by Shallon Lester

5 Ways to Tell a Friend She Needs a Makeover

Employ these diplomatic nudges that can steer your best friend towards a beauty makeover and gorgeousness.

I have a friend I'll call Claire who I refer to as an "if only." She could stop traffic if only she did oh-so-simple things, like washed her hair more often and never again wore that Russian-babushka-type hat.

I've wanted to grab her by her greasy ponytail and scream "Let me help you!"

Instead, I employed these diplomatic nudges that can steer a best friend towards gorgeousness and away from the body glitter.

1. Blame It on Kim Kardashian

When needing to turn a friend onto a much-needed beauty treatment, pick one of her idols and say she's a big fan. One of my girlfriends was sporting a serious lady 'stache until I oh-so-casually mentioned that Kim K. tweeted that laser hair removal was a must-have thanks to her Armenian heritage.

2. Make Her Your Salon Plus-one

If your BFF is new to the whole eyebrow threading/facial peel thing, drag her along when you go for yours. For some women, wandering into a spa or salon solo is foreign and scary. But with you as her cosmetic cheerleader, she'll feel comfortable trying something new.

3. Revisit the Past

One girl I know still dresses like she's in junior high. So I whipped out our 8th grade album and LOL'ed that we used to dress like that. Key words: used to. She took the bait and realized she needs an update, which -- ta da! -- I was happy to help with.

4. Don't Lie

If she asks (and only if she asks) tell her that yes, you can see her roots, she does have a bit of a unibrow and those pants are too short. It might sting in the moment, but she'll be grateful you were honest.

5. Swap Smarts

My girl Claire is a killer web designer. One day over lunch, I suggested that we trade expertise -- she could help me redo my website and I could -- oh, I don't know -- give her a makeover one night while we drank wine spritzers and watched "Glee." She felt valued instead of attacked, and we both ended up benefiting.

Shallon Lester was the star of MTV's reality series "Downtown Girls" and the author of the upcoming dating memoir, Exes and Ohs: A Downtown Girl's (Mostly Awkward) Tales of Love, Lust, Revenge and a Little Facebook Stalking.

Photo: @iStockphoto.com/Andresr

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5 Ways to Tell a Friend She Needs a Makeover - Beauty & Make-Up Tips