We feel SO conflicted about makeover scenes in movies. On the one hand, we don’t love the message that a woman has to look a certain way or dress a certain way to find love and acceptance, or the idea that there’s only one way to be considered ~beautiful~. Like, taking off your glasses or straightening your hair isn’t just going to magically transform someone, but that’s not what we see portrayed on film. At the same time, these movie makeovers are just so fun – and it’s the beauty of film that it’s a fantasy?! It’s hard not to watch the hairspray, nail polish, and facemask-fueled scenes without wanting in on the action ourselves. And sometimes, it’s a makeover from within that’s the real winner (you’ll see what we mean).
We’ve rounded up the 16 best on-screen makeover scenes of all time. So grab your favorite nail polish, throw on that facemask and settle in.
We feel SO conflicted about makeover scenes in movies. On the one hand, we don’t love the message that a woman has to look a certain way or dress a certain way to find love and acceptance, or the idea that there’s only one way to be considered ~beautiful~. Like, taking off your glasses or straightening your hair isn’t just going to magically transform someone, but that’s not what we see portrayed on film. At the same time, these movie makeovers are just so fun – and it’s the beauty of film that it’s a fantasy?! It’s hard not to watch the hairspray, nail polish, and facemask-fueled scenes without wanting in on the action ourselves. And sometimes, it’s a makeover from within that’s the real winner (you’ll see what we mean).
We’ve rounded up the 16 best on-screen makeover scenes of all time. So grab your favorite nail polish, throw on that facemask and settle in.
16. Tai’s Makeover in Clueless
At this point, Clueless is a full-blown cultural touchstone. The 1995 re-telling of Jane Austen’s Emma catapulted multiple stars’ careers, had plenty of quotable one-liners, a major influence on the fashion industry and one of the most iconic makeover scenes of all time. Tai, played by Brittany Murphy, starts the movie out as “tragically unhip” — she has thick brows, poorly dyed hair and flannel shirts that dwarf her petite frame. After Cher “adopts” her, they wash that kool-aid dye out, chop up some crop tops, and throw in some coke can curlers, and Tai ends up with some perfect ‘90s deep-red lipstick, form-fitting clothes and a newfound confidence – for better or for worse.
15. Laney’s Makeover in She’s All That
In case it’s been a while since you’ve seen this ‘90s classic, we’ll give you a quick recap: Zack Siler (Freddie Prinze Jr.) makes a bet with his frenemy, Dean (Paul Walker) that he could take any girl from their school and turn her into a prom queen. Of course, Dean picks Laney Boggs (Rachel Leigh Cook), the quiet “weirdo” who loves to paint and has an affinity for overalls. Zack employs his sister to help do the dirty work, and by the time the haircut is done and the makeup is set, Laney looks like a whole new person (red dress and all). The best part of this She’s All That montage is the look on Zack’s face as Laney descends the stairs for the first time post-makeover. It’s solid gold.
14. Viola’s Makeover in She’s the Man
This makeover scene is a little different from all the others because rather than coming out the other end looking more beautiful, the already-stunning Viola (Amanda Bynes) looks a little more masculine – just as desired. She’s the Man is a re-telling of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, so you can guarantee some gender-bending hijinx. Here, Viola pretends to be a boy so that she can attend her brother’s boarding school in his place and play on the boys’ soccer team there (after the girls’ team at her school was cut). In order to complete the transformation, Viola seeks help from her pal Paul, who helps her with multiple facial hair and wig options. She also, hilariously, follows random men down the street, imitating their gestures and walks, in order to get her alter-ego just right. It’s a hilarious montage, and a pretty amazing spin on the movie-makeover trope/
13. Cady’s Makeover in Mean Girls
After transferring to an American high school, previously homeschooled Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) realizes that her African safari outfits and untamed hair just won’t do. Or, at least, they just won’t do if she wants to fit in with the Plastics. Mean Girls doesn’t have a one-off makeover scene like many of the other movies do, but her transformation on the inside and outside is a gradual one. There is a big reveal about 1/3 of the way into the movie when Cady walks down the hallway alongside Regina (Rachel McAdams), Gretchen (Lacey Chabert) and Karen (Amanda Seyfried) wearing heels, a super-short mini skirt, and a form-fitting sweater. Very different from the Cady who started the movie. And while her attitude may not be great, there’s no denying that the scene is fetch.
12. Alvin’s Makeover in Love Don’t Cost a Thing
Girls aren’t the only ones getting makeover scenes in movies. Take Alvin (Nick Cannon) in Love Don’t Cost a Thing, for example. In this teen comedy, nerdy Alvin saves a popular girl named Paris Morgan (Christina Milian) from a certain horrible fate by using his hard-earned savings to help her repair her mom’s SUV (which she crashes) in exchange for two weeks of dating and an introduction into popular circles. In order to make him a “tolerable” boyfriend, Paris gives Alvin a makeover. There’s brow waxing, a haircut, and a $200 shopping spree, all to the tune of “Air Force Ones” by Nelly. It’s marvelous.
11. Gracie’s Makeover in Miss Congeniality
Also, it’s not just girly-girls and men looking for love who get makeovers. Top FBI agents who need to go undercover in a Miss United States beauty pageant in order to stop a terrorist with a bomb get them, too. Gracie’s (Sandra Bullock) makeover scene in Miss Congeniality is almost five minutes long, includes everything you could ever ask for in a makeover montage, and culminates with her walking out of an airplane hanger, looking impeccable, while “Mustang Sally” plays in the background. This is one makeover we could watch over and over and over. And we love the unique motivation behind it.
10. Jenna’s Makeover in 13 Going on 30
13 Going on 30 is one of those feel-good movies we find ourselves watching over and over again. One of our favorite parts? The makeover scene set to Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” Inspired by her new independence and the decade she’s coming out of, Jenna (Jennifer Garner) gets ready for a night out in the most perfect way. She throws some curlers in her hair, dabs on some icy blue eyeshadow and stares lovingly at her wall of shoes before donning the most perfect early ‘00s outfit of ALL TIME. The scene finishes with the 13-year-old-in-a-30-year-old’s-body Jenna and an actual teenage girl riding in the elevator together and building each other up. It’s a real win of a moment for female friendships. We love it.
9. Alison’s Makeover in The Breakfast Club
The Breakfast Club is a true teenage classic. The John Hughes comedy about a diverse group of high school students who all spend a Saturday together in detention has it all. Yep – that includes a makeover scene. The popular girl, Claire (Molly Ringwald), decides it’s high time that “basket case,” Allison (Ally Sheedy) look a little more quote-unquote normal. She pulls her into another room before dabbing on a bit of “natural” makeup, pulling her hair back from her face with a frilly headband, and forcing her into a sweet pink dress (that seems to have come out of thin air?). Allison literally walks out a whole new person with a major confidence boost, and it’s her mental shift that we love the most.
8. Zeta Alpha Zeta’s Makeover in The House Bunny
Montages that feature one person getting a whole new look are great, but those featuring a whole house getting a makeover even better. There aren’t a lot of those in cinematic history, but there is one in The House Bunny. The ladies of Zeta Alpha Zeta are the laughing stock of their university’s campus. They’re nerdy, socially awkward and generally really good people – aka not what a traditional sorority is “supposed” to be. They’re considered dowdy and plain, and their house mom wants to give them a boost. Shelly (Anna Faris) finds them and gives them, and their house, a totally new look. The makeover scene covers everything from water bras to flirting and sees the girls getting their hair done, shopping for new and colorful outfits, and unboxing their Sephora hauls. Goals.
7. Andy’s Makeover in The Devil Wears Prada
Look, we’ve always had mixed feelings about this The Devil Wears Prada makeover. Andy (Anne Hathaway) is a professional and motivated career woman. And she looks like one, even if she isn’t the most stylish or perfectly polished. But that’s just not her major concern. She’s more worried about the work she’s doing than how she looks, which is admirable. The problem is she acts totally uninterested in the industry she finally lands herself in, and before her makeover, is constantly judging those around her for being shallow. In fact, she’s just not seeing the complexity of the fashion industry. Nigel’s (Stanley Tucci) speech about how she’s finally maturing enough to give a crap about the job she’s taken, instead of just seeing it all as beneath her, pretty much sums up why this makeover isn’t just about the A+ lewk she finds, but how she was actually changing deep down – and that’s okay. Her friends who couldn’t accept her newfound interests actually weren’t friends at all.
6. Cal’s Makeover in Crazy, Stupid Love
Who hasn’t given themselves a breakup makeover at some point? That’s exactly what Cal (Steve Carrell) does in Crazy, Stupid, Love after finding out that his wife cheated on him with another man. Cal is down in the dumps — he gets depressed, lets himself go, and spends all his spare time drinking in a bar and whining about how she did him dirty. Until he meets Jacob (Ryan Gosling), who offers to help him get back on his feet. Of course, the first order of business in this? A makeover. Cal gets a polished haircut, a whole new wardrobe, and his confidence back. It’s a 10.
5. Daniel’s Makeover in Mrs. Doubtfire
Again, this isn’t your typical makeover scene, but it’s one of the most iconic makeover scenes in all of cinematic history so we had to include it. Daniel (Robin Williams) is at risk of losing his children to his wife Miranda (Sally Field) in a nasty custody battle. He has no option but to disguise himself as a woman so that he can become his children’s new nanny and spend more time with them. There’s latex prosthetics, fat suits, multiple personalities, hilarious voices, and even a musical number or two. In the end, Daniel becomes Mrs. Doubtfire. And Robin Williams gave us one of the best characters of our childhoods.
4. Vivan’s Makeover in Pretty Woman
The Pretty Woman makeover is so iconic, it seems that everything that could possibly be said about it has already been said. So we’ll just say this: while we love everything about Viv’s makeover montage (including the Rodeo Drive shopping bits), what we really love the most is the change in confidence Vivian (Julia Roberts) has from the beginning to the end. “Big mistake. Big. Huge. I have to go shopping now.” You tell ’em, girl!
3. Mia’s Makeover in The Princess Diaries
Anne Hathaway has had a number of magical makeover scenes in her career. In The Princess Diares, Mia Thermopolis is the “freak” at school. She’s got bushy hair, bushy eyebrows, no clear sense of style and absolutely zero self-confidence. But then she becomes the Princess of Genovia, and all of that has to change. Paolo changes her outward appearance — he sleeks down her hair, plucks her eyebrows and introduces her to contacts. Princess lessons change her internally — they give her confidence and teach her to have a presence. She blossoms literally overnight. She makes a few mistakes in utilizing her newfound confidence and celebrity status, but ultimately figures out who she is by the end of the film. As tweens, this was our all-time favorite movie makeover. As adults, it still holds a really special place in our hearts.
2. Elle’s Makeover in Legally Blonde
This is easily one of our all-time favorite makeover scenes ever. Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) has always been gorgeous. There’s no question about that. But no one seems to take her seriously, despite the fact that she’s got a 4.0, was the president of her sorority, passed her LSAT with an almost-perfect score, and got accepted into Harvard Law School. Oh, she also talked Cameron Diaz out of buying a truly heinous orange sweater. Impressive! Her makeover – and the accompanying montage – isn’t actually an outward one at all. She’s always been smart, but when she really tries to apply herself to being taken serious and excelling at law school, it’s an amazing moment. She sets out to prove everyone wrong and does it without losing herself along the way. “I’ll show you how valuable Elle Woods can be!” ICONIC.
1. Sandy’s Makeover in Grease
Throughout almost all of Grease, Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) is a poodle skirt, sweater-set-wearing good girl. She’s naïve, pure and way too sweet, which doesn’t jive well with her bad-boy, hot rod racing, sort-of-boyfriend Danny (John Travolta). Early on, the Pink Ladies try to give Sandy a makeover at a group sleepover, but it doesn’t take. It isn’t until almost the very end that we get the big makeover scene we’ve been waiting for. Sandy shows up to the end of the year carnival is a skin-tight black pleather outfit, teased up hair, bright red lipstick, smoking a cigarette. It’s the bad b*tch makeover of our dreams.