Make up books

Last December I reviewed the new Pixiwoo beauty book. I liked it, but wanted a bit more from it. But that doesn’t mean that I am lost in the make up book department. I already owned a few and realized I hadn’t really shown these before. Which is why I figured I could do a dedicated post to the make up books I own and tell you which ones I would recommend.

Francois Nars – Make up your Mind
Lisa Eldridge – Face Paint
Rae Morris – Make Up The Ultimate Guide
Rae Morris – Express Make Up
Cynthia Schulz – Cynthia Beauty
Taylor Chang-Babaian – Style Eyes

I have to say that I don’t use these books all that often anymore. But I especially liked these when I first started using make up. I remember feeling so lost and not knowing where to start. Youtube was too overwhelming and people were throwing around terms I had never heard of. In the early stages of my make up loving career, I regularly leafed through these and kept them on hand near my make up so I could have a look if I needed some inspiration. Despite the fact that I don’t use them regularly anymore, there are still a few I would recommend.

Francois Nars – Make Up Your Mind

Make Up Your Mind is an interesting book. Writing by the founder of NARS make up, it features full head shots of models with different make up looks. This isn’t a book that you use to learn how to apply make up. However, this is a great book if you need some inspiration. Each look comes with an overlay that details what products were used. Because each shot was made to show just the make up, all models are looking straight ahead, you can really see how the make up was applied and try copying it on yourself.

Rae Morris – Make Up The Ultimate Guide

If you are looking for a make up book that truly teaches you make up, then this is your best pick. This goes over EVERYTHING. From color therapy, to brush use, the whole nine yards. Also included are step-by-step make up looks. What this book does best though is go over the basics. It also features Rae Morris’ philosophy on make up, which is quite non-fuss and straightforward. This is just a well made book that I highly recommend if you are only getting one of these.

Rae Morris – Express Make Up

Where Make Up The Ultimate Guide focuses on a well-rounded overview of make up, Express Make Up is more look based. If you are looking for a book that skips the colour theory and condenses down on the info, then this is another good one. Again, like the NARS book, this is mostly great for inspiration. Some of the looks are quite editorial, but it is also a good way to try something new.

Cynthia Schulz – Cynthia Beauty

This book is by one of Holland’s biggest beauty bloggers. It is pretty much a write up of some of her best tips and blog posts. It reads very much like a blog and it is therefore easy to read. However, if you already follow her blog, or have followed it in the past, this book is not a must have. It is also only available in Dutch, so if you’re not familiar with that language, then this is one you can skip as well.

Taylor Chang – Babaian – Style Eyes

I remember buying this because I was looking for a book just on eye looks. Out of all make up application, I like the eye shadow best as I love playing around with color. However, when I got started, I had no clue what to do. I couldn’t figure out whether I had hooded eyes or deep set eyes and I was looking for a book that could teach me more. This book was not that. It felt sloppily made and I read it the one time and never looked it again. Do not recommend.

Lisa Eldridge – Face Paint

If you know how to apply your make up and are curious about the origin of it all than Lisa Eldridge’s Face Paint is for you. This book details the three main colors that have always been present in make up (black, red and white) and takes you on a journey starting with ancient times up to the modern era. There are few make up looks in this, but a few iconic looks from different time periods are discussed. Very informative and fun read that left me wanting more.

What is make up books do you recommend?