It was makeover week on Cycle 15 of “America’s Next Top Model” and along with their new looks, the girls received a surprise elimination.

Terra White, 24, from Arlington, Texas, was sent home because Jay Manuel and Miss J didn’t feel like she was embracing her new look and later in the episode, Sara Blackamore, 21, from Menifee, Calif., was also eliminated for the same reason. CTV.ca spoke with both girls about what it was like to be eliminated so early on in the competition and how they really felt about their makeovers.

Terra says she was prepared for a haircut, not a shave

CTV.ca: What a shock to be eliminated after the makeovers. How were you feeling at that moment?

Terra: I guess confused.

CTV.ca: You were quite upset about your makeover. What was it like for you when they were cutting your hair?
 
Terra: As an African-American woman, we’re more attached to our hair and it took me a long time to get it to a length that I liked, a texture that I loved and a colour I really, really wanted. To have all that taken away and for them to actually damage my hair and cut too much off, it was a lot harder for me than it was for a lot of the other girls.

CTV.ca: Didn’t you know that would be a risk coming onto the show?

Terra: I prepared myself for a haircut. I did not prepare myself for a shave.

CTV.ca: Jay and Miss J could tell you weren’t embracing the new look during the photo shoot. Do you think that’s one of the reasons you got sent home?

Terra: They didn’t show it but Mr. Jay actually came from behind the camera and told me how excellent I was doing. He told me I was doing a good job (compared) to the last photo shoot and I was improving very much and even though I didn’t like the hair style, I was embracing it. That’s why I was so confused when he (said) we don’t feel like you want to be here.

CTV.ca: You were in the Bottom 2 the first week and it didn’t seem like you really got a chance to redeem yourself. How do you feel about that?

Terra: I feel like it wasn’t a good decision to put an elimination during a makeover because you really need a full-on photo shoot (to prove yourself) … when you just cut off someone’s hair, their hair is completely gone, shaved off, to me that’s a little intense for a surprise elimination.

CTV.ca: How difficult was it for you to leave your sister?

Terra: It wasn’t that hard because she knows what she’s there for. She’s not going to just crumble and say, ‘Oh my sister is gone; I can’t go on without her.’ She knows she has to now do it for two people.

CTV.ca: Are you still going to pursue modeling?

Terra: I’m going to try to see what doors open for me, what opportunities I can take and continue to pursue it … if it doesn’t work out we were taught to always have a backup plan and I do have a degree in health so I’ll just go ahead and become a health teacher.

Contrary to what the judges thought, Sara says she was embracing her new look

CTV.ca: Were you shocked you were sent home this week?

Sara: I was really shocked. I definitely did not think I was going to go home. I had a feeling I was going to be in the Bottom 2 but as you can tell watching it … I thought Lexie was going to go home.

CTV.ca: The judges thought you weren’t really taking on your new look. Did you agree?

Sara: No, I definitely didn’t because what you didn’t see is that Mr. J and Miss J got in a fight about my makeover. I was the one standing there telling them that I did like it. They were sending Tyra a picture telling her they don’t think it works and I’m standing there like, ‘What am I supposed to do?’”

CTV.ca: You said you were worried your 14-month-old son wouldn’t recognize you when you got home. Did he?

Sara: At first he kind of just looked at me. I have a twin sister with dark hair so I think he thought I was her. But then once I talked, he knew it was me.

CTV.ca: How hard was it to be away from your son?

Sara: It was really difficult. We barely got to use the telephone so just not knowing at first if he was ok or not, that was really hard. I didn’t know how he was adjusting to me not being there.

CTV.ca: The judges didn’t think you were embodying the word ‘seductive’ in your photo shoot. How do you feel about that?

Sara: I don’t know. I think I actually got a couple pictures with the word seduction and I think they only showed the part of me not doing it.

CTV.ca: It looked like a difficult photo shoot. What was it like being in a harness?

Sara: I was the second girl to go so when we were up in the air, we were a lot higher in the air than the other girls so we couldn’t really maneuver ourselves or really even interact with our model.

CTV.ca: When you saw your photo did you think you looked like a ballet dancer (like the judges thought?)

Sara: I guess my body did but if I would’ve judged my picture next to Lexie or Esther’s picture, I would’ve said mine was better. Maybe my body was bad, but at least my face had something in it, whereas Tyra even told Lexie (her photo) was just dead.

CTV.ca: Are you still going to pursue modeling?

Sara: I’m definitely going to try and pursue modeling. I have some photographers lined up and then I’m just going to go out to L.A. agencies and maybe not do so much high fashion because I don’t think I really fit into that category. 

I definitely think it opened a lot of doors for me and hopefully it helps me to start a great career.