Bobbi Brown Beauty Evolution: A Guide to a Lifetime of Beauty

This may not be the one for you. That having been said, however, I love this book. I consider it to be a beauty "what-for?" book. The pictures in it are absolutely gorgeous and they are of real-looking women. That is a definite plus for me. I love Bobbi's style of doing makeup. I love seeing real women wearing it. However, there are no step-by-step instructions for different looks as you find in Kevyn Aucoin's books. This may be a drawback for many people. There are, however, good common-sense guidelines for health and beauty (particularly good skin tips) and general instructions for makeup application. Bobbi does still like her rules, but her approach is much less stringent in this book than it was in her first effort (Bobbi Brown Beauty). I love the chapters on beauty guidelines by the decade (20's through 70's and beyond). I also appreciate the "Beauty by Skin Tone" section. I don't fit any of the classifications listed, but it is very interesting to read her recommendations for several ethnic groups/skin tones based on each group's inherent strengths. The "It Runs in the Family" chapter is full of beautiful family portraits which I find inspirational as well. The makeover section is small but useful and the "Just Add Color" chapter gives helpful recommendations, especially if you are looking for Bobbi Brown Cosmetics products. I would definitely recommend this book, especially if you are looking for an inspirational beauty guide. Check it out!

Bobbi Brown was in her mid-forties when she wrote this (a time of life she laughingly calls the "oh s$@t" decade"), and her years of playing and working with makeup and hundreds of different faces, skin colors, tones, and types, not to mention products of every kind, inform this useful and enjoyable primer on how to successfully use makeup at *any* age. Kudos to Bobbi for featuring women who aren't all WASP-y looking and twenty-something. There is a big wide world of women who remain interested in looking their best once they're out of college and beyond the first few years of their professional life. Bobbi knows that for them, it's not just about making the boys sit up and take notice anymore (though gosh, it sure is fun when they do). It's about feeling good in one's own skin (literally and metaphorically), making the most of what you have with good sense, good humor and good taste. Nothing over the top here -- nary a Tammy Faye Baker paint job in sight -- just practical advice for making the most of your own brand of "pretty", whatever that might be. Bobbi is an advocate of the "less is more" approach, and the results are beautiful. Enhance, don't disguise, your assets. More makeup will only call attention to the things you think you are hiding -- and too much makeup will age you faster than almost anything else. As a woman on the "wrong" side of 35 (though I wouldn't take a million bucks to get back the last ten years of my life), without question I've received the most compliments when I'm wearing the least amount of makeup. Buy good stuff, apply it well, READ THIS BOOK -- and people will notice. Be prepared to turn a few heads ;-). What woman doesn't want to look her simple, beautiful best? Bobbi gives you confidence that you can do it, with a minimum of fuss. Very empowering, I think. Other just-as-good books in a similiar vein: Chic Simple Woman's Face, and Sonia Kashuk's Beauty (which includes a DVD!) These three books together could easily form the modern woman's library of beauty/make-up/skin care -- they go way beyond "wash your face at night and always have Kleenex in your purse" but aren't so technical or over the top that they posit the unattainable. Sure, they all feature good looking people -- some of them models -- but that's not ALL they show. How many people are model material anyhow? These are books for the rest of us -- the other 99.9% of the female populace. Hurrah to THAT! The only way Bobbi's empire could be improved is if she made her line "bunny-logo" worthy; certifiably cruelty-free, or better yet, vegan (without any animal testing OR ingredients). She'd capture a whole new swathe of women who shop by the bunny -- and no, not Hugh Heffner's bunny logo ;-). Another wise move would be for her to roll out a line of less expensive (but still quality) items in middle-market department stores that have a certain cachet (Tar-jhay, anybody?) Sonia Kashuk's done that and proved that there's no need

"Bobbi Brown Beauty Evolution" is a guide to looking good and staying healthy from your 20s to your 70s and beyond. Six chapters cover each decade of your life, starting at age 20 and going on to beyond the age of 70. In each of these chapters, Bobbi explains what kind of make-up and cosmetics products you should use and why. After that, there's a chapter about staying fit and healthy. It includes information about the kind of nutrients you should be getting during each decade, too. Also inluded are tips on make-up and applying it, including how to find the right colors for you. My favorite part of the book were the chapters about the kinds of tools your would need to apply make-up. Plus, an entire chapter covered cleaning out your make-up drawer/cabinet/bag, with advice on what to keep and toss, and it also included a general timetable for make-up's life span. Many more topics were covered in this book, including caring for your skin, answers to beauty questions, quick fixes for beauty emergencies, beauty while you're pregnant, and much more. This book is an essential guide to beauty throughout your entire life.

AT LAST! I cannot believe that a book has been written for ALL ages....whenever I am reading a magazine (or book) about make-up, it sounds like women are no longer interested in looking good after 50! NOT TRUE! In just a few years I'll be reaching 70 and I want to look as good as I can at this age, and Bobbi has great suggestions and tips. I loved this book. I am SO tired of reading about make up suggestions for 20's, 30's 40's 50's then NOTHING, like women over 50 or 55 no longer exist. Also, seeing older women on tv, just on arthritis commercials. Can't we see some pretty older woman on a commercial for make up, or a hair product???? When I was reading Bobbi's book, I felt I was "still in there"...someone like Bobbi knows there are women like us who care about themselves. She helps us use makeup the right way for all ages!!! Thanx Bobbi......you made MY day.

I am a 46 year old mother and wife. ALthough my husband and I are almost empty nestors (next year) I will always continue to try to make myself look my best for me and my family. Your book allowed me to read and learn the natural way to do this. No on needs to be heavy handed when applying make up. It seems by your books that the more natural looking the make up the more beautiful you are. Letting your flaws come through can show ones beauty. Thank you for your inspirations.