Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual (Review)

I've always love a good read especially if the topic is about my favorite hobby and borderline obsession... makeup!

A good makeup book is filled with colorful pages, a chockful of tips and things to know, and maybe if I'm lucky, how to recreate the modeled look step by step.

I've spent quite sometime at the bookstore perusing makeup books in the hopes that I will find another good read to add to my growing collection. I'm always in a search for one. And one day, I was lucky enough to win a contest for a copy of Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual (Thanks Roselyn!). You just can never have too many makeup books in my opinion.

My first impression of the book is: "Wow, this is probably the best looking makeup book I've seen." As a skimmed through the pages, it was filled with pictures, a lot of pictures. I like pictures.

The book looking into it a little deeper, I noticed that the topics covered in the book were very organized and builds to the next one. It covers the basics-what-you-need-to-know subjects. The first few pages are really basic things for some people but nonetheless still good reminders. It's pretty much things you might already know from reading blogs or magazines.


What I really liked about the book are the illustrations. I love pictures in books especially if they're very organized and appealing to the eye and not a bunch or random images thrown together. The pictures give you a better visualization of what she's talking about and definitely helps with the step by step makeup application section of the book. It's pretty much like reading a tutorial from your favorite blog.

Another good aspect of this book is that it covers how to take care of your skin as well, and it dedicates a whole chapter for it. It also lists the expiration date for makeup products as seen on the image below.



And here's a sample of a step by step how-to part of the book. For some reason, this page was my favorite out of all the pages in the book. The how-to parts; however, only covers the basic elements of makeup application with a few creative ones toward the end. The creative makeup samples I thought wasn't as compelling as it should have been. They were more costume-y looks yet pretty simple. Nothing really mind boggling.



What sets this makeup book apart though from the previous books I've read is it's simplicity and the tips it offers and resources (books, agencies, websites) you might be interested in checking out in case you do plan to pursue a career in makeup artistry. Some books do mention it briefly in passing or some general information. It's definitely a good starting research point for those who haven't had the slightest clue on where to look.

Overall: The book is definitely a good read. Although the book targets both beginners and professionals, I think it caters more to people who are just starting with makeup. It does offer good tips and reminders which everyone can actually use, but don't expect over-the-top makeup looks in this book. If I have to categorize the makeup majority of the looks found in the book, it's more of a practical day or night makeup. Something you would probably wear for work or a night out with friends and are mostly neutral looks that emphasizes your features. But, I really enjoyed the images in the book because it really helps you go through the procedure step by step. The book; however, is pretty pricey in my opinion, but you can always get it cheaper at Amazon.com (Buy here). The book retails for $32 (Amazon.com $21.12).