Three lucky Evening Press readers were made to feel like new women after a makeover at a top York salon. MAXINE GORDON reports

IT'S hardly surprising we had a full mailbag in response to our competition to win an image overhaul at a top York hairdressing salon. Saks, in Davygate, has just undergone a luxury refit, complete with trendy chrome and glass decor and a bar offering complimentary wines and Italian coffees.

To tie in with this, the salon offered a chance for three Evening Press readers to win a makeover and a new look too.

Our winners were given a consultation, followed by a re-style, colour treatment and finish.

Here's how they got on...

Megan Jones, 25, of Murton

MEGAN is studying for a PhD in linguistics. She has brown, bobbed, naturally-curly hair which had been highlighted but was, she thought, "too stripy".

Megan wanted the colour to be more natural and wanted her hair straightened - which she can never manage to do herself.

"I'd like a bit taken off the length and have a bit of style put into it... at the moment, it's just there," she said.

Senior stylist Charlie Moran decided to even out the colour by putting two different golden brown colours through her hair, using a mesh technique.

She then cut some layers into Megan's hair and sliced into the base of it to take out the bulkiness.

She then blow-dried it straight and finished off with hot straightening irons to prevent frizzing and curling.

Megan's smile signalled her approval. "I'm very, very pleased. I've never had it straight when it's been this long. And I love the colour, it's really evened it out and looks a lot more natural. It's exactly how I pictured it would look."

Jan Morfoot, 48, of Stillington

Jan is unemployed but has recently finished an Open University degree in maths and engineering and wants to teach.

The mother-of-four was over the moon at winning the competition as she described herself as having 'nightmare' hair and said she couldn't afford to go to a salon to have it cut and coloured.

Jan's hair went grey following illness four years ago, and since then she has kept it short and dyes it herself at home.

"It used to be dark brown, but when I dye it, it tends to go gingery brown... everybody calls me Elton John... or Anne Robinson," says Jan. She was entrusted to Amy Jennings, senior stylist at Saks.

Amy decided to cut Jan's hair shorter, making it more textured so that it looked tidier and was easier to look after.

She opted for an all over semi-permanent colour with a few highlights on top to emphasise the textured cut of the new style.

"Jan has a lot of hair and it's very kinky and strong. By keeping it short and razoring it, it should help control it," said Amy.

A semi-permanent dye was chosen to help cover and blend with Jan's hair, and make the grey less noticeable.

As a final touch, some wax was applied to break up the cut and bring out its texture.

Jan was overwhelmed by the result. "It's fantastic. It's like how I used to look before I turned grey... it's as if I've turned back the clock. I feel human again."

Vikki Hanley,

23, of Norton, near Malton

VIKKI works as a secretary at the Malton Bacon Factory. Her naturally-curly hair has a tendency to go frizzy. She also has some blonde highlights.

Vikki knew what she wanted from her revamp. "I want a smooth look - so I want my hair straight and I want the colour to be brighter and lighter - but not a peroxide look."

Vikki was keen to pick up some tips on how to dry her hair straight. "I try to straighten it myself, but I lose patience," she said.

Salon trainer Sam Jones began by adding colour to Vikki's hair. Layers of highlights were added, using two different blondes, to create a lighter, but still natural look.

Next was the cut. "Vikki doesn't want to lose too much length, so I'm just going to put in a bit more shape, especially around the face. This will make it easier to look after too," said Sam.

Colour and cut complete, Sam shared her tips on how to dry curly hair straight.

"You have to use the correct products: something to help smooth it out," she advised. "You need to use a decent brush too, like a large round bristle brush, and a decent hairdryer. You need patience to section the hair and dry it straight."

Vikki was delighted with the end result. "It's just how I wanted it," she said, beaming. "There's more layers, so it will be easy to manage."

Saks is on Davygate, York, telephone 01904 628321.