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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Library: Making Faces by Kevyn Aucoin

Kevyn Aucoin
Making Faces
$21.99

I first encountered the work of the late Kevyn Aucoin while my makeup addiction was still blooming.  I was very captivated by it and the creativity was astounding.  I was very impressed by the way that this celebrated artist embraced being different.  When I saw this book (a #1 New York Times Best Seller, might I add!) in stores, I knew that I had to have it and give it a look.

For those of you that like photographs, I would have to say that this book is chock full of them.  There are a lot of creative shots of models, but also of some of the products that are used.  I loved how the shots of the products gave the pages "texture" and interest.  Although there are many pictures of products, there are no products that are listed by name.  This allows you to use what you want, be it drugstore or high end.  It was nice to not feel obligated to run out and buy certain things that weren't already in your collection. 

I thought that the layout of the book was very nice and easy to understand.  In addition to the main text, there were also many helpful tips scattered about its pages.  The tips not only involved application, but also how to create different shapes, how to choose products, and much more.  The language he uses is very easy to understand and you feel like you are reading words by a friend, not by someone that is preaching to you.  I thought that the book was less in depth than the Jemma Kidd book, but I think that there is a wider range of topics.  For example, I liked that Aucoin spoke about cosmetic surgery, brow shaping, brow bleaching, brow covering, eyeshadow shapes, and lip shapes--just to name a few things.

Towards the end of the book is a collection of looks that Aucoin has done in the past, ranging from looks that are natural and minimalist to looks that are dramatic and edgy.  I truly believe that there is a look for everyone and every mood in there.  These looks are explained and illustrated in detail.  I also liked that Aucoin included several makeover stories because it is uplifting to really see how makeup can have a positive impact on someone's life.

Overall, I was very fond of this book as a whole.  I learned a lot from it and was very drawn in by the pictures.  The only negative I would have say is the way in which some things are explained.  For example, in explaining how to replicate the looks, there are drawings rather than photographs.  It makes it a little difficult to follow, but at least the text is descriptive enough that you get the gist of things.  Most people with a makeup obsession should catch on fairly quickly.

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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Library: Make-Up Masterclass by Jemma Kidd

Jemma Kidd
Make-Up Masterclass
$24.99

I purchased this book probably around February, and it wasn't until now that I was able to read it thoroughly enough to post a proper review.  Makeup is probably one of my biggest hobbies and I'm always looking forward to learning more.  Be it through trial and error, blogs, YouTube, websites, magazines, or books, I'm always looking for new things to learn and new things to try.  After previewing the selection in my local bookstore, I thought that I would give this book a try.

The intention of this book is to teach the everyday woman how to apply makeup in a way that enhances their natural beauty.  It is meant to be a go-to book, a "beauty bible," if you will.  There were definitely things in this book that I encountered during my 1+ years exposure to the makeup world, but there were plenty of other things of which I had never heard.  I found that the book was very organized and the formatting was consistent throughout while still being able to draw my attention.  The photographs were beautiful and helped to illustrate the author's purpose.

One of the things that I liked about the book was the author's concept of "Skintelligence," which is an understanding of skin and how to keep it healthy.  I consider myself to be someone with oily skin, and there were definitely a handful of helpful tips.  I not only picked up a few pointers about keeping the skin healthy, but also about what types of makeup would be most effective.  In her book, Kidd has different ways of breaking sections up into skin type, skin color, and age.  She also includes how to address specific skin problems, such as scarring, open pores, and redness.  For those of you wondering which colors are best suited for your skin tone, Kidd includes suggestions of colors and color combinations for each skin tone.  There's a section for everyone and I'm confident that a vast majority of people would be able to find a description fitting them.

Another thing that I liked about the book were the Top Ten Tips that were included in almost every section of the book.  I thought that the tips gave a good overview of the previous section and highlighted the most important points into something that was easy to remember.  There were also lots of other tips that I found useful, including a section on when to throw away makeup (it's always difficult to say good-bye, especially for something you spent $14+ on!) and a section on what to do when the seasons change.  I'm not sure if other makeup books have sections on nail care, but this one does and I thought that it was very helpful and a nice addition.

The last thing that the book includes is a collection of looks that the readers can try on their own.  It's not step-by-step per se, but it has very detailed instructions and a few illustrations that I think anyone could follow.  Because this book focuses on enhancing a woman's natural beauty, there aren't really looks that you would find on a runway, for example.  Despite this, I still appreciate the looks and find them very useful.  For example, there are looks for corporate settings, nights out (including a way to spice up daytime looks for the evening), and vacations.

Overall, I thought that this book was a nice read for beauty beginners and makeup enthusiasts alike.  It gives a lot of good advice and I like that it strives to play up a woman's natural beauty.  Although it stresses natural beauty, it does not completely write off playful colors in total favor of neutrals--it just shows what Kidd feels best suits and is appropriate for different skin tones.  I felt that she was very knowledgeable about what she was writing and by the end of it, I thought that I had learned a lot.  I felt that she was not only knowledgeable about skin and color theory, but also about products.

Fellow makeup mavens might know that Jemma Kidd has several lines of cosmetic products.  First impression would be that she would try her best to market her products and her products solely.  However, that is not the case!  I was very surprised when there were mentions of different brands like Clinique, and this continued all throughout the book.  Of course, there are occasional mentions of her products and it is predominantly her products that are featured in the pictures, but I liked that other options were given.  In fact, there is even an index in the back of the book of some brands that Kidd recommends, among these are brands like MAC and L'Oreal.

I hope you found this 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.

Read more »