In honor of this Wednesday’s America’s Next Top Model cycle 16 makeover episode, take a walk down Tyra’s Embarrassment Lane with these 20 past model makeovers that didn’t go so well.
#20 Cycle 4: Michelle
Michelle was one of the first girls to fall victim to Tyra’s bleaching addiction, which was particularly badly suited for her pale skin and masculine features.
#19 Cycle 5: Cassandra
Cassandra hated her bleach blond chopped pixie that she entered a tailspin that ended up earning her the honor of being the first girl to ever quit Top Model.
#18 Cycle 6: Jade
The only thing sillier than Jade’s tight Ken Doll curls was Queen Jade herself. Got to give her credit for believing she could work anything, but even Jade has her limits.
#17 Cycle 6: Sara
Tyra tried to make super-tall Sara look edgy, but she ended up just looking awkward with a floppy, slicked back blonde crop.
#16 Cycle 7: Megan
And the unnatural bleaching continued, this time taking its victim in Megan Morris, who looked more sci-fi than high-fashion as a result.
#15 Cycle 8: Brittany
The most memorable weave horror story belongs to Brittany, who cried so much–and whose nasty, fake red curls looked so fried–that she finally got them to cut this monstrosity off her head.
#14 Cycle 8: Cassandra
Cassandra was gorgeous enough to pull of an afro, but the one they gave her was comically large, and ended up distracting from her look.
#13 Cycle 8: Natasha
Natasha was a delicate Eastern European beauty going into her makeover. Coming out, she looked like a bad body double for Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction.
#12 Cycle 9: Jenah
The switch to blond wasn’t so bad for Jenah, but she could not figure out how to contain her long, thick weave, and she always looked a little too disheveled, like Barbie on a bad hair day.
#11 Cycle 9: Saleisha
It’s a real testament to the cycle 9 winner that she triumphed despite the laughably childish “Tootie” meats “The Monkees” cut she got from Tyra’s stylist.
#10 Cycle 10: Stacy Ann
Speaking of Barbie dolls, Stacy Ann left the salon looking like one whose hair got chopped off by a six-year-old. Not a good look for such a lovely girl.
#9 Cycle 11: Allison
Unique Allison’s new long, blonde locks made sense when she was getting styled at photo shoots, even if some of us thought she looked too mainstream with them. But between shoots, the weave got so frizzy and unmanageable that she went from looking quirky to absolutely wacky within weeks.
#8 Cycle 11: Tahlia
Tahlia’s blonde looked a little too out of the box–the drug store box, that is. It ended up looking tacky against her lovely mocha skin, rather than complementing it.
#7 Cycle 11: Sandra
Dennis Rodman. That’s all there is to say.
#6 Cycle 13: Sundai
Tyra decided that Sundai, who already looked too young and boyish, needed a shorter, blunter, more masculine bob for her makeover. The result? They ended up putting her in long black wigs for most of the photo shoots, anyway.
#5 Cycle 14: Brenda
Tyra wanted Brenda to look edgy, but this cut instead sent her over the edge. Brenda whined floundered until Tyra gave her another haircut, but that didn’t work either–and then it was Brenda who got cut.
#4 Cycle 14: Krista
The cycle 14 winner’s makeover essentially consistently of sticking a detachable horse’s mane on the back of her head. And you can bet, when given the option, Krista kept that thing detached from her head as often as possible.
#3 Cycle 14: Simone
In another attempt to edge-up a pretty girl, Tyra shaved half of Simone’s head. It did not look sharp and trendy. It just looked insane.
#2 Cycle 14: Tatianna
Gorgeous Tatianna got totally washed out by the ugly, brassy blonde she was given in her makeover. It totally clashed with her skin and green eyes, and made her look like she was addicted to “Sun-In.”
#1 Cycle 15: Sara
I actually liked this new look at first, if only because it was one of the few Cycle 15 makeovers that attempted something drastic. Now, looking back, I realize that Sara’s early departure probably had a lot to do with her new dark hair and bleached eyebrows, which made it impossible for Sara not to look a little crazy in her photos.What new looks await the models of Cycle 16? Check out their transformations here!
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
Meghan hails from Walla Walla, WA, the proud home of the world’s best sweet onions and Adam West, the original Batman. An avid grammarian and over-analyzer, you can usually find her thinking too hard about plot devices in favorites like The Office, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and How I Met Your Mother. In her spare time, Meghan enjoys drawing, shopping, trying to be funny (and often failing), and not understanding the whole Twilight thing. She’s got a BA in English and Studio Art from Whitman College, which makes her a professional arguer, daydreamer, and doodler.
