beauty books

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...

The Mesh: Why the Future of Business is Sharing - Portfolio - $25.95 - ISBN: 978-1-59184-371-9 - sharing based business have always existed - your public library, hotels, public transportation - but the internet has taken the traditional business model - first made something, then sell it - and turned it on it's head.  What author Lisa Gansky calls "Mesh" businesses throw away the traditional model and instead they use social media, wireless networks, and data crunched from every available source to provide people with goods and services at the exact moment they need them, without the burden and expense of actually owning them - access trumps ownership.  She actually has an online directory of Mesh businesses, including more than 1,500 companies worldwide who are helping to create the new "sharing economy".  I took a look and it's amazing the variety of goods and services that are actually involved! You can check it out at www.meshing.it

Of course fashion and beauty are my main interest and this got me thinking about the Mesh businesses that already exist in this genre. Makeup Alley comes to mind with their cosmetic swap board and I know there are other beauty and fashion websites that also have swap boards.  There are numerous sites where you can rent brand name luxury handbags and accessories and being able to rent a designer wedding gown is becoming a more common trend.

I find it interesting that as we become a more label conscious, consumer driver society, how we find new ways  to get a piece of the pie - even if it's not actually ours to eat!

Two of my very favourite things are makeup (duh!) and fiction - it's not often the two come together but Brenda Novak, being a woman after my own heart, has found a way to do it!  Buy a copy of Brenda's newest book before October 5th, mail her the receipt and you will receive this Three Color Custom Specialist gloss also called Killer Heat!  A $21.50 value so that is one great deal!  If you aren't familiar with this American brand - I made Cindy tell us about it here so go read up and then run out and get your copy of Killer Heat!  Mail your receipt to:

Brenda Novak - Killer Heat Lip Gloss
PO Box 3781
Citrus Heights, CA 95611

This offer is good while supplies last so don't procrastinate!  And I did check to make sure that Canadians could get in on this too and they can - it's red, it's sparkly and you need it! Brenda's books are great too so you really can't lose on this one! You can check out Brenda's website at www.brendanovak.com for more info about the book or this offer.

Simple Skin Beauty - Every Woman's Guide to a Lifetime of Healthy, Gorgeous Skin by Ellen Marmur, MD, with Gina Way - ISBN: 978-1-4165-8697-5 - $17 - I like how they've made this book really easy to navigate - it's nicely sectioned off into three parts - Part One: The Basics: Know Your Skin and How to Care for it which includes sections on: How Your Skin Works, There Are No Skin Types, Factors That Influence Your Skin and Your Seriously Simple Skin Care Plan; Part Two: Saving Face: The Health of Your Skin which includes sections on: Your UV Protection Strategy, What Does a Dermatologist Do? How Can I Be a Wiser Patient? And Other Important Questions, Skin Cancer, Skin SOS; and Part Three: Regaining Your Youthful Skin which includes sections on: Cracking the Code on Cosmeceuticals: Can Antiaging Products Make Us Look Younger, and Which Ones Really Work?and The Big Breakthroughs: Cosmetic Procedures That Deliver.  This makes it easy to read about only the subjects that interest you and you don't have to plow through a bunch of other stuff to get there!

I especially enjoyed the section where she goes through a bunch of the most popular cosmetic procedures and tells you exactly what to expect with them including how much it will (or won't) hurt!

If you find skincare at all confusing, you will enjoy how Dr. Marmur breaks it down and explains it in a way that anyone could understand!

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Making Natural Beauty Products by Sally W. Trew with Zonella B. Gould - $21 - ISBN: 9781615640232 - with over 250 recipes for everything from moisturizer to lip gloss this book is perfect for anyone concerned about the ingredients in commercially made beauty products.

What I like about the book is that there are recipes that anyone could conquer, from beginner to expert and that it gives you very specific measurements and directions on how to make each product.  This would make a great gift for the tree-hugger in your life or for yourself if you have been interested in the world of natural products.  There is even a chapter for making men's products, so you can share it with the boy.

I am a lousy cook so I wasn't too sure how successful I would be but I even manged to make a sugar scrub on my first go: with oil, sugar, finely ground oatmeal and fragrance oil.  They also call for preservative but I didn't have any in the house so I skipped it, this just means I need to use it all fast, it's not going to keep.  I didn't realize that you actually cooked these products but you do but in about 20 minutes I had my very first batch of homemade scrub which actually smelled good enough to eat!  I don't know that I'll ever work my way up to makeup but there are some bath bomb recipes that intrigue me...

What about you?  Ever made your own beauty products?  Any tips you can share?

Mad Men: The Illustrated world by Dyna Moe - Perigee Trade Paperback Original - $15 -ISBN: 978-0-399-53657-1.

What a fabulous gift for the avid Mad Men fan!  With everything from office culture, decorating, beauty tips and lots and lots of cocktail recipes - all cleverly illustrated in the artistic styles that defined 1960s advertising!

The topic tie-ins to various events from the show are hilarious (how to handle an accidental leg amputation), the colours are vibrant and the illustrations of the characters spot on! 

My favourite part of the book is the Joan paper doll complete with a multitude of outfits!

I have a few people in mind for this book for holiday giving, combined with a flask or a set of martini glasses, I think this gift will be a star!

Stay Young 10 Proven Steps to Ultimate Health - Dr. Walter Garman, Dr. J. Mark Anderson and Judith Gaman - $24.95 - ISBN 978-0-9840731-0-8 - If you have been looking for easy to understand advice on how to get healthy, you will want to pick this book up!  It clearly outlines the necessary first steps to make this happen as well as providing long-term tools to help fight disease and the effects of aging.

Even thinking about trying to get healthy is an overwhelming thing for most of us so I love that they have laid out exactly what you need to do in a way that anyone can understand and follow.  With everything going on in our busy lives - job, family, children, friends it is so easy for us to put ourselves (and our health) last on our to-do list.

And you'll be happy to know that the authors consider regular sex vital to your health so the next time the boy tells you he is too tired or has a headache can tell him he has to do it to save your life!

Available at all major book stores and online at www.stayyoungthebook.com

Beautiful Skin Revealed: The Ultimate Guide To Better Skin - Dr. Paul M. Friedman - $49.50 - Shadow Media -  ISBN: 13 9780980039825 - there are so many products and so much information out there that I am often confused about what to do with my skin - who better to give me advice then a dermatologist whose job is to fix skin problems and make it look beautiful! 

He offers an expert's  view on common skin conditions and treatments that really work as well as tips on how to maximize the time with your dermatologist. Dr. Friedman has grounded the book in science and explains why conditions occur.  He uses before and after photos and real patient testimonials to show readers the incredible results made possible through the latest treatment options.

There is something for everyone with chapters on: Complexion, Acne, Wrinkles, Rosacea, Birthmarks, Eyes, Leg Veins, Skin Cancer, Scars and Stretch Marks, General Dermatology, Products and Choosing a Doctor. I actually found interesting and relevant information in almost every chapter and really appreciated hearing about various treatments from the actual patients getting them!

The book is actually more like a coffee table book - hardcover and oversized - so if you know someone who is interested in skincare, this would make a really nice gift!

What French Women Know - About Love, Sex, and Other Matters of the Heart and Mind by Debra Ollivier  - $15 - Berkley Trade Paperback - ISBN: 978-0-425-23648-2 -

Up until now, everything I know about French women came from my lovely blogging partner Christelle, and we all know what she's like so you can just imagine what it was I thought they knew!

The book is actually a very funny and charming look at French women and how they are very unlike their American counterparts.  Debra Ollivier is certainly in an excellent position to be able to contrast the two, being an American who lived in France for 10 years during which time she married her French husband, she now divides her time between Los Angeles and Paris.

The most interesting thing that I gleaned from the book, which I think it's easy to lose sight of, is the whole individuality thing - French women don't try to be like everyone else and follow the herd - being yourself is paramount - that even includes accepting the natural aging process! Mon dieu!  I don't know that I can wrap my mind fully around that one but I sure appreciate the sentiment!

Toronto ladies have a new destination for 6appeal!  With natural skincare, travel sized beauty and grooming products, accessories, handmade fragrances as well as all kinds of unique gift ideas 6 By Gee Beauty is the place to be!  Newly opened and located at 6 Roxborough Street West right next door to Gee Beauty - making it awfully convenient to get pampered and go shopping all in one trip!



You will love the Le Labo Fragrance Bar which is having it's Canadian debut here - the products are handmade and personalized which make them a fabulous gift idea (and don't forget to get one for yourself of course)!
As well as travel and lifestyle books.  I saw so many things that would make perfect hostess and holiday gifts!  What was my favourite find? Seeing that they carry the whole Nude Skincare line!

The Allegra Biscotti Collection by Olivia Bennet - ISBN: 9781402243912 - Sourcebooks Jabberwocky - $10.99 - By reviewing this book I know must admit a guilty secret - I love to read books that are meant for younger readers - I think it just brings me back to my Judy Blume days when life was a little bit easier!  This book is meant for 8-12 year olds so if you have a budding fashionista in that age range, this would make a great holiday present for her...and there's no reason you can't give it a read yourself first!

It's a very cute story with the usual tween issues - family, friends, fitting in and boys - which becomes even more complicated when you have an amazing gift for fashion design and are forced to take on an alter ego to help live out your dreams in the fashion world.  The book has a nice message, without being preachy about it regarding the importance of friendship and individuality.  What makes it super cute are the doodles and sketches that you find in the margins of every page, you really feel like you are reading the thoughts and seeing the inspirations of an eighth-grade designer!

I just hope there will be more books - I'm dying to know what Allegra Biscotti will be designing next!