plain Janes: various ugly ducklings

Ugly ducklings

One of the most common plain girl stereotypes: the loyal friend or heroine who is almost miraculously transformed into a beauty – where there are disturbing side-effects she becomes a terrible beauty.

The movies & TV shows

You Again (2010): As a teenager Marni (Kristen Bell) had glasses, mousy hair, braces and acne: no boy would go near her and she was tormented by the mean girls, led by Joana the head cheerleader. Years later her looks and career have blossomed. Then she goes home for her brother's wedding and discovers that he is marrying Joana. Simone Almekias-Siegl was the makeup department head; Sabine Roller was the key makeup artist.

Love Potion No. 9 (1992): A geeky biochemist with no luck at all with women visits a gypsy who gives him a love potion – an elixir which she claims can force anyone of the opposite sex to instantly fall in love with him. He shares the potion with his friend Diane (Sandra Bullock) and together they embark on a ‘scientific evaluation’ that gets out of hand. Along the way Diane loses the frizz and her glasses, plucks her eyebrows and gets her teeth fixed – transforming as if by magic into Sandra Bullock. Sheri Short was the makeup designer; David B Miller (David Miller Creations) was responsible for the makeup effects.