Makeup: The Art of Beauty

This is a good spiral book but if you are selling the book for 6.69 please next time take the sticker off the book that states it cost $2.99 how rude and uncouth.

This is one of my favorite makeup books - the illustrations in the book were quite impressive - I agree though, with previous reviewers that a lot of the photos in the book ARE quite dated... goes way back to the days when Issey Miyake was the God (80s?). However interestingly enough, some of the other photos especially regarding eye make up are very current! I am thinking that it was the author's intent to share the old photos to give an account of the history she's had with the industry? Anyhow, it was the first time I heard of the concept of having a "basic four color palette" to create four new colors - (p.67 a brown shade in cream texture, a gloss in yellow, a pale shade such as coral-pink, a bright color such as vibran red) - and also the first time I realized how much money I had wasted on all my makeup products I have been amassing! And this concept totally gave me the insight that it's not about those blues, greens I need for my eyeshadows - it's all about the skin tone colors working together!!! (Although it was Bobbi Brown products and salespeople that yellow-base was good for the skin... this isn't the same thing!) Some of the very fashion-editorial type photos didn't really help me on a practical level... but it was quite fun and liberating to view makeup as an extension of expressing oneself, almost like a fine-art painting using your face as canvas. For most everyday people looking for sensible application of makeup probably won't get much out of the Freestyle makeup chapter though... They look like clowns or Picasso's women from bathers of Avignon, ie. African mask-like... But I decided to buy the book because I was so eager to learn about the different ways of dressing the eyes; I felt this book had more to offer than Kevin AuCoin's book on treating the eyes. I especially love the distinctions made for... The Sultry Eye (p.85), The Doe Eye, The Cat Eye, The Smoky Eye. The book includes many versions of the smoky eye (soft & simple, a little more, deep smoky, strong & sexy, and neutral smoky layers). This was also the first time I ever saw of a makeup book include a very very clear illustration of how to do the Marilyn Monroe's eyeliner -- the drawing on p.87 is quite helpful for beginners like me to see how the line is achieved. Unfortunately, this is not the definitive book on contouring... Contouring is explained on pages 94-95, but it's mostly text, and only 3 photographic sources are given using one model. So if you're a beginner who wants to learn more about contouring, I suggest you check out Rober Jones's website and books and DVD. The latter section of the book deals with practical advice for professional makeup artists - things like working on location, working on location in the city, in hot climates, in any weeather, fashion shows, advertising and other commercial work are covered, including makeup for brides (unfortunately, the photos are not that up-to-date nor inspiring) and fees and compensation. C

Linda Mason is a top international makeup artist and here provides an outline of techniques and how-to tips that are used to achieve high glamour and modern results. Mason served as a makeup artist for many Hollywood shoots, so her expertise comes from tested techniques under the most rigorous of conditions, yet translates well to the everyday woman's needs. General-interest libraries with beauty sections will welcome a basic primer packed with color photos, step-by-step application tricks and tips, and a knowledge of bone structure, color, and makeup for different ethnic groups. Very highly recommended. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

I didn't think I would love this book as much as I did Kevyn Aucoin's works, but I was sooooo impressed by it I'm recommending it to everyone I know who's interested in makeup. Linda Mason is truly an artist, who uses face as her canvas. The book is very educational, as well as inspirational. Some might find her techniques to be dated, but she has written her techniques to show what kind of different things you can do with makeup, and don't necessarily have to follow rules. Her technique for creating the smoky eye look is brilliant and very clear. I also found her section on being a pro makeup artist very helpful....her list of what should be in a makeup kit is very accurate. All in all, I give this book five stars because of the wealth of info you can get from it.

I would roughly classified the makeup books in the market into 2 types, one features different looks for you to follow (e.g, Kevyn Aucoin & NARS) and one teaches altitude to feel pretty with basic skills (e.g, Bobbi Brown & Sonia Kashuk). This one belongs to none of them. If you are looking for a book which boosts your creativity but yet still teaches a few tricks & technique, this will be the one.Chap 1: Makeup as Self-discovery - This part is an autobiography of her life as a makeup artist. A fun part to read to know her makeup philosophy. I often find that it is good to understand an artist's philosophy before start reading her book. (e.g, Some people dislike Bobbi's book because they think that the looks are boring. But by reading the introduction, you would know her appreciation for natural beauty and that book is actually for everyday makeup.)Chap 2: Basics - This part is no basics! There are a few of step-by-step photos but not many. Most important of all it shows the techniques of wearing makeup. E.g, different ways to apply eye shadow, different placement of blush to correct face shapes and some lip color mixing tricks. It doesn't teach you one method as in Bobbi Brown's book. It rather gives you a few ways and let you decide on your own.Chap 3: Glamourizing Technques: It features some perioud makeup info and some glamourizing techniques. There's a step-by-step guide to smoking eyes, a comprehensive info on contour, putting on false lashes, etc. This part is nice if you want something beyond everyday look. It's quite easy to follow.Chap 4: Freestyle makeup- Linda Mason is an advocate of freestyle makeup- a style which has no rules at all, you just apply color with your intuition. You may not like every photo in this section, but I think one should always appreciate the creativity in her. This part is truly an art. You must see with your heart but not only your eyes. This chapter is the gallery of her 'art'. At the end of this chapter, she would also tell you what do use in freestyle makeup.Chap 5 + Chap 6: Professional Makeup & Becoming a Makeup Artist-These 2 parts are particularly for aspiring makeup artists. It tells you some work information, e.g, working on location, how to start out and the makeup kit. Not really everything you need to know, but it is good if you want to see a general picture of the industry.Generally speaking, I like this book very much. As I have mentioned above, you may not agree with every picture in it. Some pictures are too old fashion in today's eyes, or you just don't like some of the freestyle makeup. However, you can definately see the creativity in Linda Mason towards makeup. She does not conform to any rules, any color spectrum. Her passion for colors matches my makeup philosophy very much, that's also a reason why I like her book so much. Moreover, being an aspiring makeup artist without much basic knowledge, this book gives me some good advices but not premade beauties as in Kevyn Aucoin's or

What a great make up book by a professional make up artist!!!!Linda Mason takes us behind the scenes at fashion shows and photo shoots and makes the reader feel like her friend & apprentice.The stories, the tips, lessons , photographs and hand done illustrations are all superb & informative. Whether you're a pro or just an interested party , when you put this book down, you'll feel like you can tackle makeup with a whole new perspective. I'll refer to this book again and again!!!a truly beautiful beauty book!!!