Valentine's Day was a day of pampering for the three women selected for The Advertiser's 2009 Valentine's gentle makeovers. As mothers, wives and caregivers, these women are always putting others first and will seldom allow time for themselves, let alone set aside a day to be spoiled by others. So it was especially fun to watch them pampered and primped by the professionals at our selected salons and spas.

We followed them around and gathered tips to help other women look and feel their best. We hope you can learn from their experiences.

GAIL ROMBAOA

Her hair, by Faye Gibo of Color Cuts, 660 Ala Moana Blvd.: "I like to match the hair to the personality. She's such a soft, sweet person, so that's what we wanted to communicate with her hair."

The cut: "A bob shape is comfortable for her but it was heavy on the perimeter, especially on the top, so I took some weight off the top." Gibo layered her bob to add movement and a feminine feel. The color: "It's kind of a golden brown now but I want to make it more of a Prada or Louis Vuitton brown, richer and more flattering. I'm adding a dot of violet red to a warm natural brown so it will be warmer."

Her makeup, by Kaui Alapa of Makeup Artistry for Every Woman: Since Gail seldom used makeup, Kaui demonstrated techniques on one side of Gail's face, then had Gail complete the other side. When Gail goes to daughter Naomi's wedding this summer, she plans to use everything she learned.

What her husband Nando said, although he is painfully shy: "Gail enjoyed herself and can't stop talking about the wonderful people she met at the spa and beauty salon. She looked really nice and I must say, her true beauty comes from the inside and outside. We will be married for 35 years this April. We are very blessed!"

FAYE'S TIP

This is a lifestyle tip but we see it every day in our salon. So many women take care of everyone else and never take time for themselves. They need to realize how important it is to take time out to care for themselves.

KAUI'S TIP

If you have Asian eyes, you can create dimension by using just two eye shadows (NYX neutral palette from Longs). A darker shade, such as the dark brown used on Gail's mid-lid, recedes and gives the illusion of a crease; a nude shade brings portions of the eye forward.

BRYNNE VALENTINE COOK

Hair by Thi Nguyen of W Salon, Ala Moana Center: "No traumatic change, but a little more glamorous."

The cut: "Her hair was all one length so I cut off 3 inches and layered it at the crown to give her hair more height. She has no time to do anything with her hair at home so I just gave her a cut to keep it simple." The color: "I gave her two shades of highlights to brighten her complexion and give her more dimension and tone. I really want her to condition her hair by getting good shampoo (Shu Uemura Nourishing Shampoo), conditioner (Kerastase Volumactive) and mask (Shu Uemura Moisture Velvet Mask). She also needs protection from the sun (Shu Uemura Moisture Velvet shampoo and mask offer SPF protection)." While these products are expensive, Cook said the results have convinced her to cut her budget somewhere else for the good of her hair.

Makeup by Tracey Au of W Salon: "She has great skin so I only used a little yellow-based foundation to complement her skin tone."

TRACEY'S TIPS

• To brighten eyes and make them look bigger, place a tiny dab of white shadow at the inner corners.

• When making up for a photo shoot, use a lighter highlighting shadow over the brows, down the bridge of the nose and on the chin to create a contour.

• When applying eye shadow, dab it on first so you get some real pigment, then brush it to blend, blend and blend some more.

What her husband, Capt. Rick Cook, said: "In true Marine Corps fashion, Brynne has always worn the ideals of self-sacrifice and putting others first as a badge of honor. She has given everything she has to offer to me and our children to ensure our success, including her promising career in the Marine Corps and almost all of her free time. Consequently, while the children and I have flourished, Brynne has been unable to spend the time required to maintain herself in the nammer she would like — until recently ... The big advantage of winning all the makeover treatments was that they ... forced her to make some time for herself, which has been long overdue. To hear the excitement in her voice every time she talked about going to one of the treatments made me realize that I need to do more to help her find the time to take care of herself."

Brynne's husband, about the date: "Our St. Valentine's Day weekend was, in a word, spectacular." While their sunset cruise on the Star of Honolulu and a weekend in a Waikiki hotel were fabulous, he said he especially enjoyed the photo shoot at The Advertiser: "To see Brynne look and act like a model in front of the camera was absolute proof positive that she had been transformed into the woman she wanted to be."

JUDY GILLILAND

Her hair, by Keoni Sanders of The Fix, Kailua Square: "She wanted to go lighter but she didn't want highlights because she said they would be too hard to maintain. But I told her the only way for her to go lighter would be with highlights. So we compromised with a partial highlight on the crown so she won't need heavy maintenance."

The cut: Gilliland wanted more volume so Sanders cut off two inches and layered it. The color: A natural, chocolatey brown with dark honey highlights. "Honey works well with a dark skin tone and dark eyes," Sanders said.

Her makeup, by Eri Virden, of Lomilomi Hana Lima: "Judy has a dark tan with combination skin so we used Glo-mineral products on her face. Our goal? Natural elegance."

What her husband Beau said: "My friends were like, hey, guy, you ruined it for all of us. You wanna give us lessons" on how to appreciate — and romance — a wife.

KEONI'S TIPS

• If you have a short forehead, bangs work well; not heavy bangs, but soft, wispy bangs swept to the side.

• Layers can add lift and volume but can also be used to frame the face and accentuate the cheekbones.

ERI'S TIPS

• If your makeup has to last, use a face primer over your moisturizer and under your foundation. It will help even out the pores, smooth the skin for makeup application and will assist the foundation with looking fresh all day.

• Always use an eye shadow base to even the skin tone before applying any shadow.

• To give length to a round face, apply blush in the shape of a Nike "swoosh." Eri used a peach/tan shade since Judy has a naturally dark complexion.