Vogue MakeUp by Juliet Cohen – Review

What the backcover says:


In Vogue Make-up, Juliet Cohen throws open her make-up bag and regales us with smart beauty tips from the experts and recommendations from the cosmetic counters. With insider knowledge, the latest research and products, professional advice and up-to-the-minute information, Vogue Make-up covers all aspects of make-up from colour eyeshadows to concealers, blushers to body painting and mascaras to manicures.

Vogue Make-up also demystifies techniques with advice from beauty gurus and make-up artists, giving you the confidence to experiment with colour and different looks The book is illustrated with inspirational images from the Vogue archives - which boast such renowned photographers as Nick Knight, Mario Testino and David Bailey - and specially commissioned photographs and illustrations.

Price: Rs. 495 / - for 2007 edition which has the cover as shown in the picture (I got Rs. 100/- off on this as a sale was going on at Landmark)

Topics Covered:

• Makeup styles through the years.

• Foundation: Application and what to look out for.

• Skin care: Products to, and NOT to, use; and how to keep it healthy (not just face, but neck and hands).

• Eyes: How to, styles, techniques.

• Tricks of the Trade

• Tools of the professionals.

• Blush/Defining/shadowing etc.

• Trouble Skin: why, treatment (how to), and covering it up.

• Eyebrows

• Lips

• Old traditions, and if they work

• Manicure/Pedicure...

Pros:

1. Small snug book that is easy to carry around and read even in bed, it has very nice sturdy glossy pages and is hardbound

2. Has a lot of tips and information on all aspects of makeup and also covers skincare in detail – both newbees and people with some makeup knowledge will benefit from this. It also has a lot of how-to's and tips from top make up gurus

3. Has an interesting section on the history of makeup and covers every decade – right from 1920s to recent times
Cons

1. The so called “inspirational images” from Vogue archives used to illustrate the book are, well, a little outlandish. Hardly any are images whose looks you could recreate – or rather would want to recreate. You could say they are like modern art.

2. The writing style is very repetitive – for example at a number of places oily skin is described as a “walking advertisement for Olive Oil”, or “Make up will slip onto your dress” . It is witty the first time, after that it grates.

3. There are hardly any product recommendations, and the ones that are – are from either MAC or Estee Lauder and so on.

4. The color tips given are more applicable to European skin.

5. Is a little text heavy. Those of you who like to learn through visual diagrams may not like it
Is this worth reading: Yes, even with all the flaws it is a good book. Worth reading once for all the great tips and how-to's from makeup guru's. For example it even has an how-to for glossy eyeshadow.

Btw, it had an interesting piece of information in it: A major plastic surgeon in New York claims that most of the women who come to him looking for a blephraoplasty or a eye-job are women who have spent years over applying eye gel to the undereye area. Unable to break down or absorb, it deposits under the eye causing under eye bags to form – requiring surgery.

I am not sure about this piece of information, frankly. But it has caused me to reduce the application of my under eye cream. Considering that I hardly have any dark circles – I am now using it only at night and wiping off the excess after 20 minutes.