February saw me restock my bookshelf, and there was a large influx of beauty books, mostly to help me with my uni work. I have to say, I didn't have particularly high hopes, I often find beauty books regurgitate the same simple information over and over, but I was pleasantly surprised by all three!
PRETTY HONEST - SALI HUGHES // I wasn't really sure what to expect with this one, since the last blog-hyped book I purchased left me feeling massively underwhelmed but this was much better than I thought it would be! This is something of a beauty bible, covering everything from how to look good in photographs, to understanding your skin type, to answering all your makeup questions. I have decidedly mixed feelings about this book, I think it's beautiful and Sali definitely raises some valid points, but I just don't agree with some of the hard and fast rules she sets. I honestly don't believe anyone should conform to any beauty rules, and when she says things like 'I don't care who you are, you absolutely need a concealer.' I want to grab everyone who has ever read the book and say IF YOU DON'T WANT TO WEAR CONCEALER, DON'T. IF YOU DON'T NEED TO WEAR CONCEALER, DON'T.
THE GLAM GUIDE - FLEUR DE FORCE // This was purchased for a few reasons. Partly because it's the only YouTuber book out of the recent flurry I'd even dream of reading, partly because I met Fleur in December and she was one of the nicest people I've ever met, and partly because it looked so damn dreamy. Those pastels. All the heart eyed emojis. Anyway, whilst I may not be the target audience for this book (I know too much about beauty already) I did really enjoy reading it, for any girl who is just starting out in makeup, or who knows the basics and is looking for some tips to help perfect their look, then this is great! I also really enjoyed reading the sections on travel and life! It's a beautifully styled book and whilst I personally would have loved more pictures of Fleur & her things, I think it was a clever move to not pack it full of them, it makes the book much more accessible to people who don't actually know who she is! The illustrations and the layout are just beautiful, and the information is structured perfectly, not too much detail, just what you need to know. A lot of books like this can be quite condescending, but this reads friendly and relatable, and is a handy guide for any girl!
EAT PRETTY: NUTRITION FOR BEAUTY INSIDE AND OUT - JOLENE HART // Saving the most technical for last! Over the last year or so, probably as a result of my Mum's influence, I've taken a real interest in the effect food has on our skin, and how we can solve skin conditions and concerns through our diet. I'm thinking of enrolling on a short course in the Summer on Skin Nutrition, so I picked this up to help me understand a little more, and to help research for an article I'm writing for my magazine. For me, I enjoyed the first half of this book more than the second! It's split pretty much in two, the first half talks about foods to avoid and foods to embrace, and the sciencey bits behind it all, whilst the second is mostly a collection of recipes and meal plans. For anyone looking to improve their skin & diet this is a great tool, it explains the important information well, without feeling overwhelmingly complicated or 'dumbed down', and is a really interesting read. And if you're serious about embracing a new diet and lifestyle then the recipes will be useful too!
Have you read any of these books, or do you have any other beauty reads you recommend?
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