Although it’s often said that looks don’t matter, for Simon Cowell, they can mean everything. First impressions can have a lasting influence on you and even cause you to get an inaccurate judgment of someone. Makeup has long been used as a “fixer-upper,” if you will. It has been employed by many actors to enhance their portrayals of their roles.
Having a professional demeanor in public is crucial to generating a good first impression. Even if you are the most talented person in the room, excessive nervousness will make others perceive you as insecure and unqualified.
However, research has shown that individuals who feel better about their appearance perform better when it matters. This is not to say that wearing cosmetics or getting a new haircut will transform who you are.
When Samantha Lavery, 17, applied to be on “The X Factor UK,” she tried to adopt a demeanor that she believed belonged to a pop star. She made an effort to wow the judges, but to no avail, wearing a leather outfit and having her hair curled. She was sent home in tears after being rejected, her disappointment at not being able to participate having hit home.
She couldn’t figure out what had gone wrong. Was it the cosmetics she chose? Was she wearing inappropriate clothing? She was forced to give up on her dream for the day and go home to think more carefully about her alternatives and the direction she wanted to go in life.
A few weeks later, she got a call from Simon telling her she had been awarded a “Wild Card” to try out again. Samantha, who was overcome by joy at her fortunate fortune, quickly made her way to Simon’s Malibu estate in search of another shot at stardom.
She seemed to have forgotten her lesson when she showed up for the audition and entered the room. She teased him, put on thick eye makeup, and put on high heels once more.
Simon was once more forced to take off the mask when he failed to impress. He said scathingly, “I feel as if I haven’t met the real you yet. Young Samantha’s eyes were clearly filled with emotion, but even Mel B, one of the other judges, concurred this time, and Samantha exited the stage to prepare for the audition.
The judges were stunned by her inherent attractiveness when she returned to the stage. Simon cried with joy, “You removed the mask and showed the true you.” After then, Samantha had a performance of a lifetime that left the judges speechless at her prodigious talent.
Here is the video: