Certificate in Image Consultancy

About our Certificate in Image Consultancy

This course is aimed at preparing the student to work as a Professional Image Consultant, and throughout the course there is a strong focus on applying your new knowledge to achieve practical results and benefits that your clients can see. All the key aspects of Image Consultancy are covered within the course lessons, and each lesson has an assignment requiring you to put into practice what you have just learned.

The assignments are deliberately structured so that you will develop your skills as you progress through the course, and the assignments themselves can be used as a portfolio of work and business tools to help you in the industry on completion of your Image Consultancy course. All our students find this approach extremely valuable.

As you complete each assignment, you will receive valuable feedback from your tutor so that you can continually improve your work, and attain the high standard of work that we require. At the end of the Image Consultancy course, you will be asked to complete a Final Project (a client Makeover), that will bring together everything you have learned throughout the Image Consultancy course into one complete project. This will provide you with a powerful tool to use with your clients, and increase your confidence as you venture into the workplace. If you are serious about becoming an Image Consultant, then this course is the best vehicle to help you achieve your goal...

It's understandable that men frequently scoff at women when we say that we have "nothing to wear" while staring at a wardrobe that is full of clothes. The real problem is that half of those clothes may no longer fit, others may not particularly suit us, and the garments that are nice probably can't be worn because they don't co-ordinate with anything else. Most of us have made style blunders in the past,
and today there is so much choice in clothes and accessories, that it is easy for the untrained person to get it wrong.

An Image Consultant advises clients on what to look for and what to avoid, so they can sift through the clutter and choose what works for them as an individual; making the most of their best features and drawing attention away from those that are less than perfect. Looking good on the outside automatically makes us feel good on the inside, it increases our confidence and makes us feel GREAT - the effects can be life-changing and Image Consultancy is a very valuable service!

Successful Image Consultants help their clients to look and feel their best by objectively assessing their individual facial and body features, and then helping them to choose the clothes, accessories, hairstyle and make-up that will suit them best.

Looking great is always in style, so rather than following fashions, Image Consultants help their clients to develop their own individual look and to keep it up to date with seasonal accessories. Furthermore, an Image Consultant takes the time to develop a unique style for their client that works for their features AND their lifestyle; after all, there's no point in dressing a Fitness Instructor in a business suit!

What will you learn?

For a detailed information on what you will learn on this course please download our Image & Fashion Styling Course Prospectus. However for a brief summary of what you will learn please click on one of the following links:

• Individual Analysis
• Make-up & Grooming
• Male Makeovers
• Developing a Style

Individual Analysis
Kate Moss has a straight "rectangle" body type, Jennifer Lopez has a classic "pear shape" and Catherine Zeta Jones is definitely "hourglass". Each of these famous women have completely different basic shapes and bodily characteristics, but they each know how to make the best of what they have and present an image that most women would kill for! Many people are unhappy with certain parts of their body, but the good news is that we don't need to change our bodies to look good; we all have attractive features, and we simply need to learn how to make the best of what Mother Nature has bestowed on us and cleverly disguise those characteristics that are less than perfect. So then, how do you dress someone with a short neck, long waist, pear shaped bottom and wide ankles..?

Before you begin selecting clothes for a client, you need to know exactly what you are working with, and the only way to find this out is by objectively assessing your client's attributes, such as their body type, proportions, facial shape and skin tone. The right hairstyle can make someone appear taller, slimmer and even younger. Likewise, make-up can drastically affect the way we look. On this course, you will learn how to accurately identify your clients strong and weak characteristics, and then help them to select the clothes and styles that will work with their natural features instead of against them. Topics covered include the following:

• Body Types - identifying your client's overall body shape
• Features & Proportions - assessing their individual features & characteristics
• Facial Shapes - how the facial outline and individual features determine facial shape
• Hair - how hairstyles & colour can work for your client
• Colour Analysis - developing a colour palette to work with your clients natural tones

Make-up & Grooming
They say beauty is only skin deep, yet every year millions of women make themselves ill with anorexia, bulimia and depression while striving to achieve their beauty ideals, ideals that are usually unrealistic without major cosmetic surgery. The good news is that none of that is necessary, and a good Image Consultant can help anyone to dramatically improve their appearance and bring out that inner beauty with simple hair and make-up techniques, and of course that extra confidence that comes when a woman feels good about herself...

Relatively few women have ever learnt how to apply make-up professionally, and even less know how to choose the products and colours that complement their natural tones and skin-type. Yet, with careful application of make-up and colour you can help your client to enhance their natural features and create the right impression by focusing attention on their strongest features and creating the illusion of balance where necessary. Make-up is an instant transformer for women and with a little practice you will be soon be able to show clients how to use make-up to create stunning looks with simple techniques. Applying make-up correctly is not difficult, and it doesn't even need to be time-consuming, especially when you have expert advice to hand. On this course you will be taught...

• The Essentials of Skincare - identifying your clients skin type and keeping it in the best condition
• Getting the Right Tools - selecting the right make-up and products
• Applying Make-Up like a Professional - tips & techniques from the experts
• Achieving Balance - how to make thin lips appear wider or lift tired or drooping eyes
• Quick Tricks - the bare essentials for when there's no time to spare!
• Hair Removal & Grooming - the pros and cons of different techniques

Male Makeovers
While looking good is important for all of us and helps us to feel confident in ourselves, most male clients will come to an Image Consultant because they want to create the right impression at work. Men too, often feel insecure about their looks and doctors have noticed a huge increase in the numbers of men opting for cosmetic surgery in recent years. Once again, such drastic steps are rarely necessary, and as an Image Consultant, you will be able to guide male clients towards achieving their fullest potential...

As a general rule, men's wardrobes aren't as colourful as women's and they don't have the same opportunities to improve their features with make-up - but there are still numerous ways that a man can make an impact. They key to success is to pay attention to the seemingly small details, and consider carefully every aspect of a man's wardrobe and accessories. Hairstyle and grooming habits have a significant impact on a man's appearance, and in this section of the course you will learn how to advise men on the best ways to create a strong impression - both in and out of the office. Topics covered include...

• Dressing for Work & Leisure - building a wardrobe that works with your male client's lifestyle
• Colour & Pattern - how to use them to make an impact without overkill
• Accessories & Details - how to choose the details that most men are judged by
• Haircare for Men - practical tips & advice for male clients on style, colour and maintenance
• Skincare & Grooming - taking proper care of hands, nails & facial hair
• Health & Well-Being - implementing lifestyle changes that really work

Developing a Style
Movies have been made and many songs have been written about being true to ourselves and relishing in the fact that each of one of us is different and unique. Our personal style should be exactly that - personal, and a celebration of who we are. Many people think that Image Consultants help people to dress "correctly" for work, selecting the right suits and accessories to make a strong business impression. While some image consultants specialise in "Corporate Dressing", this approach would be like pushing a square peg into a round hole - not something we would recommend. Image Consultancy is really about bringing out the inner beauty and confidence in all your clients; by simply helping them to be themselves in a way that makes the rest of the world take notice!

By the time you complete this course in Image Consultancy, you will be taught how to help your clients find a style that is appropriate for their lifestyle on a practical level, and reflective of their unique personality and character. The skills and knowledge you will learn include the following:

• Developing a Core Wardrobe - how to create a wardrobe that works for your clients' features & lifestyle
• Culling - being honest and firm about what doesn't work
• Accessories - using details to create styles that are individual and up to the minute
• Strategic Planning - transforming a wardrobe step-by-step without breaking the bank
• Stress - ways to beat stress it and stay on top of it
• Diet & Lifestyle - simple tips and advice that will encourage your client to get it right from the inside out
• Self-Confidence - helping your clients to develop a strong sense of self!