Chop, Chop.(beauty make-overs)

Byline: Cara Litke

There's nothing more rewarding than reaching the end of a long, grueling challengenothing except for a little instant gratification midway through, that is. To give Heather Allison, Deidre Sully, and Kathleen McNary a major beauty pick-me-up (they've spent the better part of the last few months inside a gym), we sent them to the Garren New York salon for a new cut and color. "There's no reason why these women should have to wait to feel good about themselves," Garren says. "This makeover will give them the confidence to work toward their goals."

Heather Allison, University fund-raiser

HAIR HISTORY: "I've always liked the texture of my hair, but the light auburn color I was born with turned brown in my teens. Since then, I've tried every shade of red, from strawberry blonde to dark auburn. I've experimented with the length, toobut whenever I cut it above my ears, I wind up regretting it because my face looks extra wide."

GARREN'S STRATEGY: "Heather has beautiful hair, but she was using flat color that lacked dimension. Colorist Christopher John took her from pale auburn to a bolder shade of Irish-setter red with a combination of single-process color, balayage , and a gloss treatment. We wanted to update her traditional bob, so hairstylist Darryl Allen cut choppy layers in the back and kept the front long enough to frame her face."

ALLISON'S REACTION: "I love my new hair. The cut and color must look like me, but with greater polish. People are noticing that something is differentin a good wayalthough they can't always pinpoint what it is."

STATS AGE 30 HEIGHT 5'6"