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The volunteers of "Look Good... Feel Better" feel that a little bit of lipstick make a whole lot of difference.

"With makeup you can do wonders," says volunteer Mary Gentile.

For nearly 20 years, a group of professional cosmetologists have dedicated hours of their time to teach female cancer patients at hospitals across the five boroughs how to care for their skin and hair while undergoing treatment.

The two-hour, hands-on sessions are free of cost and cover everything from skin discoloration to wig selection.

"They do have skin color issues, the temporary effects of hair loss, so those are very important. Teach them how to recreate eyebrows so that they don't lose their expressions," says Gentile.

"They're very interested in coverups and wigs and how to take care of them, because a lot of women don't feel very comfortable with wigs on and everything else," says volunteer Donna McKenzie.

In addition to the lesson, the women are provided with hundreds of dollars of free makeup, courtesy of the Personal Care Products Council Foundation, American Cancer Society and National Cosmetology Association, so they can continue to feel pretty after they leave the room.

All volunteers get training in the special needs that cancer patients have.

"Sometimes they start talking about their medication, and this is a non-medical program," says volunteer Lynn Summers. "So we have to say, 'Okay, this is a girls' night out or afternoon. We're going to play with makeup today, we're going to give tips about how you can look really good, and we're not going to talk about medicine today. We're going to talk about you and how good we're going to make you look.'"

Participants say the camaraderie they develop with the other women is just as valuable as the makeup advice.

"Everyone here is an inspiration, and I would say we are an inspiration to each other," says participant Connie Angeles.

"To be with all the ladies here is kind of supportive to me - everyone in the same kind of situation," says participant Gloria Pena.

The volunteers say the transformation in the women is dramatic.

"They take their wig off, they'll start laughing, and it makes you feel good," says McKenzie.

"We kind of did this whole little makeover on [one participant] and when her husband came in he said, 'Ah, my bride!' And you know, they've been married 50 years, but when he said that, her face lit up, better than the makeup!" says Summers.

So, for helping women feel beautiful during this difficult time, the volunteers with Look Good... Feel Better are the latest New Yorkers of the Week.

To more information or to find the nearest session, visit LookGoodFeelBetter.org.

If you'd like to nominate someone to be NY1's New Yorker of the Week, send an email describing their qualifications to: nyer@ny1.com or mail a letter to:
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New Yorker of the Week
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