Six Great Beauty Books

Six Great Beauty Books. Sure you can surf the web or watch hundreds of Youtube tutorials, but sometimes it is just more enjoyable to curl up on the couch and crack open a really good beauty book. Of the dozens and dozens available in your favourite bookstore, these six are great quality. Order a venti Starbucks latte, sit back and enjoy a good read.

 

 

1. The New Beauty Secrets: Your Ultimate Guide to a Flawless Face by Laura Mercier

 

Of all the pro makeup artists in the world, Laura Mercier may just be the most discreet when it comes to celebrity makeup. She’s never dished on any high profile client. That discretion is repaid in this makeup how-to by her celebrity friends who sing her praises. In this book, she teaches you how to achieve her hallmark flawless face and how to apply your products in a more artistic way. These are the same techniques that have kep Julia Roberts and Maria Carey coming back for years.

 

2. Makeup Master class Beauty Bible of Professional Techniques and Wearable Looks by Jemma Kidd

 

As an international makeup artist, Jemma Kidd has perfected the art of makeup. Better yet, she has a down-to-earth approach that makes her techniques and instructions fun and easy-to-follow. I like that she talks about inner beauty as much as your outer beauty. Kidd, was born Jemma Wellesley, Marchioness of Douro, and is in fact royalty. You will find her techniques simple, very inclusive and confidence building.

 

3. Face to Face Amazing New Looks and Inspiration from the Top Celebrity Makeup Artist by Scott Barnes

 

Scott Barnes just may be the most influential celebrity makeup artist of the last decade. He’s the one who created the whole Miami Glow look for Jennifer Lopez. Then, he began working with the Kardashians for Red Carpet appearances really defining their contoured look. It’s been such a worldwide hit that he travels the globe teaching his signature technique in master classes. You can save the hundreds he charges for a class and follow his step-by-step instruction for flawless makeup.

 

4. Bobbi Brown Beauty Rules: Fabulous Looks, Beauty Essentials, and Life Lessons by Bobbi Brown

 

This must be my most-recommended book because I am always being asked what to recommend to teenage girls to learn the makeup basics professionally. Bobbi Brown comes to the cosmetic industry from a unique positioning. She really sincerely promotes natural beauty. From an almost holistic and spiritual perspective, Brown takes the beauty ingénue through all the techniques to highlight natural beauty while providing a healthy dose of being true to yourself and loving who you are. It also includes the most realistic looking models you may ever see in a makeup book, simply because they are not models or celebrities. This book is really for everybody.

 

5. Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual: For Everyone from Beginner to Pro by Bobbi Brown

 

Okay, I know I’m listing two Bobbi Brown books in this list, but it is justified. Bobbi Brown’s books are for everyone, regardless of age, race or artistic level, and like everything Bobbi, this book is informative and simple-to-use and never skips the basics to highlight the extreme. It also includes a helpful section for the aspiring makeup artist. It’s just another reason that Brown is so successful against so many flashy competitors; she offers what real women want and need.

 

6. War Paint: Madame Helena Rubinstein and Miss Elizabeth Arden: Their Lives, Their Times, Their Rivalry by Lindy Woodhead

 

I wanted to throw in this joint autobiography of Helena Rubinstein, and Elizabeth Arden. It’s a fascinating read on the bold, brilliant, ruthless and intense rivals who created what is now a billion dollar business globally. Exhaustingly researched and utterly juicy, this book will keep you fascinated and entertained and in awe of two trail-blazing women who fought in a man’s world to become self-made millionaires. Highly recommended.