Taylor Chang-Babaian

This is the time of year that I start thinking about gift ideas - you won't find it surprising that most of the presents I give are beauty related but sometimes I have no idea what sort of makeup someone prefers so instead I give beauty books!

Style Eyes by Taylor Chang-Babaian - $17.95 - ISBN: 978-0-399-53596-3 - this is makeup artist Taylor Chang-Babaian's second book.  Her first book, Asian Faces, focused on makeup for Asian women. Style Eyes is for women of all ethnicities and focuses on what most of us find the most challenging - eye makeup!

This book is helpful whether you are a beginner or a pro - there are tips and tricks for everyone.  The step-by-step instructions are excellent and easy to understand and there are very detailed how-tos for different eye shapes and lids which I think is something that many people find confusing.  The most informative part for me was the tutorial on applying false eyelashes - which I now might finally be able to do with her help!

Style Eyes also covers how to identify and use common eye makeup products and tools, eyebrow grooming, looks for day to evening and the best looks for every age and situation, from wearing glasses to achieving an eyelift and earsing lines without surgery.

The photography by Albert Sanchez is beautiful - and it's a good thing there are lots of pretty pictures since I am planning on giving it to Christelle for Christmas and we know how she feels about too much reading...

Style Eyes is the second book by makeup artist Taylor Chang-Babaian. Her first book, Asian Faces, focused on various makeup style and needs of Asian women. Now she's approaching women of all ethnicities but focusing on what might the most challenging part of makeup application: eyes.

The book covers everything from shaping your eye brows to applying false lashes. There are step-by-step instructions for every look and technique, explanations, definitions, tips and tricks. Ms. Chang-Babaian demystifies loose pigments, mineral products and tells you that when buying cream eye shadows you'd want a store with a good return policy. I especially loved the detailed how-tos for different eye shapes and lids. Those should give even the most inexperienced users a good idea how to create a polished look that really fits their features.

I wish there was a lot more discussion of color.  There's a casual mention that one can wear just about any color if done right, but not enough examples. It would have been great to see makeup looks focused on certain colors adapted to different faces, skin tones and occasions. Despite this flaw, Style Eyes offers enough useful information and inspiration even for those of us who are quite proficient with our liners and brushes. The photographs by Albert Sanchez are great- the models look human and you get a good idea of Taylor Chang Babaian's aesthetics. I plan to keep the book near my makeup dressers, so I can quickly refer to it when trying something new.

Bottom Line: Nice to have for just about anyone.

Style Eyes by Taylor Chang-Babaian ($17.95, paperback) will be out August 3rd. I received a review copy from the publisher.

Photo of Ms. Chang-Babaian's work by Albert Sanchez from cloutieragency.com