of statement earrings and a wide belt. The smile and charisma? 100% Tine!

If, like Tine, you miss your long, flowing locks, try a pre-shaped scarf with long ties. It was wonderful to see her tie it on in the dressing room and start playing with it in the mirror as if she had long hair again. The familiar feeling of movement and length immediately put a smile on her face. And that’s exactly why we do this!

Make-over 2: Johanna wants to stop feeling like a patient for a moment and simply feel like herself

“I don’t recognise the woman in the mirror anymore. My hair is gone, my eyebrows and eyelashes are thinning, my face has become puffy and round. But the hardest part is the pigmentation spots. I’ve had them for years—it runs in the family—but I used to keep them under control. Because of the chemo, they’ve suddenly darkened and spread, making me look even sicker. I can’t hide them anymore and would love some advice. Overall, I stay positive and resilient, but more than the illness itself, it’s how I look now that makes me sad and frustrated. Any tools to soften this would be so welcome,” Johanna wrote to us.

A tip from our make-up artist for Johanna’s pigmentation spots? Keep your make-up as natural as possible. A thick layer of foundation only makes it more obvious that you’re trying to hide something. Accentuate your eyebrows to draw attention to your eyes, and choose bright colours that lighten your complexion.

Johanna arrives in our studio exhausted. She barely slept the night before, and over breakfast she even wondered if she should cancel. Understandable. A good night’s sleep is so important. But worry, stress about test results or intense hot flashes keep many people awake during cancer treatment. Look for small things during the day that give you energy between resting moments. For some, that’s learning something new, like a language; for others, it’s the joy of getting dressed up. And Johanna? She perked up completely during her modelling moment in front of our camera. Adrenaline, perhaps?

Too warm for a knitted cardigan, or want something less everyday? Leave a shirt dress unbuttoned and wear it as a layer over another dress. A simple styling trick with mega impact!

Johanna looks like she has legs for miles in this jumpsuit. The secret? The fitted top and the long, wide legs. Wear heels underneath and let the ties of your chemo head scarf hang loosely over your shoulder—it adds even more visual length. “Will you take a picture for my husband?” our temporary model asks between poses. How lovely is that?

Make-over 3: Sylvia pushes her boundaries… and how!

Sylvia has always been insecure about her appearance, and she admits that treatment hasn’t improved that. She doesn’t like being in the spotlight, and she hardly ever uses make-up—because how do you even do that? And still she volunteered for this before & after shoot. Because she wanted to show that you can still be beautiful, even with cancer. “With a bit of help from the right people,” she winks.

Well, we happen to know exactly those people… Just look how our stylist and make-up artist highlighted Sylvia’s best features! “A boost for her confidence,” proud Sylvia calls this make-over afterwards.

Do you have a small head? Then it can look even smaller when you lose your hair. For some women, their figure suddenly feels out of balance. A little optical trickery helps restore balance. How? With a scarf or hat with a print. Graphic, floral, stripes, high contrast or tone-on-tone: experiment and combine. You didn’t choose to lose your hair, but you do choose how you look.

Did you know your face appears less red when you wear a green hat or scarf? Handy if you’re taking a lot of cortisone, have couperose, or your face turns red quickly from hot flashes. There’s a green shade for every skin tone: from khaki and fresh azure to bright green, aqua and deep forest green. Have you found your perfect shade yet?

This final look doesn’t differ much from what Sylvia was wearing when she arrived: a basic sweater, easy jeans and sneakers. But we swapped her bomber jacket for a classy blazer with double-breasted buttons. And if you thought blazers were only for busy career women—think again. Even the most casual outfit gets an instant style upgrade with a well-fitting blazer.

And the glasses? Sylvia wanted to keep them right away. And rightly so! This butterfly-shaped frame gives her a younger, fresher look. The soft amber shade also suits her delicate complexion far better than the harsh black of her own glasses.

Make-over 4: Corine misses feeling beautiful

Corine also came to find inspiration and energy at our make-over shoot with 4 cancer patients: “I’m a very positive person, but there’s a dark cloud that pops up regularly. And because of that, I miss feeling beautiful. That’s one of the reasons I follow you. Wonderful people who become even more beautiful during a difficult time, and who get photographed. It helps so much and has inspired me from the start not to look too negatively at myself. Despite everything, I can be beautiful too. How exactly I can do that without the things I used to rely on—that’s hard, and I could definitely use help.”

And beautiful she is! We found her so striking that a few months after this shoot, we put her on the cover of Rosie, our own lifestyle magazine that we launched in 2021. Without a hat? Absolutely—just with her new short hair that had just begun to grow back.

Is it true that hair grows faster if you shave it first? No, that’s a hair- regrowth myth. Hair is essentially dead matter. Cutting it doesn’t affect the vitality of the hair follicles, which control growth—and those are affected by chemo. It can be helpful to get your hair trimmed once it’s one or two centimetres long. A good hairdresser can already shape it into a basic style for growing it out. Those fluffy baby hairs get trimmed, giving you a fresh look.

And a clothing tip? Nothing beats the comfort of a loose-fitting dress that lets you move freely. But who says comfort has to be boring? Our stylist surprises Corine with this denim shirt dress with original eye-catchers. And we still don’t know what we love most: the bold balloon sleeves, or the high side slits with press buttons…

You already read it: a printed hat is a great tip if you have a small head. But a scarf with long ties works wonders too. Wrap it around your head and tie a playful knot at the front for extra volume. Easy peasy!

Did you know that...

... all the photos in this article were taken with real Rosette la Vedette customers? Women just like you and me, who lost their hair due to chemotherapy. If you’d also like to experience such a photoshoot day with a professional team of photographer, stylist and make-up artist, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram. We regularly look for one-day models for our campaigns.

[Before & After feature spring 2021]