June 2009 Archives

Many things change with age, and your color fan may not be an exception.  As we age, our skin tone often changes.  Each season we create new foundation formulas for our clients as their skin tones lighten, darken, or yellow.  Eye color can also change with age.  As many of our clients' hair has begun to grey, their eye color may grey down as well, becoming more muted.  However, the biggest change we see in clients' coloring is in hair color, caused by both natural and artificial changes.  Because human body coloring is the foundation of a client's color fan, if a client's coloring changes, it is very likely that their color fan will also need to be adjusted.

We suggest that our clients come in for a complimentary color fan check-up every five years.  Feel free to drop by the studio (along with your color fan, please!), and a Stoltz Image Consultant will tell you if your color fan needs an adjustment.  If an adjustment is needed, we will schedule a Color Analysis Update that will take about an hour (think of it as a mini version of your first Color Analysis).  During your Color Analysis Update, we will make sure that your color fan accurately represents your current body coloring so that it will remain a great resource for you in selecting clothing, cosmetics, and accessories.

Please visit our services page for pricing information on a Color Analysis Update.

We are open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm and on Thursdays until 6pm to accommodate your busy schedule.  We are also available on one Saturday a month by appointment only.  Please be aware that our Saturday appointments typically book several months out.  If you are interested in a specific Saturday, please contact the studio as soon as possible to ensure that we can schedule your appointment on your desired date.

At Stoltz Image, we conduct presentations on an array of image topics, from professional and corporate dress to choosing the perfect shade of lipstick, and for a variety of groups, from corporate conferences to community gatherings.  If you are interested in booking a Stoltz Image Consultant as a speaker for an upcoming event, please contact the studio.  For further information, please visit our website.

Presentation Topics:

• Apprpriate Dress in the Workplace for Men & Women
• The Top 10 Dressing Mistakes for Women
• The Top 10 Fashion Mistakes for Female High School & College Students
• Body Shape Dos & Don'ts
• The Kinder & Gentler "What Not to Wear"
• Creating Clothing Capsules & How to Shop in Your Own Closet
• Guidelines to Wearing Makeup: How to Enhance Your Natural Beauty
• Color Concepts: The Importance of Color in Clothing

By Lauren

Not many topics get the women that visit our studio talking like a discussion about capris.  Now we know that for many women, capris have become their shorts.  Either they don't love their legs or they just feel like capris are more appropriate for their age.  Whatever the case, we would never take capris away from a client altogether.  Capris definitely have their place in the client's closet who feels like she can't live without them.  So, if you love your capris, you just need to make sure that you follow some capri guidelines.

Guideline #1: Our major concern is the length of capris that our clients are wearing.  How long are your capris?  When a client comes into the studio for a style analysis, or when we are working in their closet or taking them shopping, we always say that the hemline of their capris should fall within a slim place on the leg (exp. right below the knee before the calf starts widening).  If the capris come down into the calf, the widest part of the leg, they will make your calves look wider and unflattering.  We call this area the frumpy zone, and it is truly important to keep your hemlines (skirts, capris, etc.) out of your calf area.

Guideline #2: Another problem is when capris are too long.  They aren't quite pants, but definitely aren't shorts.  Instead, they fall somewhere around the ankle region.  Ladies, don't be fooled!  This makes you look like you are wearing pants that are too short!

This means making the commitment to get your capris hemmed if they are too long, no exceptions!  You will look so much better and therefore feel better. 

Guideline #3:  Many capris are an unflattering shape.  Your capris should slim towards the hemline.  If your capris are wide and full all the way down to the hem, they will make you look wide and full as well.  However, if you wear a slimmer capri, even if you don't think your legs are your best feature, it will actually make your legs look slimmer and more shapely.

If you are still confused about if your capris are the right length or shape, please bring them into the studio for a capri check!

By Shelbi

A few weeks ago I took a client shopping for some new summer clothes.  She carries some excess weight in her stomach and we were having a difficult time getting her tops to fit correctly until we found a very helpful tank top, the Teez-Her Skinny Tank!  It is a cotton tank top that comes in a variety of colors, but it has a built-in body shaper through the mid section.  Best of all, the bottom of the tank is cotton so it does not roll up during the day.  My client wears this tank top as an under shirt with her new button-up tops and jackets and it makes a huge difference.  You can purchase the Teez-Her Skinny Tank at Dillard's and Macy's for around $30 each.

By Shelbi

I love to paint my nails and toes, but I was not lucky enough to get great nail genes.  They are thin and break very easily.  A few years ago, someone told me to buy Nail Envy by OPI (I like the Original).  I use it on top of my nail polish and apply a few coats between each nail polish session.  This product has transformed my nails and I now have long, thick fingernails.  An added bonus: it also keeps my nail polish from chipping.

Maybe your problem isn't weak fingernails, but you just don't know what color to paint them.  Our clients are always asking us for nail color suggestions.  If you have had a color analysis, you can use the red strips on your color fan to select a nail polish color.  My secret to finding a good everyday nail color is to choose the dullest color on the shelf (that, of course, blends with your color fan).  Then, take it away from the other super bright nail colors to double check that the color is right for you.  The color will look so much nicer and more brilliant away from the over-powering colors, and a subtle color will be much more appealing on your skin than a bright nail polish.

My favorite nail polish colors are OPI "Grand Canyon Sunset" and "Nantucket Mist."  These colors are great for people with neutral to slightly cool coloring.  Lauren's favorite nail polish colors are "Hong Kong Sunrise" and "Baguette Me Not," which are also by OPI and are great for people with slightly warm coloring.  All OPI products can be purchased at Ulta, or visit the OPI website to "try on" nail polish colors electronically.

Don't forget that our personal shopping service includes selecting fabulous nail polish colors.  Call or email us if you need help!

Resurf.a.stic is the new product special!  Originally $34, Resurf.a.stic is now just $25 each.  This one step microdermabrasion stick is perfect for removing dead skin from the body.  We suggest using it in the shower for less mess. 

Offer expires June 26th.  (You must stop by or call the studio to receive this offer.)

By Lauren

I have been talking about RSVP shoes for about a month now.  (I know Shelbi is getting sick of it).  But, I just can't help myself.  They are amazing!  See for yourself at www.zappos.com.  The best aspect of RSVP shoes is that they have a really funky, fashionable vibe but are also totally wearable for the office or date-night.  You don't find many brands of shoes that work for both aspects of your life.  And, each style is given a different woman's name.  So cute!

Anyway, look at the great pair that I just purchased, the Jacklyn.  I love wearing brown shoes.  Since my hair is brown, brown is in every one of my outfits.  Why not wear brown shoes?  I also picked out another brown pair, the Ashly, that I am planning on purchasing for the fall, as well as a navy pair, the Kaiya.  My entire shoe wardrobe may end up just being RSVP! 

Buying shoes at Zappos is fabulous because they provide free shipping.  Could other sites please take a note!  And, if you don't like the shoes, you can send them back for a refund, and Zappos will even foot the return-shipping bill.  Love it! 

After you scout out RSVP let me know which shoes you like the best.  Or, do you have a little-known brand of shoes that you want to share?

By Lauren

So I was leafing through the June installment of Instyle Magazine the other day when I came across my new vice: gold plated bangles with Swarovski crystals.  I immediately tore the page out (as I do with all of the fashion items I am lusting after) and added it to the pile on my desk.  Each day at the studio I pull that torn piece of paper out and think about ways to convince my husband that these bangles are a need instead of a want.  The crystals come in a variety of shades: Diamond, Khaki, Burgundy, Blue, and Smokey Quartz.  I want two Smokey Quartz and one Blue Bangle, together around $100.  They could be my every day bracelet staple!

But, for now, I will just have to longingly stare at that torn out piece of paper and dream of clanking those bangles together on my arm one day.  What do you think about them?  What is your latest fashion vice?

By Elaine

The other day I put on a necklace that matched the colors of my outfit but when I looked in the mirror, I did not like where the necklace ended.  It was a couple of inches too long.  I thought, "There has to be a simple solution to this problem."  Aha! A twisty!  I went to my kitchen, found a twisty tie, and pinched my necklace behind my neck so that I could twist the plastic tie around the extra length in the necklace.  Wow!  It was perfect.  Best of all, my jacket covered the necklace and twisty so that no one knew.

Try it yourself next time you want to shorten a necklace a few inches.

By Lauren

I have been working with a couple of clients with fabulous wardrobes, and I started to notice that some of their clothes have similarities.  They both purchase amazing pieces by the trendsetting designer Vanessa Riley.  Before working with these clients, I had never heard of Vanessa, so I did a little bit of research and here is what I found.

After competing on Project Runway's season 4, Vanessa set up shop in Houston and opened her boutique: Vanessa Riley London.  Her clothing is extremely fashion forward, yet wearable, and from my experience with my clients, Vanessa really knows how to design to flatter a woman's body (and you don't have to be a size 2, thank you Vanessa!).

If you are interested in learning more about Vanessa, check out these photos of her runway show.  I especially love her formal-wear.  Who doesn't need a little bit of drama in their wardrobe? 

By Lauren

I am  a huge "What Not to Wear" fan.   I love seeing Stacy and Clinton transform their projects (sometimes willing and other times...well, not so willing) from shabby to chic.  When Elaine hired me as an image consultant, I began envisioning myself as a younger, and hopefully nicer, Stacy.  What I ended up learning through my training and business experience is that Stacy and Clinton aren't image consultants; they're stylists.  And while we can all admit that they make their clients look infinitely better than they did before their encounter, they don't always consider the elements of color and style.

Here are my concerns:

1) They put belts on everyone.  Come on now!  Should a lovely lady with a large tummy really need to accentuate her problem area?  She might as well be wearing an inner tube around her stomach, because belts will only exaggerate problems.

2) Stacy and Clinton love their clients to wear bright colors.  As we say, "If you see the color first (before your pretty face), then it is too bright!" 

3) The hair cut comes after all of the clothing has been selected.  Many times I find myself screaming at the TV as Nick completely changes the hair color.  Hair color is so important in selecting clothing colors!  Why don't they do the hair style first?

4) Carmindy loves pink blush and lipstick for everyone.  Again, based on color theory not everyone looks good in shades of pink.  Where is the beautiful coral and rusty red?  I want my clients to always look like they are wearing their natural coloring in their blush and lipstick.

Overall consensus: super fun show that provides an entire hour of entertainment.  But, if you want to look your VERY best, make sure that you are using an image consultant, not a stylist.

Two fabulous Matte Lipsticks are currently on product special!  Originally $15, Matte Glace Mauve and Matte Merlot are now only $12 each.  These two lipsticks are excellent options for clients with cool coloring, and Matte Lipsticks are known for their staying power so that your lips can look perfect all day long. 

Offer expires June 12, 2009.  (You must stop by or call the studio to receive this offer.)

Gather your girlfriends for wine and snacks at the Stoltz Image studio for a Summer Packing and Travel Workshop.  Learn all of Elaine's tips for organizing and packing an efficient suitcase, and do not miss Shelbi and Lauren's secrets for selecting your vacation wardrobe.  $25 per person.  (The workshops are come-and-go, so please don't miss out just because you may be late.  Please contact the studio to reserve your spot for one of the following workshop dates.  A 50% deposit is required to reserve your spot.)

• June 9th (5:30-7)
• June 16th (5:30-7)
• June 18th (11:30-1)

Preparing for a trip?  Don't forget to stop by Stoltz Image to stock up on your travel accessories.  We have two types of travel containers for storing your skin care and cosmetics.  We know how quickly that quart-sized baggie fills up, and we want to help you save some space!  While visiting the studio, don't forget to ask about our Chamois and Travel Brush Kits.  Our Chamois is softer than almost any wash cloth and dries quickly for easy storage when traveling.  Travel Brush Kits are the perfect accessory for a woman's cosmetic collection.  No need to worry about packing all of the right tools.  In one easy step, pack your Travel Brush Kit so that you always have everything you need.