Every Woman’s Queen for a Day : Make-over and photo sessions are for teen-age girls and for adults seeking to recapture that young, beautiful feeling.
Glamour Shots--those make-over/photography emporiums often found in malls--are a man-made phenomenon preying on the most basic female instinct: the desire to feel beautiful.
Visiting Glamour Shots is surreal, a kind of post-Barbie doll rite of passage, not only for teen-age girls but for women wanting to recapture that young, beautiful feeling.
But would the delusion work on a self-actualized female--namely me--who long ago came to grips with the fact that she isn’t 17 any more? It was all I could do to make the appointment, much less pass through the door at Northridge Fashion Center.
Intimidating poster-size photos of ravishing gamins line the walls inside the narrow but deceivingly deep space. The “wall girls” seem to have it all--cascading hair, wrinkle-free skin, etc. A quick retreat seemed like a good idea.
It was too late to back out, though. I’d already given my credit card number for the make-over session--a $25 fee is levied for no-show reservations not canceled in 24 hours. I was told to arrive makeup-free, to bring my own mascara for hygienic reasons and to wear a two-piece outfit--photo fashion changes require top-only dressing.
My heightened insecurity was probably fueled by my naked face. A virtual shell of an unmade-up woman, I approach the receptionist and sign a form explaining that I agree to let my photo be used for Glamour Shots advertising, should they choose to do so; this point is not negotiable, so I don’t protest too much, having already viewed the wall girl competition. I go into the back and change into a black tube top and put a black smock-style top over it.
I reassure myself that with trick photography, Cindy Crawford-esque good looks may be but a shutter-stop away.
Dressed for the part, I began to get a sense of this theater, ripe for ego stroking, where every woman can be queen for a day. The fashion changes are a glitz fest for the eye, as if some Las Vegas tourist snuck backstage and made off with a handful of costumes. There are blinding gold leather jackets, beaded Madonna-esque bustiers and fake mink wraps. No way will I wear any of those Zsa Zsa-style feather boas, I mentally vow.
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The makeup/hairstylist artist begins by styling my already clean, dry hair. Once it is rolled, foundation is applied. The makeup artist is proficient in the art of contouring. Translation: Making your face look thinner than it really is.
The effect is quite slimming on my own mug, I note, as she finishes up my lipstick, eye shadow and mascara. She then moves on to big hair, a Glamour Shots trademark. It’s yet another visual trick to make the face look slimmer and soften the impact of any prominent facial features.
The entire make-over takes about 30 minutes. The makeup artist ushers me back to my familiar “holding” stool--but not before she gives me her card, letting me know she’s available for free-lance work. From several notebooks filled with Glamour Shots of make-overs past, I select four changes.
Even though it’s a touch too Jackie Collins, I decide on a Cabernet-colored satin jacket but find out it’s no longer available. I go on to choose a gold-leather jacket, a pony-skin jacket, a leopard-print jacket and, for reasons still unknown to me, the dreaded maroon feather boa.
The photographer ushers me into the studio for the first sitting. The dress-up party is over and he’s in charge. I sit on a swiveling stool up against a white drafting table. He hands me some earrings and a white satin glove to wear.
There are no wind machines or blaring music, just the soft-spoken directives of the photographer as he coaxes smiles and “come hither” looks. I relax with the thought that maybe I don’t look as silly as I feel. We squeeze in four changes in the 20-minute session. I then exit and get dressed while color proofs--but not the actual photos--are processed.
Moments later, the photographer shows me the proofs on a color monitor. Much to my chagrin, but in no way the photographer’s fault, none of them look like Cindy Crawford. I am probably not destined to join the Northridge wall girls. But I come to the conclusion that my pics aren’t all that bad, either.
The photographer starts by weeding out the bad frames, remarking on the poses in each of the changes. Clearly, there is some pressure to buy several poses. All pictures must be ordered immediately; negatives are not kept on file and reorders are rarely possible.
I get more bang for my buck in the package deals, which can cost as much as $349 and consist of 30 “units.” Each unit is a single sheet of photo paper. That sheet may be as large as one 8-by-10 or cut as small as eight wallet-size shots. Multiplied by three, the ordering possibilities are literally endless.
Ironically, the feathered photos were my favorite--glitz grows on you--so I buy two 5-by-7 pictures. I pass on the larger packages since I can’t think of any friends--male or female--who would want to carry a feathery photo of me in their wallets. I fork over $37.95 on top of the $10 sitting fee (I had a coupon--the normal cost for the pre-photo primping and photo session alone is $29.95). My total price: $47.50.
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Friends who’ve seen my Glamour Shots photos think I look great. I admit that it was fun and the photos do look pretty good. In the future, though, I’ll stick to those photo booths where all you need are a few quarters and a repertoire of zany expressions. I’ve got it all over the other Cindy when it comes to the art of the goof.
WHERE TO GO
What: Glamour Shots.
Cost: $29.50 sitting fee. Minimum picture order $37.50.
Call: (800) 400-9119 to ask for nearest location.
The Premise
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