Carmindy's second book, Get Positively Beautiful, has been sitting in my pile of books for months now. I couldn't decide what to do with it. Obviously, it's a beauty book that was sent to me for review, so I was simply supposed to read it and let the world know what I think of it. But it wasn't that easy.
As a beauty book, Get Positively Beautiful is mediocre at best. The chapters focusing on makeup application and technique resemble the generic advice you find in magazines. Here's an example:
"For an eye that's ready for day or evening, lightly line the upper lash line with a pencil. Next, sweep a midtone shadow on the lid, and with an angled brush, smudge it under the lower lash line. Then brush a contour shadow in the crease and a highlight shade under the brow. Finish with mascara, and you're gorgeously good to go." (page 46)
Seriously?
The very few illustrations are of little help. The "custom eye looks" try to explain how to apply eye makeup for different eye shapes, but the drawings show almost the exact same eye for every category, so the point is lost.
What you do get in the book is lots of great photos of Carmindy herself, in action and just showing her very pretty face. She's gorgeous and likable, but I'm not sure how that serves the purpose.
As a beauty book, Get Positively Beautiful is mediocre at best. The chapters focusing on makeup application and technique resemble the generic advice you find in magazines. Here's an example:
"For an eye that's ready for day or evening, lightly line the upper lash line with a pencil. Next, sweep a midtone shadow on the lid, and with an angled brush, smudge it under the lower lash line. Then brush a contour shadow in the crease and a highlight shade under the brow. Finish with mascara, and you're gorgeously good to go." (page 46)
Seriously?
The very few illustrations are of little help. The "custom eye looks" try to explain how to apply eye makeup for different eye shapes, but the drawings show almost the exact same eye for every category, so the point is lost.
What you do get in the book is lots of great photos of Carmindy herself, in action and just showing her very pretty face. She's gorgeous and likable, but I'm not sure how that serves the purpose.
So why can't I just come out and say "this book sucks"?
As a beauty/makeup manual it does, indeed, suck. But Get Positively Beautiful is trying to be more than that, and there's some merit to this approach. If you're familiar with Carmindy's work on the American version of What Not To Wear, you know she starts her makeup consultations by asking the woman in front of her "what do you see in the mirror?". She then works on showing her makeoveree just how naturally pretty are some of her features and encourages her to plat them up. Carmindy doesn't talk about hiding, fixing or camouflaging your flaws. Instead, she focuses on the pretty and the positive, making sure the women can still recognize themselves in the mirror.
Similarly, large parts of the book are dedicated to make one change the way she looks at herself in the mirror. It's sort of a "chicken soup for the soul" thing, full of positive affirmations and mantras. I admire the good intentions and the loving spirit and think we all could use some of this attitude for looking at ourselves and at the world. But is it effective? Would reading such a book 25 years ago had saved me some of the teen angst? Had I been able to look at myself and see more than a nose only a plastic surgeon could love? Maybe, but I have a hunch it takes more than statements in a book by a picture-perfect blonde makeup artist.
Get Positively Beautiful by Carmindy (list price is $21.99, available on Amazon for $14.29) can be found in any bookstore, online and offline. I got my copy as a PR freebie.
As a beauty/makeup manual it does, indeed, suck. But Get Positively Beautiful is trying to be more than that, and there's some merit to this approach. If you're familiar with Carmindy's work on the American version of What Not To Wear, you know she starts her makeup consultations by asking the woman in front of her "what do you see in the mirror?". She then works on showing her makeoveree just how naturally pretty are some of her features and encourages her to plat them up. Carmindy doesn't talk about hiding, fixing or camouflaging your flaws. Instead, she focuses on the pretty and the positive, making sure the women can still recognize themselves in the mirror.
Similarly, large parts of the book are dedicated to make one change the way she looks at herself in the mirror. It's sort of a "chicken soup for the soul" thing, full of positive affirmations and mantras. I admire the good intentions and the loving spirit and think we all could use some of this attitude for looking at ourselves and at the world. But is it effective? Would reading such a book 25 years ago had saved me some of the teen angst? Had I been able to look at myself and see more than a nose only a plastic surgeon could love? Maybe, but I have a hunch it takes more than statements in a book by a picture-perfect blonde makeup artist.
Get Positively Beautiful by Carmindy (list price is $21.99, available on Amazon for $14.29) can be found in any bookstore, online and offline. I got my copy as a PR freebie.
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