So there are six remaining stylists, and unfortunately Nekisa’s still one of them. Pssst. Hey, you. I’ll pay you $50 if you… Oh, forget it. Guess I can’t put a hit out on her to get her off this show. But I do see her end coming with VO5 (boiling) Hot Oil or a rewired flat iron.
After last week’s Charlie’s Angels Challenge debacle, there is no Allure Wall of Fame cover shot for anyone to gloat over and Jaclyn Smith can’t express her disappointment enough. Next season’s crop of new contestants are already under severe pressure to produce when they are presented with the same challenge, believe that.
This week’s shortcut literally takes the cake and then some. Guest judged by “the kitchen beautician” Robert Hallowell, the challenge requires the stylists to create a look that is beyond belief due to its unusual cut, shape, and height. In order to accomplish this, they must only use two or more natural ingredients. Daniel goes into instant Aquanet withdrawal. Way to be green, Sheer Genius, pat yourselves on the scalp. But instead of spraying the earth’s atmosphere with chlorofluorocarbons, you’re just nastifying these poor ladies’ hair with honey and squid. Oh, yes. We have squid.
Here are the stylists’ “product” choices:
Nekisa: Molasses and Mustard
Charlie: Flour and Sea Salt (added later: Honey)
Dee: Egg Whites and Butter (added later: Quince Paste)
Daniel: Avocado and Peanut Butter (added later: Beets)
Paulo: Corn Syrup and Coconut Oil
Nicole: Caramel and Sugar (added later: Blackberries)
Nekisa actually has what sounds like a good idea. She uses the molasses as a molding agent and the mustard for color. However, where she gains points for planning and creativity, she loses ground through lack of execution. Paulo envisions a galactic ice princess with a nest of hair covered in crystallized droplets of corn syrup. Cool! Dee’s “japanimation” character draws snide comments from Charlie, Daniel’s “brave” choice of peanut butter makes him heave, and Nicole experiments with squid. Why, Nicole? Silly chick thinks it might be smart to slap pieces of slimy, limp squid on top of a sticky mess of caramel and hair. Good thing she realizes how dumb it looks and selects berries instead.
Robert wastes no time announcing the loser of the challenge: Nicole. Despite removal of the squid, her style lacks a solid foundation and an overall interesting shape. Plus, the squashed blackberries look like roaches. Robert’s top three picks are: Dee, Daniel, and Paulo. And Paulo’s sticky, shiny, futuristic creation is the winner. For the elimination challenge, he’s awarded first pick of client and one other advantage.
Did I really say a couple of weeks ago that this show was “subdued”? Uh-uh, no. As the contestants get whittled down week after week, the drama just keeps on building. Nekisa hates Nicole, Nicole hates Dee, Dee hates Charlie, and Charlie hates everybody! The claws are constantly out, the barbs are flying left and right, and everybody sleeps with one eye open. Bitches, why can’t we all just get along?
Speaking of bitches, the clients for the following day’s elimination challenge are of the four-legged variety. Rene Fris declares the gang must “go shake it” with dog hair. But that’s not the end of it. After everyone selects their adorable furry clients, Rene reminds the contestants that the dogs can’t walk themselves down the runway so they’ll also be responsible for giving the pet parents a complementary style. Even for the stylists who consider themselves dog people, this is a daunting task.
Charlie admits to never having groomed a dog before and being rattled by the task. His dog’s fur is puffy and he mistakenly creates a haphazard “puffball” for the doggy’s mama. I like Dee’s choice to glean inspiration from her pup’s spiked tail to create an edgy look for her human client. With Rene’s prodding, Nicole cuts more than six inches of hair from her client to mirror her dog’s short ‘do. She also cleverly adds highlights the same shade as her dog’s fur. Daniel adds hair pieces to his dog to make her a Cali Valley Girl. How much is that doggie in the window? Looks pretty cheap to me. Rene hovers over Nekisa and critiques every bad step she takes. From the canine bangs and the unevenly trimmed fur to the last-minute dye job and the crazy curls her client can’t stand, everything is just plain wrong. Rene’s presence doesn’t help Nekisa much, but it does lead to a pretty hilarious Fris impersonation.
This week, the panel of judges is joined by celebrity show dog trainer Jennifer McCarthy. They actually like Daniel’s dog, but Jennifer finds the style a little ‘80s. Totally tacky, dude. They aren’t too impressed with Paulo’s poorly colored, choppy mullet. They also don’t see much inspiration in Charlie’s work. However, they do love both of Dee’s clients and name her the winner of the challenge. So, who’s going home this week? Definitely not you-know-who…
HALLELUJAH!!!!! I never thought I’d live to see the day. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be so wrong! Nekisa is finally gone! Good dog, Waffles! You deserve a treat.
Next Week: Looks like the contestants may be styling loved ones (the loud screams and jumping are a dead giveaway).
