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Lori Kirkland is a stay-at-home mom who says it was time for a change in her look after spending most of her days in her “uniform” of black leggings, sneakers and oversized shirts. Thanks to a stunning makeover on TODAY with Jenna & Friends on Oct. 20, she’s now a blond bombshell! Kirkland, 35, debuted her new look to ohs and ahs from the crowd on Rockefeller Plaza as part of TODAY’s “Style Me Over” segment, in which two fans received a makeover. “I feel amazing,” she said on TODAY. “I feel absolutely amazing.” The mom from Louisa County, Virginia, says she was inspired to start taking care better care of herself after her 35th birthday last month and was excited to welcome a transformation during this new era of her life. She says she had not had a haircut in more than two years, before celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton took off 15 inches for her new blond bob. “Bobs can make or break a face shape, so I wanted to make sure it worked for her face shape,” Appleton said. “Anything too round wouldn’t have worked. ... We kept it mid-length and added those layers to create that voluminous look, and that is all about working with the face shape.” Appleton has done the same for stars like Kris Jenner, who showed off a blond bob earlier in October. Kirkland’s three close friends, who joined her on the TODAY plaza for the big reveal, were in awe when they saw her transformation. One said she was giving off “Marilyn vibes” in reference to Marilyn Monroe. TODAY lifestyle and fashion contributor Melissa Garcia styled Kirkland in a bold dress and knee-high boots. “She’s an artist. She loves color, she loves print,” Garcia said. “She didn’t know how to wear it, so I found this awesome matching set, really bold, really fun.” “She loved it the minute she put it on, she said she would never pick this to wear,” she continued. “And I love that you can break it up and wear the top with jeans or the bottom with a different type of sweater.” Kirkland’s bold new look followed another showstopping makeover. Leelah Rivera, a TODAY fan from El Paso, Texas, was looking for something new after turning 40 and still being stuck in her “emo teen era from high school.” “I feel like my look on the outside doesn’t match how I’m feeling on the inside,” she said. Rivera said she usually wears black on black with her hair pulled back every day and wanted “a more professional look” for her job at a nonprofit organization. “This makeover isn’t about clothes or hair, but about celebrating the woman I have become,” she said. Her transformation included a new “cowboy copper” hair color from Appleton with extensions to lengthen her hair. For both makeovers, Jacob Schmidt assisted with hair coloring and Bridget Lembo helped finish the looks with makeup. Rivera’s mother, Rosemary, was on the plaza to witness the new look. “I don’t recognize her,” Rosemary, said while getting emotional. “You look pretty.” Garcia styled Rivera in a gorgeous maxi dress. “It’s all about the tailoring and how it fits, and this fits her figure so beautifully, she looks stunning, gorgeous and honestly like she’s ready to take the town,” Garcia said.
