Karla Gonzalez

Photo: Greg Kessler

8 of 10
Super Sophisticates
Karla Gonzalez (left), 38
Executive Assistant to the Editor In Chief

Lauren Leighton (right), 34
Executive Sales Assistant


Karla and Lauren assist the head honchos at O (editor in chief Susan Casey and publisher Jill Seelig). They can handle pressure behind their desks...but in front of the mirror, both freeze up. Ken's hair prescription for Karla: a major chop—eight inches off the bottom and soft layers around her face. The result is a softer, lighter style that doesn't make her feel too exposed. To neutralize the red tones in Karla's complexion, Ken lightened her base color a couple of shades and added caramel highlights. Her makeup was just as illuminating: golden highlighter on the tops of her cheekbones, a copper eye pencil, and a shimmery rose lip gloss. Karla also got some help from dermatologist David Colbert, MD. Lauren was nudged out of her comfort zone with blunt-cut bangs. "They give her a sleek hairstyle without going to an extreme," says Ken. With clip-in hair extensions and a little teasing at the crown of her head, Lauren morphed into a modern Brigitte Bardot (complete with softly winged black eyeliner and pale pink lipstick).

Karla says: "Now I look as beautiful and confident as I feel."

Lauren says: "I hardly recognize my glamorous reflection."

From left: Dress, Jones New York, $134, Lord & Taylor, 800-348-6940. Ring, Shop Design Spark, $25, shopdesignspark.com. Top, Tory Burch, $425, toryburch.com. Skirt, Diane von Furstenberg, $225, Bergdorf Goodman, 888-774-2424. Bangles, Alexis Bittar, $110 each, alexisbittar.com.