Social Experiment: Dr. Seuss' The Lorax

by Jasmine Pansoy

Published Mar 1, 2012

Day after day, she walks with ease, not a care in the world of what people see. She’s bright, funky, and ready for a whirl, but what’s in store for this quite peculiar girl?

It’s not everyday you glue your brows down with purple Elmer’s glue—let alone style your hair in a cotton candy ‘do! With The Lorax hitting theaters this week, I couldn’t wait to transform myself into a creature from the world of Dr. Seuss. When I first started playing with theatrical makeup, I was slightly embarrassed by the gawks and stares I encountered on the street—pssh, like an orange-painted face is unnatural! After a while—with a lot of blending, detailing and practice—I started to enjoy the reactions I’d get from strangers. For every five people who looked at me like I was insane, there was always one person who appreciated the time I spent envisioning and creating a masterpiece on my face.

Prepping for my Lorax-inspired transformation took around three hours! I primed my hair with white hair spray, then layered on an obscene amount of temporary neon hair color. Using a mix of theatrical and beauty makeup, I painstakingly added the soft, textural detail to mimic the vibrant Truffula trees featured in the cartoon tale.

After I’d finished, I headed outside to snap pictures of my work of art. A woman taking her smoke break yelled, “Wow! You look amazing! You should work for a Nordstrom’s makeup counter or something. What magazine do you guys work for?”

As I was explaining the social experiment to her, another man stopped in his tracks and exclaimed, “I know who you are! You’re that one character. The Lorax—yes The Lorax. I totally got it looking at you!” Not five minutes later, a humorous bald man jumped in front of me and said, “Hey, that’s gorgeous. Take my picture too, but let me fix my hair first!”

This social experiment created the most street interaction I’d ever had. Why were these onlookers so captivated by my avant-garde look? Perhaps the Seussian visuals triggered happy youthful memories. For a small moment, these onlookers abandon reality and remember their childhood fantasies. We watch Dr. Seuss movies because they make us feel good and remind us of happy times when we were young. This particular social experiment has a special place in my heart—it reminds me of why I love makeup so much! With the help of an inexpensive colored hair spray, a pair of false lashes, and a few layers of vibrant makeup, I made a woman smile and a man laugh. Those three hours of work? Completely worth it.

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