Thursday, February 3, 2011

Library: Asian Faces by Taylor Chang-Babaian

Taylor Chang-Babaian (with foreword by Yoko Ono)
Asian Faces
$24.95 
 
One of the things that I've really been getting into lately are beauty books, just because I feel like there's a wealth of information that can be gleaned from their glossy, colorful pages.  This is certainly true of Asian Faces by Taylor Chang-Babian.

The book, written specifically for Asian women, aims to address all of their beauty concerns.  As a female of Filipino descent, I had always wondered what would look best on me, and as with any makeup addict, I seek to find my holy grail in every makeup category.  I believe that with this book, I came a little bit closer to understanding more about my face in relation to those of my Asian sisters.

One of the things that I liked the most about Asian Faces was that it was very easy to understand.  For instance, the beginning of the book included an extensive product guide with information right down to brushes and how to use them.  Additionally, I also liked that a face chart using a photograph was included.  It definitely came handy when trying to follow the Asian-specific skincare advice and application tips Chang-Babaian gives in the book.  Speaking of tips, there were countless tips scattered throughout the book ranging on a variety of different topics--like skincare product ingredients and making eyelashes look fuller.  It was great getting the inside scoop from a top makeup artist.

While the first half of the book discusses products and technique, the second half of the book showcases looks done by Chang-Babaian herself.  The looks are all beautifully photographed and I especially liked how pictures of the products in almost a swatch-form were featured.  It gives a lot of freedom to use what you have in your stash and makes it easy for you to find something similar.  I enjoyed how many of the looks had themes.  For example, Chang-Babaian included sections on costume makeup and looks from major American cities.  It was amazing to me to see how makeup styles and preferences changed from New York to Miami to Los Angeles.  And of course, being a blossoming vintage fan, I had great appreciation for the Asian vintage pinup and 1940s sophisticate looks.

Although everything is laid out in a way that is easy to understand, beginners might find it difficult to replicate looks in the latter half of the book.  Despite being detailed, it is provided in a list format rather than step-by-step pictures.  I don't think that this should be too much of a struggle, however.  Practice makes perfect and I think that if used in conjunction with other skill-building activities, like watching tutorials or even expanding into other reading materials, even beginners can become more skilled.

Even though everything was based upon Asian women, I think that I would have benefited from being able to see the different types of Asian eyelids.  The book does address this a little bit, but I would have liked to see a photographic depiction.

All in all, I think that this book was a great read and helped put me in better touch techniques and products that take into account my Asian heritage.

I hope you found this book review helpful!  Please don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions.

Disclaimer: I have not been paid to review the book featured above. I purchased the book reviewed in this blog post and did not receive it for free. I ensure that this is my true and honest opinion.

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