Canada’s Best Beauty Talent, episode 9: how to sell hairspray in 12 minutes, 53 seconds

Canada’s Best Beauty Talent, episode 9: how to sell hairspray in 12 minutes, 53 seconds

Canada’s Best Beauty Talent, Episode 9

For the last challenge before the finale, the four remaining contestants—Marcia, Matt, Caylee and Jenna—are tasked with making a red carpet–worthy look. Coco Rocha looks like she’s checked out (seriously, could she sound more bored?), but the hair and makeup artists are eager and ready to go from the moment Rocha says “Ready, set, style!” for the last time. Since both makeup contestants go for a fairly clean look, tomorrow’s elimination may come down to the hair: Caylee opts for an updo, while Matt keeps it loose and lush. Past judges Eric Delmonaco and Eddie Malter return and pace the prep area, making suggestions about specific products the contestants should use. What’s with the hand holding? These people are the finalists. Tim Gunn would never cut a pattern for anyone on Project Runway.

Actually, there seems to be a reason for the micro-management, and one that has nothing to do with Marcia, Matt, Caylee or Jenna being incompetent (on the contrary, the hour of prep seemed much less scrambled and stressful than in previous weeks). Our guess is there has been an intense push to feature L’Oréal products, based on the sheer number of times we have to see and hear about them. An Elnett hairspray canister is shown at least 10 times, and Eric Delmonaco recommends it to both Caylee and Matt as a way to add a bit of last-minute volume to a hairdo. (In other words, the star of this episode is a shiny can of hairspray.) Even the models are in on this obscene display of product plugging: “Mmm, I love the smell of the Elnett,” says a model getting her hair done. Oh, brother. What we learn this week: Marcia saves the day again—she teaches us that mixing a dark loose powder with clear mascara can give us what we need to make brows sexy and full like Brooke Shields in the Blue Lagoon.

• This show did not reach its full potential.