When I was in middle school, I got an ultra-layered haircut that did not look like The Rachel; it was more like an upside-down vase. I was so horrified, I had my mother chop my hair into a short bob — which I ended up loving. Turns out, a bad haircut was exactly the push I needed to try something drastically different (although nowadays, a breakup also works).
We've all made some personal "mistakes" in our beauty routines (see: celebs and their eyebrows). And while some may scar us for life and turn us away from any more wild experimentation, other mishaps actually end up becoming our paths to beauty nirvana. Ahead, six stories of beauty blunders that serendipitously transformed into gorgeous looks.
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The Tattoo Revamp
"I got 'mom' tattooed in Hebrew on my side. She loved it, [but] I was hoping for a more delicate version of her name, rather than fat, black block lettering. I went back to my tattoo artist and explained my frustration, and he turned the massive letters into the most beautiful tattoo I have — red tulips, my mom's favorite flower. Without the initial mistake, I may not have the flowers today." — Shoshana, 27
"I got 'mom' tattooed in Hebrew on my side. She loved it, [but] I was hoping for a more delicate version of her name, rather than fat, black block lettering. I went back to my tattoo artist and explained my frustration, and he turned the massive letters into the most beautiful tattoo I have — red tulips, my mom's favorite flower. Without the initial mistake, I may not have the flowers today." — Shoshana, 27
A Halloween Costume That Went So, So Right
"Last Halloween, I dressed as 'Rosa the Riveter' and wound up finding [my] new signature look... [It was] a clean (or as clean as I can draw early in the morning) super-black cat-eye. I hadn't been a fan of eyeliner since high school...[but] thanks to my Halloween experiment and the reactions from my friends that night, I've now changed my look to 'no lip plus gel liner' — something I'd never thought I could pull off. My eyes [look] bigger, I feel more awake, and altogether more prepared to face the day. I'm an avid NARS user: Eye Paint in Black Valley every day." — Mary, 27
"Last Halloween, I dressed as 'Rosa the Riveter' and wound up finding [my] new signature look... [It was] a clean (or as clean as I can draw early in the morning) super-black cat-eye. I hadn't been a fan of eyeliner since high school...[but] thanks to my Halloween experiment and the reactions from my friends that night, I've now changed my look to 'no lip plus gel liner' — something I'd never thought I could pull off. My eyes [look] bigger, I feel more awake, and altogether more prepared to face the day. I'm an avid NARS user: Eye Paint in Black Valley every day." — Mary, 27
From Hating To Loving Bangs
"I cut thick, blunt bangs into my super-long, one-length hair and immediately hated them. Two weeks in, I was already starting the grow-out process and terrified of how limited my options would be in terms of styling. [Turns out], I ended up being way more creative and taught myself how to style ponytails, braids, and updos myself. Then, a few months later, the bangs grew into these awesome face-framing layers that inspired me to cut more. Now, instead of boring, one-length hair, I'm rocking a cool, layered cut and more interesting hairstyles. What I thought would limit me actually opened up a whole new world of styling." — Cat, 27
"I cut thick, blunt bangs into my super-long, one-length hair and immediately hated them. Two weeks in, I was already starting the grow-out process and terrified of how limited my options would be in terms of styling. [Turns out], I ended up being way more creative and taught myself how to style ponytails, braids, and updos myself. Then, a few months later, the bangs grew into these awesome face-framing layers that inspired me to cut more. Now, instead of boring, one-length hair, I'm rocking a cool, layered cut and more interesting hairstyles. What I thought would limit me actually opened up a whole new world of styling." — Cat, 27
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Major Bold Brows
"I recently got my eyebrows tinted. About 30 seconds into it — when I saw the black paste soaking over my brows and [felt] the tingling feeling on my skin — I immediately regretted my decision. As an avid eyebrow-filler, I was panicking about my choice to try this treatment. Fifteen minutes later, when [the technician] wiped the goo off and handed me the mirror, I gasped. They were full, thick, and prominent. I was obsessed. Now, I rock a good, bold brow, a few swipes of mascara, and a classic red lip." — Emily, 23
"I recently got my eyebrows tinted. About 30 seconds into it — when I saw the black paste soaking over my brows and [felt] the tingling feeling on my skin — I immediately regretted my decision. As an avid eyebrow-filler, I was panicking about my choice to try this treatment. Fifteen minutes later, when [the technician] wiped the goo off and handed me the mirror, I gasped. They were full, thick, and prominent. I was obsessed. Now, I rock a good, bold brow, a few swipes of mascara, and a classic red lip." — Emily, 23
A Horrifying Makeover
"I went to a wedding in San Francisco a few months ago, and a friend suggested we go to a makeup counter at a department store to get our makeup done beforehand. I do NOT use eyeshadow...and I was pretty horrified by the results. [The artist], of course, used tons of eyeshadow on me, even though I asked her not to, and it all looked sort of messy and chaotic. I planned to wipe most of it off when I got back to my hotel. "By [that] time, the makeup had "settled" a bit. I did wipe some of it off, but I decided to do so gradually just to see how it looked. It turned out, she'd used the eyeshadow in a way I never had — just on the outer edges, in a really flattering shape — and it looked great! I wear a lot of eyeliner normally, so this was actually a great way to take my look up a notch. "I took a couple of selfies so I could remember what it looked like, and I've actually been able to re-create it myself when I've needed to get really glammed up." — Anna, 29
"I went to a wedding in San Francisco a few months ago, and a friend suggested we go to a makeup counter at a department store to get our makeup done beforehand. I do NOT use eyeshadow...and I was pretty horrified by the results. [The artist], of course, used tons of eyeshadow on me, even though I asked her not to, and it all looked sort of messy and chaotic. I planned to wipe most of it off when I got back to my hotel. "By [that] time, the makeup had "settled" a bit. I did wipe some of it off, but I decided to do so gradually just to see how it looked. It turned out, she'd used the eyeshadow in a way I never had — just on the outer edges, in a really flattering shape — and it looked great! I wear a lot of eyeliner normally, so this was actually a great way to take my look up a notch. "I took a couple of selfies so I could remember what it looked like, and I've actually been able to re-create it myself when I've needed to get really glammed up." — Anna, 29
The Hair Chop
"I went in for a super-short Pinterest haircut, and I left the salon in tears. I was unprepared for the jarring change, and I HATED the triangular shape. There is text evidence of crying and devastation. It settled after a few hours, and now I feel confident and amazing! It's lower maintenance, sexy, and more mature." — Julie, 24
"I went in for a super-short Pinterest haircut, and I left the salon in tears. I was unprepared for the jarring change, and I HATED the triangular shape. There is text evidence of crying and devastation. It settled after a few hours, and now I feel confident and amazing! It's lower maintenance, sexy, and more mature." — Julie, 24