Back at home after Kimberly’s ousting, Victoria wrestled with her emotions about the competition in general.  Unlike her roommates, the college nerd didn’t spend her whole life dreaming about modeling.  Only recently did she realize this was something she wanted.  Meanwhile, Saleisha made it known that she would never be seen in the Bottom Two like Bianca (who was still shaken up by the last judge’s panel).

The next day the girls arrived at the Ken Paves (a.k.a ‘I’m Jessica Simpson’s BFF’) Salon for their highly-anticipated makeovers.  This has come to be my favorite part of the ANTM season.  It’s the time when untapped vanity rears its ugly head.  Some gal will eventually start crying because she doesn’t feel like the prettiest thang in high-school anymore.  But, as always, most are grateful for their improvements.

Some changes this year were subtle, in other cases dramatic.  Jenah’s short brown hair evolved into long, blonde, ‘ethereal’ tresses; Janet’s already short hair was made shorter and darker ala Joan Jett; Ebony’s sad excuse for a wig was ripped from her scalp and replaced with a long Naomi Campbell-esque ‘do; and Heather’s gorgeous mane was simply given a much-needed trim.  Meanwhile Saleisha’s coif received one of the most astonishing alterations of the day.  It was transformed into a striking bob reminiscent of silent film star Louise Brooks.  (She later commented that she looked like a ‘Beatle’.)

But the person crowned Most Improved By Her Makeover was Bianca, and she ironically won that title by mistake.  Tyra originally planned to replace her purple mess with a long, golden blonde weave.  Unfortunately Bianca’s damaged hair wouldn’t allow for any further processing, so Jay Manuel told her they’d have to start from scratch.  In other words – they were shaving that puppy off.  But to soften the blow, Jay assured her she’d be given a special wig for her shoots.  Although Bianca was understandably upset by the news, she took it considerably well.  (Sadly, she was my last hope for a dramatic diva moment.) Even though tears streamed during the process, she sucked it up and didn’t complain.  In the end, the resulting fuzz worked to her advantage; she didn’t have cheap hair to distract from her bone structure anymore.

Later the girls met with Nigel Barker, his wife Crissy (a makeup artist) and a consultant from CoverGirl.  For their next challenge, the ladies were given five minutes to put on some makeup (emphasis on dramatic eye and glossy-nude lips), get dressed in their their pre-assigned outfit and make it to the nearby runway.  The event’s winner would get her face on CoverGirl’s website as part of their new ‘Makeup Mirror’ section.  She would additionally be part of an instructional video.

As usual, there was a mad scramble backstage as the girls fought for the small mirrors.  Meanwhile, Victoria was freaking out because she spent more time in life behind books than playing with makeup.  In the end, the challenge winner was Sarah.  She impressed the judges with her creative use of makeup and her daring ‘winged eye’ look.  Janet came a close second—unfortunately, she didn’t put on the correct dress that was set aside for her.  Nevertheless, the rest of the girls were just happy Saleisha didn’t snag another reward.

The next day, the gals took a trek out into the mountains.  They met with Jay Manuel who told them they would become one with nature.  Although Bianca (Sunflower) still felt like a boy with her new cut, she turned out an amazing shoot.  Jay guessed it was the emotional meltdown that forced her to rebuild herself.  Other ladies really got into the spirit of the shoot as well:  Heather attacked her role as a menacing weed; Jenah (Moss) delivered great body positioning; while Ebony (Bird of Paradise) was amazingly elegant as the colorful flower.

Unfortunately, there were those who struggled with the assignment.  Saleisha (Tulip) lacked any variety in her eyes; Chantal (Baby’s Breath) nearly had a breakdown because she couldn’t handle the barrage of instructions; meanwhile, Victoria (Cactus) overanalyzed her performance and came off looking lost.  Later at the judge’s panel, Twiggy commented on Victoria’s ‘prickly’ cactus photo.  Bothered by the comment, Victoria quickly interjected and insisted she did not have a prickly personality.  Of course, her defensiveness only went to prove Twiggy’s point.

Needless to say, Victoria’s attitude (coupled with the poor shoot) put her on the chopping block….right alongside ‘I’ll Never Be Seen in the Bottom Two’ Saleisha.  (Jenah had the Best Photo of the Week for the second time in a row.)  The judges loved Victoria’s atypical look but felt she came off as too abrasive.  As for Saleisha, they loved her heart-shaped face and new bob, but weren’t moved by her bland photos.  Luckiily for Saleisha, she hadn’t done anything yet to piss Twiggy off.  LOSER: Victoria.

(EDITOR’S NOTE:  I agree – Victoria had a lousy shoot this week.  But couldn’t the judges come up with a better reason for booting her off?  I could name at least ten other girls who had a bigger attitude problem than her…)

(You can review last week’s episode here.)
(You can read next week’s episode here.)