A Moment with Carollyn Olson
As we get closer to the end of the submission process for this year’s Glamour Girl Photo Contest, we wanted to give our lovely Super Cougars out there a few tips to help them get those photos ready for the contest. What a treat it is for us to have one of the first ever Grand Champions, Carollyn Olson take a few minutes to offer some help to her fellow Super Cougars. Just be careful girls. Ms. Olson has thrown her hat back in the ring to compete for the first time since her win all those years ago.
Hi Carollyn! We are so excited to have you back in the Glamour Girl Photo Contest this year! Even though we know your fellow Super Cougars should be worrying, we appreciate you offering up some of your secrets to help them get that perfect contest photo. Let’s get started with our first question.
How do you choose your outfits for photo shoots and where do you purchase your outfits?
I have purchased most of my clothes over the last 35 years at Macy’s, JC Penney and through the internet from Glamour Boutique and others. I have a male friend who has purchased a number of outfits for me for birthdays, Christmas or special occasions. For photo shoots, it all depends if the shoot will be outdoors, in a studio, or at home. It also depends on the weather. I love wearing dresses, so that is usually my priority. Also, when I do a photoshoot, I do more than just the shoot and often go shopping, to lunch or dinner with a friend, or visit the girls at my hair salon. Always use a good camera and, if possible, a tripod.
What are your thoughts on breast plates vs traditional breast forms and which do you prefer, if either at all?
Gravity and age have allowed me not to wear breast forms any longer. I have enough “sag” now to be a B-cup. If I wish to be larger, I will add a little padding, but that depends on the outfit. I have never had the opportunity to wear breastplates…that would be an awesome experience
Any makeup or wig tips for your age group to look on point for Glamour Girl photos?
Look your age, be age appropriate in dress, style and hair. Don’t try to look 35 when you are 70. Years ago I wanted to have long hair, but after a visit to my hair salon, it was decided — due to my head shape and complexion, that shorter hair would be best for me. I have never turned back from shorter hair. My Lexy wig from Noriko is nearly shoulder length, while my Noriko Sky is a bit shorter.
Thanks for the advice Carollyn. We look forward to seeing if you can become the first ever two time Grand Champion. We know Carollyn will have her hands full with the rest of the Super Cougars as there are some beautiful entries. We hope to see the rest of our Super Cougars entry photos soon. Let’s get them in girls! No excuses!
The Glamour Girl Contest is here and submissions are rolling in. We are entering our second month of entries and we are over 250 so far. One category that always puts a smile on our faces are the Super Cougars. These ladies prove each and every year that age is just a number and you’re never too old to throw on a pair of heels. Let’s say hello to some of these lovely ladies who are ready to show off their stuff. Remember, you can see all the entries made so far HERE.
For those of you that follow us on social media, you may have seen a new thing we do on some Tuesdays called Tuesday with Tammy. That Tammy is none other than our dear friend Tammy Brown. Tammy is a vetren of our contests and each year she ups her game. Just check out the photo above and the one below and know that Tammy is in it to win it this year.
Joining Tammy so far, is a great group of vets and newcomers. Let’s start with a few newcomers.
Donna Marie made us smile with this great shot showing her fun side. We don’t see photos like this very often but when we do, we have to make sure to share it.
Many Super Cougars don’t take chances with their hair and makeup choices due to their age. They don’t want to make themselves look too young as it can also make them not look great. An exception to this rule is Nicole Bella. Her bold hair and makeup look terrific here and this photo can give her a nice run toward the Top 10.
Donna Williams studio shot is both colorful and fun. We always like seeing studio shots because we feel they can bring out the best in you. Donna proves that to be true and we hope this is the first of many years of entries to come.
Along with these newcomers, we are happy to see some of our favorite Super Cougars returning for another chance at the crown.
Let’s start by welcoming back a fan favorite, Laura White, who every year graces us with a lovely photo. In the past she has taken some shots in front of a fountain and we want to know where she finds so many of them in her travels as each one is different than the year before.
We are excited to see these next two vets back as we know each year they will be sending over photos that our readers will always enjoy. Let’s welcome back Leone Gardner (left) and Lily Templeton (right).
Last but certainly not least is the return of our first ever Grand Champion. She has not entered the contest since and has decided “what the hell” and decided to give it a go this year. We are so happy she did and we know our readers will too. So let’s give a big welcome back to Carollyn Olson!
A former grand Champion, some lovely vets and a few beautiful newcomers. What a year for the Super Cougars. We can’t wait to see how this plays out as we know our judges are going to have a hard time with this one. Even better is that this is only the first month of entries, so you all have plenty of time to get those photos in. What are you waiting for?!?!?!
We are so excited to launch our 2020 Glamour Girl Photo Contest! Every year right around this time, we get a lot of emails and phone calls asking for tips to get the best looking photos possible. Since every girl is different and since every age group that we cover has their own set of rules so to speak, we felt it was best to offer tips to each of our age categories. So let’s get going with some advice for our Super Cougars who every year show us that age is just a number when it comes to sexy. We also spoke with one of our favorite Super Cougars, Tammy Brown, who offered her advice to all of her fellow girls out there.
Act Your Age (Clothes and Makeup): This may be the most important tip we can offer to our Super Cougars. Overdoing your makeup or wearing outfits that a 20-year-old would wear out to a club are usually not the best choices for you. As Tammy (above) says, “Be natural! By that I mean not to try to look like a kitten. We are mature women and we are proud of it. Towards that goal – don’t try to conceal every wrinkle – we’ve earned them.”
Because our Super Cougars are a little way off from our Kittens, they sometimes feel the need to compensate by putting on a tremendous amount of makeup. While you may feel you need to do this to look younger, there really is no need and could really hurt your photo. Tammy continues, “Of course light concealer, liquid foundation, and powder form the essence of makeup for us, and we do tend to look younger than our chronological age with them, but don’t overdo it! Be true to your natural skin color – no masks! Be gentle with blush, too; there’s no need for clown cheeks. (I can’t tell you how long it’s taken me to realize this!) Eyeshadow and eyeliner helps to define our eyes, but again not too much! Personally I have eyelashes that are almost invisible so a well-applied set of false ones augments the eye shadow and liner for me. Use your judgment on them.”
Selfies: Selfies are becoming the most common entries and that is totally acceptable to our judges. But, if you are taking selfies for contest entries you need to be sure that they are really well taken. Do not use a flash when you are taking a picture in the mirror. All that does is create a distracting glow or light blob in your shot. A good light source is way better here. Be sure that light source is in front of you and not behind you as you will wind up with almost the same effect as using a flash in the mirror. Natural daylight works well here as well, but again be sure the light is in front of you so you don’t look washed out. On the flip side hardly any light will give you a grainy photo and not be too flattering as you will look like you are hiding in the shadows. For more on getting that perfect selfie, check out this article from our photo experts at Glamour Boutique.
Use Some Furniture: A great way to get some really nice classy shots is by using a piece of furniture. Do you have a nice couch that would look even better with you sitting on it posing away like the Super Cougar you are? A couch or large chair can offer opportunities for some nice poses like Nora’s pose below or Tippy’s photo at the top of this article.
Activity Shots: Many of our Super Cougars that we speak to have a pretty active social life. Whether it’s a day out shopping with the girls, dinner date or even an event or conference, we know you girls like to be out having fun. These are all perfect opportunities to get some really fun action shots. When we spoke to former Grand Champion Donna Kelli last year she offered this great piece of advice, “Location is always nice and can give the impression the girl is comfortable with being herself, I’m speaking about upscale venues or outdoors places where the entrant can show themselves in a setting as themselves.” Below we can see some great examples from Judy Dee and 2018 Super Cougar winner Susan Albright both out and about.
Keep an Eye on Your Background: When taking a contest photo anywhere, be sure that whatever is in the background behind you isn’t distracting the viewer from what the star of the photo should be – you. In some cases, the background can enhance the photo and help you stand out more.
See A Professional: If you have the ability to, we always suggest seeing a professional photographer and/or makeup artist. In some cases, there are full transformation services that can accommodate both. A professional can help you find that perfect look for you while also finding the right makeup combinations and camera angles. After a makeover and photoshoot, you can walk away with not only some great contest photos but some great memories you can hold on to.
Don’t Fake It: One thing we encourage is to look natural and not use heavy filters or photoshop to de-age yourself. As Donna says, “I am also one of those girls who like girls to make themselves up for the picture, not after with photoshop, anyone can look good with a bit of photoshopping. There’s nothing more disappointing to me than to meet a girl at an event and find she is nothing like her photos online (heavily photoshopped).”
Have Fun: Our judges love to see photos where you look like you are enjoying yourself and just letting your personality shine through. Two great examples of girls having fun are DeeDee, who gives us this great fun and flirty pic and Tawni Bonds who just looks like she is ready to have a good time. Remember girls, fun and flirty is a great way to go here.
Lighting: Lighting is so important in making a great photo. We can’t tell you how many times a photo that had the potential to be great didn’t quite make the cut because the lighting was bad. The photo can be either too bright or too dark. Do not take a photo with a giant lamp behind you as it looks really bad and will wash you out. Instead, put the lamp or light source in front of you. You also don’t want to be in a dimly lit room as your photo will be grainy and have too many shadows. We know that most of you don’t have the ability to go to a photographer or have lighting setups in your home. But natural light coming through your window is perfect lighting for your photo. Pull back the curtains and let the morning sun give you some terrific lighting. Plus, the natural light can help to soften the image a bit which can help your photos as well.
Tammy’s Tips: Before we go, Tammy gave us some great tips for her fellow super cougars out there regarding clothing and style options. Take it away Tammy!
Hairstyle: ” I love long and glamorous hair, but I’ve found that shorter styles accent my face better. So my advice is to try different lengths, colors, and degrees of curl. You may be surprised that a style you would not have initially selected is best for you. Again your natural coloration will help guide you as will your facial shape.”
Clothing: “Of course, you will show your femininity here! If you have great legs, show them off! Pantyhose or stockings really do help in this regard. With the right outfit, patterned hose or fishnets make a lovely statement and can be sexy, too. Again though, do not overdo it. Seamed hose do add a real touch of retro glam as long as the seams are straight! Be age-appropriate in your choice of clothes in general, but a miniskirt can be interesting…Pay attention to the details! Seams are a good example of this, but colors and textures should not fight and again should complement your own good looks.”
Shoes: “Heels do extend your legs and I wouldn’t wear anything else for the contest. Many like boots and they certainly can work, but they do tend to be a little young for us. Stilettos are not de riguer but they sure are sexy!”
Thanks Tammy!
Remember girls, embrace your years and life experience. It will shine through in a confident photo. And don’t think that because you’re a Super Cougar you cannot win this contest. Super Cougar Tippy Gillette won it all last year when she became our Grand Champion. The proof is in the pudding girls. So start snapping away as we cannot wait to see what you have in store for us this year.
For more Glamour Girls, head over to the Contests portion of our blog and see winners and favorites and get inspired.
If you would like to enter the contest, you can email us your photos at glambmarketing@gmail.com or by going to our Facebook Page and entering on the contest page directly.