Make-up Books.

Yep it's me again, just your friendly neighbourhood blogger sending you some love on this oh so close to the weekend Thursday. If you are one of those so called 9-5 workers you will truly understand the sheer joy that this next phrase brings “only one more get up to go!”. However on the other hand those of you that work the weekend then I'm sorry but you guys, not so much :0(

But if you do fancy a good make-up read over the weekend, either to get you through the day at work or to fill the morning while you are waiting for your partner to get out of bed....... nope that's just me then?, then I have got some amazing books for you.

I am in fact an avid book reader, some might say a book-aholic, if that was a real word. I love nothing better than curling up with a good fantasy novel or researching topics of interest. Now you know this fact about me it wont come as a surprise to find out that I have a few make-up books in my ever growing collection and yes I have read them all. There are only 5 in total at the moment and actually only one that I have purchased my self, 1:5 ratio is not to shabby. So with this in mind why don't we start with this one.

Compacts and Cosmetics – Beauty from Victorian times to the present day, by Madeleine Marsh.

Last year I was trawling the interwebs in search of a book where I could find the history of cosmetics all in one place. I understand this sounds a bit geeky but I am a firm believer that to truly understand your subject you need to know it's origins, and I am a geek!. In make-up and in fact in many subjects anyone can tell you to do something but it is when you begin to grasp the concept of why that you start to excel in your chosen field. On my hunt I came across Lisa Eldridge talking about this book and she pretty much sold it to me right off the bat. I then scoured all known book retailers, like any savvy shopper would do to find it at the cheapest price. In my opinion this is the jewel in the cosmetic history crown. It covers everything from hair removal to make-up advertisements, from the Victoria era to the present day. It's amazing to realise how cosmetics change with the times, like the patriotic red lipstick that was the order of the day during WWII and the psychedelic Mary Quant cosmetic crayons of the swinging 60s (I'd like some of those now). This book is a jaunt through the ages uncovering treasures of the industry that should never be forgotten.

Rae Morris – Makeup the ultimate guide.

The next 3 books that I would like to talk to you about were given to my by Santa 2 years ago. Santa had obviously read my Christmas list very thoroughly as I received all the books that I had mentioned in my some what extensive list that year. This first is this Rae Morris make-up book. Rae is an Australian born make-up artist who is the director of L’Oréal Paris Makeup and four times Australian Makeup Artist of the Year. When it comes to a make-up book this lady is more then qualified to write one! This is amazing for anyone just starting out in make-up be they student or just new to the whole make-up thing. It is full to the brim with pictures and step by step guides on how to achieve the diverse looks. I love the fact that this book has a section in it for the more mature lady as well. The first time I did my M-I-L's make-up I may have made her look like a drag queen, just a little bit. It was not a good time for either of us and had I had this book back then maybe things would have been different. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of this so called look which renders this story useless for bribery. If you are a beginner to make-up and would like a little helping hand then I would definitely recommend this book.

Face Forward, by Kevyn Aucoin.

Kevyn Aucoin was and is a world renown American make-up artist. He has worked with some of the worlds biggest celebrities and 2 of his make-up books were crowned Time magazine best sellers. I have only added one Kevyn Aucoin book to my collection at the moment but it is truly inspiring. The first paragraph of the introduction reads “I have a confession to make: My entire mission in life is to help women take over the world. Not by force (the route so many men have taken since the beginning of time), but with compassion, perseverance, and love”. Reading these first few lines brought home to me that this is what a make-up artist should be. Not someone who looks down their nose at you because you may not have applied your concealer correctly this morning, but someone who understands the daily trials that life throws at you and is genuinely happy to help you, to make you feel beautiful. This is the vibe I felt throughout this book. As well as the memorising transformations (my favourite being Gwyneth Paltrow as James Dean) Kevyn shares little moments of experiences he has shared with celebrities, each seeming equally as heart felt as the last. I believe this book would be inspirational for any type of make-up enthusiast and would make a fantastic addition to anyone's make-up collection.

About Face – Celebrity makeup techniques, by Scott Barnes.

Now I have to admit that this is my least favourite book out of all my make-up books. This is not because Scott Barnes doesn't know what he is doing, he literally founded the “lit from within” look that is synonymous with J.Lo! **whispers** that's a big thing. Even though the book has lovely pictures and step by step guides I found it quite repetitive and heavily photo shopped. This book does have some good tips in it but it wouldn't surprise me if all these are covered in both the Rae Morris and Kevyn Aucoin books which in my opinion are superior.

Makeup is Art – Professional techniques for creating original looks, by AOFM.

This book took me by complete surprise when I opened it last Christmas day. The hubster, who is also a bit of a geek had researched make-up books and found this beauty. This book is not one I would suggest for the beginners. It has some step by step guides and a moderate amount of information throughout, but what this book does excel at are the photographs. Wow. these leave me speechless! I love nothing better to just amble through this book absorbing as much inspiration as humanly possible. This book has sections detailing what happens before a catwalk show, Backstage Etiquette and tips on how to get in to the industry. For anyone wanting a career in make-up or a photographer looking for beauty portrait inspiration this book is definitely for you. If I had to choose a favourite this would be it.

Well I hope you have enjoyed learning about my geeky tendencies today, and all joking aside I hope I have helped in you search for finding a book that you fall in love with.

Stacey x x