You’ve seen those ads in the back of fashion magazines: “Be A Model. . . . Or Just Look Like One.” You can live the fantasy in your own neighborhood — or just get a temporary cure for the winter blahs.
Every model needs a portfolio for “go-sees” (interviews). So what if your only “go-sees” are with your spouse, kids, or pals? It’s still fun to look fabulous and capture the moment for eternity.
Matthew Stephen Echterling, president of M E Studios (333 W. 63rd St., Westmont; 630-852-3333), which specializes in glamour and boudoir portraits, says, “With TV and magazines emphasizing the ‘Baywatch’ look, everyone wants a piece of that action. Customers say they’re getting the portraits as gifts for their significant other, but they’re doing it just as much for themselves. Everyone likes to look and feel sexy.”
Echterling advises candidates to do some homework before the photo session. At M E Studios, an initial consultation provides an opportunity to discuss the precise image that the customer wants to convey. Echterling explains, “There are just as many different styles of photography as there are cars in the parking lot.”
At M E Studios, hair styling/makeup application runs $50; sitting fee is $75-$150, depending on the “set” that’s been created exclusively for you; portraits are extra. A few wardrobe items are available; many customers bring their own. The full session (from “before” to “after”) may last four or five hours.
Glamour Shots at Chicago Ridge Mall (95th St. and Ridgeland Ave.; 708-424-1595) and at Spring Hill Mall (Higgins Rd. and Route 31, West Dundee; 847-426-6774) offers packages for “model wannabes” who are short on time and money, although poses and backgrounds are generic (“head shots” only). Through January, a complete photo session is $14.95 (regularly $29.95). This includes hairstyling, makeup, four outfits and 16 poses. Portraits are purchased separately. Count on being at the studio approximately two hours.
Melissa Rayburn, manager of the Chicago Ridge Glamour Shots, says, “We enjoy pampering our customers, who are mostly women from 25 to 45. It’s a chance for them to get away from husbands and kids. Many tell us they haven’t had a nice portrait since they graduated or got married. We also get kids and teens coming in for graduation pictures.”
More men are coming to Glamour Shots, too. Rayburn notes, “Male customers are usually between 30 and 50, getting photos for business purposes. Some in that age group come with wives or girlfriends for couple’s portraits. Younger guys are too embarrassed, but our young female customers tell us they’d love to have a stylish portrait of their boyfriend.”
If you’re not in the market for photos but want to try out new faces, the Chicago area has much to offer, from day spas to free makeovers at cosmetic counters in department stores.
Day spas present a myriad of makeover options, with individual beauty services (for instance, a half-hour makeup application) starting at $25 or $35. Ultimate, head-to-toe transformations (with a facial, manicure, pedicure, Swedish massage and more) can hover in the $200 to $300 range and occupy six to seven hours. Gourmet lunch and champagne may be included. And you may even spot an honest-to-God “Cosmo Girl” in the next chair. (“Jerry Hall, is that you?”)
Two of Chicago’s best-known day spas are the Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa (717 N. Michigan Ave.; 312-988-9191) and Mario Tricoci Hair Salon and Day Spa (277 E. Ontario St.; 312-915-0960). Tricoci also has several suburban locations; call 1-800-TRICOCI for details. Spas also abound in the suburbs, from Olga’s Skin Care Apothecary and Day Spa in Highland Park to Tranquility in Barrington.
For a less intensive (and less expensive) experience, the Merle Norman Cosmetic Studios (all over Chicago and suburbs) are another source.
Joanne Messmer, manager of Merle Norman in downtown Hinsdale (50 S. Washington St.; 630-986-8766) says that a free makeover can last from five minutes to an hour: “We can take a customer through all the different products, show her how to apply a total face, or just demonstrate new eye shadow techniques. We can create a casual look, an evening look, an office look or an office-into-evening look.”
Messmer’s clients range from 12-year-olds to ladies in their 90s. “Lots of mothers bring daughters in for an introduction to makeup. Teens and pre-teens respond better to advice from a professional beauty consultant than to their moms telling them what to do,” she says.
Park districts and community colleges offer makeover classes for all ages, too. The Downers Grove Park District (935 Maple Ave.; 630-963-1300) features “Time for a New Hairstyle!” (computer technology allows participants to see how they’d look with various cuts and colors and take home a dozen pictures).
The Park Ridge Park District (2701 Sibley Ave.; 847-692-5127) has “The New You — Color and Makeover” (which shows teens how to naturally enhance their best features).
At the College of DuPage (425 22nd St., Glen Ellyn; 630-942-2800), “Image — Polished Pro” is ideal for anyone entering the workforce or climbing the corporate ladder; an image consultant explains how makeup, hairstyle and wardrobe choices can make or break a career.
