Look 7 Years Younger

As a self-professed "mommy doormat," Diane, 44, a married mother of two, started by literally putting herself on the list (a.k.a. the family calendar). She penned in her new Zumba classes next to her daughters' swim meets, then dove into the plan's healthy recipes: "I suddenly knew what to do with all those good-for-you foods like Greek yogurt and blueberries. The weight-loss plan opened my eyes." Especially when she stood on the scale at the end of eight weeks & she'd whittled off 12 pounds!

"Winning at weight loss taught me that I have control over my looks and my life."

Pounds shed: 12 pounds
Body fat decrease: 4.3 percent
Total inches lost: 5.5 inches
Skin improved: More radiant and bright

At New York City's Louis Licari Salon, colorist Delilah Fernandez rebalanced Diane's haircolor, which had been lighter on top and darker at the bottom. Then she added amber highlights to emphasize the creaminess of Diane's skin and make her dark eyes smolder. "Haircolor that complements your complexion makes anyone look younger," explains colorist Louis Licari. To freshen up the shape, stylist Dana Fiore sculpted in longer layers to create movement -- and to avoid a blunt, dull "mom cut."

Makeup

Diane's porcelain skin drew raves from Lancôme makeup artist Sandy Linter, who brightened her eyes by dabbing a medium shade of concealer on her lids, as well as in the inner corners of her eyes and underneath them. "A big -- and common -- mistake is to think a lighter concealer gives more coverage," says Linter. "Too light a shade will leave a whitish 'owl's eye' ring around the eyes." She then accentuated Diane's natural radiance with peachy foundation, apricot blush, and a glossy, rosy lip color.

Although she was the youngest of the testers, Tessa, 35, had her eyes on a big milestone, birthday number 40: "I was starting to feel sluggish -- and look it, too." As a nurse, Tessa wanted to walk the walk: "I believe in prevention, and this plan offered me the chance to establish some healthy habits that would prolong my youthfulness." Tessa began the program with her own benchmarks. She pledged that she would stop skipping breakfast and instead would eat a meal containing protein, whole grains, fruit, and healthy fats. She vowed to drink at least eight glasses of water a day and "not to go to bed until this goal is met." She also reprogrammed her sleep schedule to get at least eight hours of shut-eye a night. The biggest payoffs: She lost eight pounds in eight weeks, and her skin became noticeably more radiant -- so much so that people remarked upon it.

"People commented on how much I glowed. I think my skin looks fresher, and I don't look as tired."

Pounds shed: 8 pounds
Total inches lost: 3.75 inches
Skin texture improvement: 33 percent

Hair

Tessa was growing her hair out, but that didn't mean the in-between phase had to be drab. Colorist Hitomi Ikeda lightened her haircolor to a warm brown, which "softens the look of her hair," Ikeda explains. Stylist Devi Shrestha suggested a twist-out to add a bit more flair: She braided Tessa's hair into one-inch sections; four hours later, she loosened each twist into a soft curl.

Makeup

Tessa, who usually goes easy on the makeup, adventurously got her glam on -- with wow results. To contour and slim Tessa's oval face, Linter applied a high V of blush, brushed from the top of her temples to just under her cheekbones. "To get the perfect placement, make a 'fish face' in the mirror," advises Linter. Then brush a bronzer (or contour shade) under the cheekbones and a brighter cheek color above that "to bring out your bone structure." Finally, Linter dabbed a light lip gloss on Tessa's mouth. "No more matte lipsticks," she says. "They show the creases in lips and make you look older."

Tessa's Strategy To Keep Moving

"I set what I call 'activity goals.' I just finished a half-marathon and have signed up for a three-mile, mud-filled obstacle course. And it's worked: I've dropped another four pounds since the end of the plan."

Julie Ann's skin was her big age giveaway. Although she had a regular skin-care routine, it wasn't helping to fade her stubborn dark age spots, the result of years of outdoor tennis matches. When the 40-year-old used the 7 Years Younger anti-aging face regimen, her skin started looking better in just two weeks. Another bonus: "I learned that you don't necessarily have to spend a lot of money on skin-care products to get visible results," says Julie Ann. "In fact, some of the drugstore ones worked the best."

"Lightening my dark spots and circles was like an instant age makeover."

Pounds shed: 1 pound
Body fat decreased: 3 percent
Total inches lost: 2.5 inches
Skin texture improvement: 4.5 percent

Hair

For a style with bounce, Shrestha cut layers and side-swept bangs, which can be tucked behind the ears during a tennis match. Taking the color a notch lighter and adding highlights brightened her complexion, says colorist Yolanda Frade.

Makeup

Linter homed in on Julie Ann's brows: "To look younger, keep the arch lifted above the outer edge of the iris and then angle it downward." For even more of an eye lift, Linter flicked up the eyeliner at the outer corners of Julie Ann's eyes.

Kathy's "uh-oh" moment came when she caught sight of herself in a mirror and saw...her mother: "I knew then that I had to start taking better care of myself." This 53-year-old mother of two embraced the rejuvenating skin-care routine from the get-go. By the end of eight weeks, Kathy had gone from being a skin-care minimalist to having a detailed routine, including use of a liquid cleanser, a tinted day moisturizer with SPF, a serum, and a nighttime moisturizer: "Now my skin looks fabulous!" Kathy made other similar small changes consistently and got big results: She incorporated the resistance-band exercises into her workouts and dug into the meal plan, appreciating its flexibility and variety. After eight weeks, she'd dropped five pounds and pared two and a half inches off her waist. Not bad for making a few tweaks!

"The less I stress, the younger I look!"

Pounds shed: 5 pounds
Body Fat Decreased: 0.3 percent
Total Inches Lost: 1.1 inches
Age Spots Improved: 35 percent

Hair

Shrestha liked Kathy's short 'do, but suggested a shape change, tightening the sides and back and giving her volume at the crown. Kathy had been highlighting her hair blond to hide the grays, so she was open to Fernandez's proposition to warm it from a cool ash tone to a more golden one. "Warmer looks younger," notes Licari.

Makeup

With her skin glowing from the 7YY program, Kathy didn't need much in the way of foundation, so Linter showed her how to switch it up: "Do your eye makeup first, so it's easy to clean up any stray shadow or liner with a cotton swab dipped in a bit of eye cream or moisturizer." Then she applied a tinted moisturizer to even out Kathy's skin tone on the sides of her nose and chin, feathering it out to her hairline. A touch of blush and a sheer lip color, and Kathy was out the door.