The 20 courageous cancer patients who sat down to have makeover portraits had no idea what they were in for. In truth, the aim of the "If Only For a Second" project that they were participating in was to give them outrageous and quirky makeovers, capture their surprised reactions, and offer them a chance to forget about their difficult conditions, even if only for a second.
Organized by Leo Burnett France and Mimi Foundation, a private organization from Belgium working with families affected by cancer for almost 10 years now, this project shines a new light on people who are fighting this disease day-by-day. The project was inspired by one participant's touching quote: Katy, who was diagnosed with cancer 2 years ago, said that what she misses the most is "being carefree". So a team of professional make-up artists, stylists and photographers teamed up to give 20 extreme makeovers in order to revive that missed feeling.
The participants weren't allowed to peek until everything was done and the photographer took a picture of them. But the real magic was when they opened their eyes! The moment of surprise when they saw themselves with dreads, mullets or Marie Antoinette wigs was when they forgot about having cancer and could feel young and carefree again. All of these before and after shots are now together in one book and in a short film that you can see below.
Source: mimi-foundation.org
All of this will be put together into a book titled "If Only For A Second" that will be released soon
