Non-Fiction Review: Glamour Daze Vintage Make-up Guides Bundle

THE DETAILS:
Total Pages: 401
Genre: Non-Fiction, Health/Beauty
Purchased from: Vintage Make-up Guide
Purchase Price: $19.99

THE BLURB:
A BARGAIN ! -- DOWNLOAD ALL THE BEAUTY GUIDES INSTANTLY ! Beautifully restored and inspiring beauty manuals in high resolution - from the Flapper days of the 1920s, to the glamorous 1950's era. Genuine advice for women by beauty experts of the period. A trip on a time machine, back to gentler, more feminine days. And the advice and tips are fabulous. So treat your self, best friend or loved one to a pleasant surprise. [ PDF e-book - also read on iPad or iPhone - see below]

MY THOUGHTS:
I was surfing the Glamour Daze website one night when I found their make-up guides. If the site didn't have enough information already (seriously, if you are a vintage nerd go check it out now!) there were also these authentic guides available for purchase. I couldn't really decide which era to get and the books worked out $9.99 each or $19.99 for the bundle of four. I decided to get the bundle and I am glad I did because I like each one for different reasons.

These books are restored pages of actual vintage guides that have become out-of-print and are not under copyright hence Glamour Daze's authority to sell them. There are four eras and the original book titles are: 'Make-up & Beauty- A 1920's Flappers Guide' by Majorie Oelrichs, 'Make-up' by Virginia Vincent (1932), 'The New Art of Make-up' by Max Factor Hollywood (1938), 'Make-up & Beauty - A Vintage 1940's guide' by Bud & Ern Westmore, 'Make-up and Live!' by Joe Bonomo, And, 'Make-up and Beauty- a woman's path to glamour' author unknown. Each book contains info about Skincare, appropriate hairstyles and make-up for certain faceshapes/skin tones, manicure tips, And, articles about inner beauty/being a lady in society.

One of the things that I think is the most interesting about these books is the differences between recommendations for your face shape and skin tone. I think this is because the standard of beauty changed over the years as did the look that women were trying to achieve and the types of products available. Other factors such as a woman's role in society, Affordability, The War,  and new technologies would have also changed the way women wore make-up. I recently found out that I have a heart-shaped face (I always just assumed it was oval) and this shape is not included in the books. If we were to go on an oval face shape (which I honestly think a heart shaped face is really just a type of oval face from the descriptions in the books) the 1940's guide tells me to stick to shorter hair styles or keep longer hair in a hairstyle at the nape of my neck. It also states that I shouldn't hide my widows peak, not to have a fringe and not to part my hair on the side. The 1950s guide suggests a "gibson" style up-do for a person with small-ish features (the girls face looks heart-shaped) and she has all of her pulled up onto the top or her head. It is relatively short and pincurled / curled near the temples. This would exaggerate the "heart" shape and contradicts the 1940's do's and don'ts rules.

Some of the instructions in the books are quite simple, yet agree-able and quite different to modern suggestions. Things like applying lipstick over your lip or inside your lip depending on the size and shape of your lips, Applying a bright lipstick neatly to draw attention to the lips and away from imperfections, Avoiding eye-shadow altogether if your eye-lids are too heavily hooded and making an effort to match your lipstick and blusher (or at least use shades from the same colour family). I think some of the instructions are more in-depth in the later guides.

I feel like these guides -while interesting- are a little insensitive. I think that maybe back in the day this would have been acceptable, but in the 21st century reading this book as a sensitive person could become quite an offensive experience. The books do push contact lenses (rather than glasses), weight loss techniques (diets and exercises), plastic surgery and hair dye. This is possibly due to the fact that these modern technologies were only just becoming available. The 1920s book has a piece on 'The Girl Who is Unpopular' and encourages lonely girls to put effort into their appearance (assuming that they don't already). The 1950's guide explains that oily skin is unusual and that if you have Acne there is probably something really wrong with you and you should see a doctor. These instructions are meant for over 25s though and were given in a time when women lived a completely different lifestyle and didn't consume as many chemicals in their food.

One cool thing about the books is getting to see things from these eras that you don't get to see usually. Things like the rouged fingers in the early 1930's, Things like putting rouge on the inner corner of your eyes if you have wide eyes, And, the 1940's manicure! I think it's cool to see the different shapes and colours that were popular in makeup during those eras as well as instructions for waved or curled hairstyles/cuts. The skin care routines were also quite elaborate and if you have bad skin maybe they might be a good idea.

Overall, I really enjoyed this Bundle and don't mind looking through it from time to time. I don't use it as a reference book and I don't think it's a necessity for your vintage beauty guide collection, but it definitely is insightful and if you are a make-up addict or a bit of a vintage geek (or both like me). If that is the case, then I would totally recommend it. For me the price was worth it just for the pictures.

Your Favourite Blogger,
Natalie

Book Review: Popular- A Memoir by Maya Van Wagenen

INFO:
Pages: 259
Genre: YA Non-fiction
Australian Release Date: 15 April 2014
Publisher: Penguin
Sent to me for review.
Price: $16.99

BLURB:

A true story

'School is the armpit of life - and my school is no exception.'

From hair-dos and girdles to pearls and posture, Maya does whatever Betty says - no matter how difficult or embarrassing.

When Maya Van Wagenen finds a 1950s Guide to Popularity she embarks on a unique social experiment: for one school year she follows the advice of its author, teen model Betty Cornell.

She's determined to see her experiment through, for better or worse.

MY THOUGHTS:
When this book came in the mail I was so pleased. The cover and the caption "Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek" are so ME. I guess it's kind of an understatement to say that I really was excited to crack this book open... I didn't really know what to expect, yet my expectations were naturally high. Was this book everything I hoped it would be?

The author's inscription(I hope that's the right term) reads "To all those who've sat alone at the edge of the playground. This book is for you". I'm sure every person must have felt this way at some point, some more than others. This definitely made me want to read the book more.

Because the book is a "true story" and is told through journal entries it's a little hard for me to review it. Sure there is writing style, the writer's outlook on things, the analysis about what it is to be "popular" and the positioning, but I can't review the plot or the characters, And non-fiction (no matter how interesting) is not usually something I read... This book is also probably a little younger than what I would usually read. On the press release it says "11yrs +" and the main character is turning thirteen in the story. (The author is now fifteen years old). This is such a great feat for such a young author!

I think what Maya did was awesome and took some guts. Turning your non-existent social life into an experiment like that... Wow. I especially liked that the self-help book she used for her experiment was from the 1950s. The vintage nerd in me thought that was absolutely awesome and I loved reading excerpts from Betty Cornell's book (I am seriously considering buying it now that it has been re-released). I'm sure all of the vintage gals following my facebook page may find this aspect of the 'Popular' to be super-duper cool too. It was really interesting to see how Maya interpreted the advice in Betty's book and also how that translated in the real world.

Maya is so honest in this book. It was like a real journal. Though it was well written and obviously a lot neater. I think Maya really captured the adolescent angst of a thirteen year old girl and that she was extremely brave publishing her private thoughts for the world to see. Ill-fitting undergarments, crushes, skin problems, bad hair days and body image issues are all included in 'Popular'. I think most girls/women can relate to this and will find some of Maya's own popularity tips to be quite charming and sometimes funny.

I thought it was really interesting to learn about Brownsville, Texas. I have never really thought about what life was like on the border of Mexico and how dangerous it would be. It was also interesting to learn about Maya's family and to see how she managed to follow the guide book on a low income.

The one thing I wasn't really happy about was the ending. Not so much what did or didn't happen, because it's not like Maya can choose that. I guess I just didn't really like the conclusion that she came to about popularity (or rather making friends). I'm not saying it isn't true, but I just wonder how much this was influenced by the environment and other circumstances (must not spoil events...).

Overall, I gave this book a 4 out of 5 stars. While I really enjoyed the book and read it really quickly it is not my favourite genre and it was one YA book that definitely felt young (almost too young- and I read YA all the time). I also wasn't in love with the ending. I know these are all things that Maya can't control so I feel bad for marking a book down based on these things. Especially seeing as Maya has done such a brave and awesome thing by writing this book and doing this whole experiment. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for something decent to read and especially those vintage enthusiasts that will know all to well what it is like to be wear a 1950s outfit in a 2012 world.

Your Favourite Blogger,
Natalie

Non-Fiction Review: Retro Makeup by Lauren Rennells

THE DETAILS:
Pages: 104
Genre: Non-Fiction, Beauty
Release Date: 25/04/2011
Publisher: HRST BOOKS
I purchased my copy from an ebay store.

THE DESCRIPTION:
Retro Makeup: Techniques for applying the Vintage Look is a history and application guide for vintage cosmetic styles. It is a companion book to Vintage Hairstyling: Retro Styles with Step-by-Step Techniques. It starts with a brief history on the acceptance of makeup at the beginning of the 20th century and continues to explain in detail the styles, colors and techniques for applying makeup to look like the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Included in each decade are step-by-step directions on full makeup styles inspired by famous women such as Josephine Baker in the 1920s, Jean Harlow in the 1930s, Rita Hayworth in the 1940s, Marilyn Monroe in the 1950s, and Twiggy in the 1960s. The book also includes factual information about what defined the makeup looks of the decades based on popular culture of the time.

THE REVIEW:
I decided I wanted to read this book a while ago, but none of the places I usually buy books from stocked it, so I never made the purchase. After reading about how good the sister book 'Vintage Hairstyling' was (in a post by one of my favourite retro bloggers Retro Chick) I decided to start searching for the book again and managed to find the two books in a deal on a Rockabilly Ebay Store (sorry deal has ended otherwise I would have linked it). Availability is really one of the only problems I had with the book.

One thing that really sold me on this book were the number of make-up looks. There was more than one make-up look per era and in some cases more than one make-up look per celebrity. I also appreciated that they weren't all the typical vintage make-up looks that I have seen a million times. This book included plenty 1920's and 1930's looks that I had not seen tutorials for previously. I also found that looks were based a lot around techniques and shapes rather than just colour palettes, which I felt really helped to create an authentic make-up look.

This book not only includes step-by-step make-up guides. There is historical information about the invention, use and promotion of cosmetics throughout the years. And, there are separate make-up guides regarding the use of specific make-up products, difficult techniques and the application of colour. I really liked the historical aspect of this book because there were so many interesting things that I never knew. Because of all of the extra guides and the easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions I feel that this book could suit a range of people; from a beginner to an experienced make-up artist.

This book includes a bit of a guide on how to choose a red lipstick shade for your skin tone, which will be perfect for beginners that aren't sure about what shade of red they should be wearing. There are also make-up looks to suit various skin-tones, eye-colours, hair-colours, face-shapes and eye-shapes. Not only does it allow you to learn how to achieve era-specific make-up looks, 'Retro Makeup' allows you to find and adapt looks to suit you. I also liked that most looks only include the noticeable elements, so applying things like nude eye-shadow, foundation or a brow pencil may be optional depending on the look. This means that the readers can follow the instructions, but still have the options to apply the base that they prefer (or not apply one at all).

My favourite thing about this book was that it includes a lot of really wearable and even some more casual make-up looks, which is great for vintage gals that don't want to be overly made up all the time. Don't get me wrong, I love make-up, but some make-up books really emphasize night-time looks... What's great about this though, is that it allows people who are not as daring or not as experienced with make-up to try out vintage looks. This book also shows you that you don't have to be a pro at wielding a liquid eyeliner to get the 1950's make-up look.

One other criticism I have for this book (other than availability) is that it doesn't have much of a conclusion. It's goes to the 60's and then cuts to the credits with nothing in between. Really that's just a formality though. The book didn't go into the 70's, 80's or 90's which I am actually happy about, because I don't class those years as "Vintage" and I  know that most vintage enthusiasts aren't really keen on recreating those looks.

Overall, this book is worth 5 out of 5 stars and a Favourite! I think this is one of the best vintage make-up guides I have picked up and I feel like I learn something new every time I pick it up. I especially liked all of the little did-you-knows and historical write-ups. I recommend this book to anyone who is into creating a vintage look regardless of your skin/hair/eyes or experience with make-up. This is also a great book for someone who is new to vintage as some of the looks are quite wearable. I would love to see Lauren Rennells write more beauty books, but until then I will be stalking her blog Bobby Pin Blog.

Lauren is also the author of 'Vintage Hairstyling'.

Your Favourite Blogger,
Natalie

Non-Fiction Review: 'What Would Audrey Do?' by Pamela Keogh

THE DETAILS:

Pages: 272

Genre: Non-Fiction, Self-help/Biography

First Published: 01/01/2008

Publisher: Gotham Books

Bought it online.

THE DESCRIPTION:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Audrey Stylecomes a charming guide to Audrey Hepburn?inspired living for the modern woman

Audrey Hepburn epitomized grace and style, not only in her appearance but in her very essence. Whether in fashion, relationships, her work on the screen, or for UNICEF and her home life, there is no one more worthy of imitation.

How did she do it? What Would Audrey Do? is the answer: a complete Audrey primer, with rich anecdotes and insight from the people who knew her best, and Audrey-inspired lessons in loveliness, including:

· Dating advice from the woman who enjoyed romances with John F. Kennedy, William Holden, and Albert Finney
· What made her an icon, and how to apply her style choices to twenty-first-century clothes, makeup, and accessories
· Raising children, trying to raise husbands, and making home life balanced in every way
· How to travel, what to pack, and maintaining your cool on the road
· Using renown (long before Angelina and Bono got all the press) to help others around the world
· Insight into her rich interior life and the discipline, intelligence, and generosity that made her so compelling

In an era fraught with selfishness, flamboyance, and sensational headlines, Audrey as a role model is precisely what the world needs.

MY THOUGHTS:

I bought this book from Modcloth as part of my first purchase from that site. Being a bit of an Audrey fan, I loved the premise of this book. I was hoping to learn some cool Audrey facts and thought a few life lessons wouldn't go astray. I've been reading this on and off for a fair while now; mostly before bed.

Yes, before bed, because this book did make a little tired. The pace was slow; which sounds weird because it's a biography, but when a book is jumping all over the place chronologically it sometimes feels like you are going nowhere. A lot of the subject matter was all over the place too. Even though the chapters were categorised around a subject for life lessons, there were parts that didn't really seem to fit; there was a lot of overlap and repetition. 

I have to admit that I did learn a few cool facts about Audrey. I'm glad to say that she wasn't as perfect or conventional as a lot of us thought she was and yeah, for me that's good thing. However, there were some really pointless and uninteresting facts shared with us for the sake of the life-lessons, And, some of the facts were repeated so much throughout the book that they were no longer of any interest to me. This book was definitely more self-help than biography.

One of the things that bothered me about the book was that there seemed to be a bit of a stretch with what was actually supposed to be based on Audrey. We learnt about William Holden's death (relevance? they were in what, one movie together?), we learned about all of the people that Audrey's favourite designer had designed for (was it a designer? someone along those lines) and there seemed to be a lot of name-dropping. There were also life lessons based on Holly go-lightly, which was a character played by Audrey and written by Truman Capote...

While there were some good life lessons, I felt that a lot of these were meant for socialites and aspiring actresses. Like I said earlier, some of the life lessons were not even based on Audrey (Is the book not called 'What would Audrey do?' ?) and I found a lot of these lessons to be speculative. For example, "Audrey didn't have a (insert item here), but if she had she would've (done whatever)". 

I felt like this book was really based on the idea of Audrey, rather than Audrey herself. Sure, I learned things about Audrey that I didn't know before, but all of the speculative stuff really reinforces the Holly-go-lightly actress and do-gooder aspect of Audrey Hepburn, that is so well known to most of us. And, at times I felt like this was more of a guide on how to copy this stereotyped version of Audrey than it was a guide in life lessons. Don't get me wrong, I am all for fashion tips and life lessons, but suggesting that readers celebrate Audrey's birthday by eating breakfast at Tiffany's (like hello, Truman Capote) and that they donate to UNICEF (I'd rather it just said, do something charitable) is just a bit over the top for my liking. I almost felt like I was going to find out what Audrey's political views were and be told to vote that way.  

Overall, I think this book is about 2 stars out of 5. And, that is being generous. Yeah, there were some cool things, but I felt like this should have been called 'How to be Holly' rather than 'What would Audrey do?'. I think I would have preferred that the writer made the book smaller and left out all of the speculation and name-dropping. I understand that because Audrey was such a private person it was probably a bit difficult to find out a lot of information, but I just don't think speculation was the answer to that problem. Like I said, the premise was good.

Your Favourite Blogger,

Natalie.

Introducing 'Girlforce' by Nikki Goldstein (Self-help / Health&Beauty Series)

I discovered 'Girlforce: A Girl's Guidebook for the Body and Soul' by Nikki Goldstein at the local library one summer and obsessed over it quite a lot. This was about grade 9 or 10 in high school and it wasn't long later, that my Christmas wish list had the titles of the 'Girlforce' books scrawled across it. After that Christmas, a shopping trip (And Maybe a Birthday?) I managed to collect them all. I really like these books and what they represent. I'm not going to write a review on these, but more of an introduction to them. I want to tell the world about them! And, give out some  information from a readers point of view...

DETAILS:
*Some of the books can be found on Ebay, Booktopia, Book Depository, Abe Books, Amazon and Fishpond. Some of the books appear to be out-of-print, but I've included all of them because there is always a chance that there will be one lying around somewhere.

All books were published in Australia by ABC Books. The first book was published in 2004 and the last was published in 2008. 'Girlforce' and 'Girlforce Shine' have been released in the US since.

Age group: It's meant for teens, but I think it's fairly flexible.

GOODREADS DESCRIPTION:
Welcome to GirlForce, an exciting new lifestyle brand for tween and teen girls that is simply irresistible. At its core, Girl Force is based on an ancient science called Ayurveda that says our bodies are made of three elemental energies: Fire, Air, and Earth. And with just two quick quizzes about body and mind you can determine your Body Type. Air girls are outgoing and creative; Fire girls are born leaders and highly passionate; and Earth girls are easygoing and make loyal friends.

Guided by these principles, and using lush, high-end photography and gorgeously designed pages, GirlForce imparts the best food, exercise, makeup, yoga, stress relievers and more for your body type. But don't just read about your type...reading your friends' types can help you figure them out too!

WHAT IS GIRLFORCE?
GIRLFORCE is:

1. A book / series of books
2. A collection of things that together make-up a "girlforce". A person's confidence, identity, integrity, kindness, overall health etc...
3. Finally, Girlforce is a lifestyle based on the ancient Ayurveda system.

Girls identify themselves as a type, based on the most dominant element of Ayurveda in the Girlforce Questionnaire. Everyone has a little of each of the elements in them, but there is one more dominant than the others and 'Girlforce' shows the reader how they can eat, exercise, dress and apply make-up to suit their "type". People who enjoy looking up horoscopes or learning about their personality (I forget what it's called, the one with the four letters) will enjoy this about 'Girlforce'.

'Girlforce' is also a very non-invasive lifestyle program. Everything is suggested. There isn't a whole lot of "Don't do this", "don't do that" etc. The foods are separated into 'More' and 'Less' groups for each body type, rather than 'Do' and 'Don't'. This also makes allowances for specific dietary needs, allergies or religions. The whole series is about empowering girls and encouraging them to accept themselves.

ME AND GIRLFORCE:
What really drew me in with 'Girlforce' was that I could identify my "type" fairly quickly and I found it to be very accurate. I was also really interested by the fact that the book included DIY beauty treatments (FUN!!) and beauty tips. The thing that really sealed the deal for me was that 'Girlforce' is not a pushy Health/Beauty book. I know, you are thinking "How can a book be pushy?", but it's true, I have encountered non-fiction books written by some very opinionated people.

I haven't been really strict with myself on the program, but I have looked to the books every now and then for different reasons. The series has definitely encouraged me to try more natural beauty products and to accept myself for who I am. The books are really inspiring. I think the pictures and the design of the books are great too. I don't really follow the food part. Every time I discover a new food that I like I look it up in the 'Girlforce' book and most of the time it seems to me in the 'Less' list. Good thing 'Less' means you can still have some, right? ;)

ABOUT THE BOOKS:
I've decided to write about most of the books separately. I want to explain what each is about and what is included so that you know which ones you'll want to buy if you are interested in buying. Again, not a review, but I will be dispersing some opinion here.

'GirlForce: A Girl's Guidebook to the Body and Soul' 

This was the first 'Girlforce' book to come out and it's definitely my favourite. It has everything in it including an analysis of  your "type", a guide to healthy living, body-type-specific yoga exercises skin treatments, clothing/makeup suggestions, anti-stress techniques, creating a body-type-specific routine and learning about relationships. This book is probably one of the easiest to find online. I bought a copy from Ebay to give to my twelve year old cousin when her mum was in hospital, because I thought it would help to boost her confidence and I knew the beauty stuff would interest her. 

'GirlForce Shine: A Girl's Guide to Confidence and Beauty'

This book has a body type quiz and some information about the body types relating to beauty. It doesn't go as into depth on the personality side of things as 'Girlforce' does. This book includes a heap of natural beauty remedies suited to your skin-type, some suggested make-up colours for your "type", suggested perfumes and a few hair styling ideas. The book has illustrations and instructions on how to apply make-up to specific face shapes and teaches the reader how to accept and accentuate their natural beauty. There are a few glittery "mood make-up" pictures which are definitely a bit experimental and out there. There are no instructions for these though. 

'GirlForce Shine' could be bought on it's own.

'GirlForce You: A Girl's Book of Quizzes and Affirmations About the World's Most Important Person - You'

This book is based around a 'GirlForce/Girlfriend Girl World Survey'. It's filled with statistics and opinions of girls who took the survey and has heaps of tips about boosting confidence, relieving stress, becoming a nice person, enjoying life and negotiating boundaries. This book also has a few quizzes inside. 

There isn't anything about the 'Girlforce' lifestyle system in this book and I don't know how long ago the Survey took place. The book might be a little outdated, but I think it's a bit of fun. It's not a necessary purchase if you are interested in the 'Girlforce' lifestyle and there are plenty of other teen self-help books on the market that cover these topics.

'GirlForce Friends: A Girl's Guide to Friendship'

This book is probably the most colourful inside. It is the most recent 'Girlforce' book and you can kind of tell by all of the modern illustrations and prints used inside. This book also has some comments and statistics in it from a Girlfriend Survey. The survey mentioned in this book was done in 2006, which doesn't seem that long ago to me - then I remembered that it will soon be 2014, so survey was done 8 years ago... Anyway, this book isn't as heavy on the survey side as 'Girlforce You' is. 

There is a lot of stuff about friendship, relationships, dealing with depression and bullying. I think this book is specifically aimed at high school students (mid-late high school) based on the content. There are some stories from famous ladies, some quizzes and some tips. I think it's a good book, but once again this book is not about the 'Girlforce' lifestyle system. There are plenty of other teen self-help books that cover these areas.

^These books are all very small and thin compared to the others. 

'GirlForce Crush: A Girl's Guidebook to Emotions and Love'

-This book has a body-type quiz and teaches you how to tell what body-type boys are, but it doesn't have any information about compatibility between the two. There is also a quiz to determine how "boy crazy" you are and some tips on how to be intimate without being "intimate". This book serves as an addition to the original 'Girlforce' book and would probably suit a teen who is starting to get interested in boys. 

'GirlForce Vibe: A Girl's Guidebook to Confidence and Energy'

This book is about tuning into you "Girlforce" and doing body-type-specific things that make you feel good. There are some suggestions for music to listen to, they types of pictures to look at, fragrances to use and foods to eat if you want to feel good. These descriptions are very small and general. There is also some information about chakras and meditation. 

I don't really see the need for this book. There is a little about meditating in the original 'Girlforce' book and some of the body-type-specific stuff is just a repeat of info from the original 'Girlforce' book as well. 

'GirlForce Pamper: A Girl's Guide to Relaxation and Bliss'

This book has a body type quiz, body-type-specific DIY beauty tips/ treatments, information about reflexology, instructions for a manicure/pedicure and a list of pampering activities (walking on the beach etc). This book shares a lot of the same info as the 'Girlforce' and the 'Girlforce Shine' book so it's not necessary to purchase this one. This book and a small beauty gift set would make a nice present for a teen girl. 

RECOMMENDATION:
I would recommend these books to teen girls or young women. The pamper book is probably more diverse. If you are interested in natural beauty treatments or finding out your "type" (like mentioned earlier). You don't need to buy all of the books if you are interested in trying out the Girlforce thing. I think you can't beat the original 'Girlforce' book for the most well-rounded guide to Girlforce.

If you try out the series and you really like it, I suggest going onto Facebook and liking the 'Girlforce' page. You may even decide to leave a comment. It seems that they have stopped making new Girlforce books as well as printing the existing ones. I think they should continue to print these as I think they are pretty good. Anything that helps young girls/women to accept themselves and become more confident is definitely cool by me!

Please Note:
*I took the pictures with my vignette app and the books look brighter in person.
*I put this in the 'Beauty' category. I've got a few beauty books in that category on the blog and I thought maybe this was the best place for them.

Your Favourite Blogger,
Natalie

Non-fiction Review: 'Vintage Beauty Parlor' by Hannah Wing

THE DETAILS:
Pages: 144
Genre: Non-fiction, Beauty/Fashion
Publisher: Ryland Peters& Small Ltd
Release Date: 01/03/13
I bought it online.

THE BLURB:
Ever wanted to know how to re-create beautiful vintage styles? Now you can with this stylish and practical guide to vintage hair and make-up featuring iconic looks from every decade from the 1920s - 1980s. With easy-to-follow step-by-step hair and makeup techniques, as well as beautiful and inspiring photographs, this book will help you find a style for any occasion and become the envy of all your friends. 

Vintage Beauty Parlor will help you uncover the secret to the finer details of each look from hair, make-up, clothes, and accessories to jewelry and even perfume. Master the stylish flapper-girl curls and cupid's bow lips of the 1920s; the sassy victory rolls of the 1940s; the perfect 1950s quiff, the glamorous glitter of the 1970s, and the edgy punk styles of the 1980s. Vintage Beauty Parlor has everything you need to become a vintage style icon.

MY THOUGHTS:
I kind of hoped that 'Vintage Beauty Parlor' would include all of the things that Style Me Vintage missed. I really wanted another beauty book that had all the other stuff I'd seen on Pinterest or Blogger and more. This book drew me in with the cover and the description and I was sure that this was the book to get the authentic vintage look. While I did learn one or two new things I wasn't entirely satisfied.

Firstly, I'd like to focus on what I did like about the book. I really liked the little segments about what was "in" during those eras. There was information about the clothes, the accessories and the colour palette that I did not expect and really appreciated. I liked the colour palette idea because there have been a few vintage books out there that focus on the fashions and materials and I've often felt that the colours were a bit off. Then when I've dressed that way my self I've limited myself to navys, blacks and reds to ensure authenticity. It does get quite boring!

I also really liked that hair and make-up was done on era's rather than to copy celebrities. The 1920s and 1950s were especially well done and I liked that some of the hairstyles and make-up ideas were different to what I had seen elsewhere. I wasn't sure if this meant that they were modern variations on the old style or whether the author had really done her research. Either way it was impressive and I would love to try some of them out one day (when I eventually grow my hair again) or when I do someone else's hair.

While I did appreciate that you didn't need to own too many fancy brushes or clips to manage these styles and that the author included some more modern tools that more people would have I was a little disappointed in the lack of genuine methods. Pin-curling and finger waves didn't even get a mention and even with the increase in technology, I prefer these methods to electronic tools.

I was also a bit appalled at the idea of "vintage" in these books. 70s and 80s looks are questionable vintage. Those eras aren't too far from our own and the authors of these types of books often argue that they are tacky. I honestly wouldn't mind a 70s or 80s look if it was similar to Madonna in her prime or maybe similar to Kate Bush early in her career, but it's all this disco and punk crap. I was not a fan of the sixties look in 'Vintage Beauty Parlor , while it may have been accurate among the weed smokers I was hoping for something more along the lines of what Lana Del Rey has been epitomizing. Barbarella hair, shift dresses and all that.

I also wish (and again this is mostly just a typical beauty book thing) that authors didn't try to create the complete look. Sometimes I wish they used that space to have a few decent tutorials instead. And, some more information about hair-cuts from that era; what works well with that style.

While I'm not about to donate this anytime soon, it's not the most impressive volume I've read getting the vintage look. I'm really happy with the colour palette option because until now there wasn't a whole lot to go on in terms of colour. I think it's worth a look, but I'd recommend getting it out from the library. Overall, I give this 3.5/5 stars.

Your Favourite Blogger,
Natalie

Non-Fiction Review: The Little Dictionary of Fashion by Christian Dior

THE DETAILS:

Pages: 128

Genre: Non-Fiction, Fashion

Release Date: 01/11/07

Publisher: Abrams

I bought it online.

THE DESCRIPTION:

Much has been written about fashion, in all its aspects, but i do not think any couturier has ever before attempted to compile a dictionary on the subject. -- from The Little Dictionary of Fashion

Christian Dior reveals the secrets of style in this charming handbook that no woman should be without. An indispensable guide that covers everything from what to wear to a wedding and how to tie a scarf to how to walk with grace, The Little Dictionary of Fashion is full of timeless tips. From afternoon frocks and accessories to traveling and tweed, Dior's expertise ensures every girl will know the three fundamentals of fashion: simplicity, grooming, and good taste. Published for the Victoria and Albert Museum's Golden Age of Couture exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of Dior's "New Look" and illustrated with delightful photographs and drawings, this handbag-sized classic is the perfect gift for style-conscious women.

MY REVIEW:

Being as interested in vintage fashion as I am I thought this would be a cute read. It's a book that has been referenced in the likes of Vogue Magazine as a must-have and I thought that maybe my wardrobe could do with some old-fashioned structure. As usual with an old-fashioned guide 'The Little Dictionary of Fashion' is cute, half helpful and half full of questionable nonsense.

'The Little Dictionary of Fashion' has some very nice black white illustrations and photographs. The overall design of the book is very classy and some of the things Dior writes really add to the aesthetic of it all. It really is what it should be as far as visuals go. And, with quotes like 'I love separates. They are charming, young, useful and gay' it is definitely the cute sort of book you can gift to that girly friend who's always watching old movies and going out to fancy dinners. 

Admittedly the book is handy. Dior makes some good points and has some helpful advice. There is a big emphasis placed on dressing Elegantly. Dressing in neutral colours, simple shapes and not adding too much colour are all points that are made. There is also advice on how to wear some of those 50s or 60s trends like cocktail hats, fur and feathers, as well as some advice for different figures and what sort of clothes you should take if you are travelling. Some of this is very relevant to modern times, especially if you are part of the vintage society and don't have any sort of guide to follow. 

Some of the advice is awfully obvious though. "The Young Look is very nice on young people." for example. There were definitely a few times when I said "duh" to the book. This may have been helpful back in the day when fashion advice was not as readily available to the masses, but to me many of the points seemed very obvious and pointless. Having said that, I can think of a few daft people who wear any old thing that should probably give this book a read...

And, then we have the weird nonsense stuff about how purple makes you look older, how every girl should own something pink and how leopard print is only for vixens. Times sure have changed... Dior also contradicts himself by saying that it shouldn't matter how much money you have and later on talking about quality being elegance. 

Overall, I think it was really cute book for someone that wants to step back in time and see what was considered good or bad dressing. I give it 3/5 stars because it was lacking in practicality. Would make a cute gift, but is not to be taken too seriously.

Your Favourite blogger,

Natalie

Non-fiction review: 'What On Earth Are You Wearing: A Michipedia of Fashion'

THE DETAILS:
Edited by Chloe Quigley, Daniel Pollock
Illustrated by: Kat Macleod
Pages: 144
Genre: Non-fiction, Novelty
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Release Date: August 2012
I purchased it online.

THE DESCRIPTION:
Every fashionista worth her Louboutins cares as much about a book's outfit as she does about its content. This pursesized encyclopedia dons a cloth cover stamped with shimmering silver foil and a satin-ribbon page marker. Alongside vibrant illustrations, a team of fashion forecasters defines more than 285 terms from acid wash to zebra ("fatigues are really just exhausted clothes") and answers sartorial quandaries ("What do I do when I've bought a genuine 'Channel' handbag in Hong Kong?"). Equally snarky and stylish, this insider's guide is sure to be on all of this season's best-dressed lists.

THE REVIEW:
I didn't really know what to expect when I purchased this book. All I knew was that it looked pretty cute and that it had got a few mentions in a few different magazines. I saw it on Mod Cloth at a much cheaper price than I'd seen it before and thought "Oh, what the heck" and added it to the cart.

The first things I noticed about this book were the illustrations. They were so cute! The book is actually a novelty dictionary of fashion (as I discovered), so some of the pictures were quite humorous (to match the funny definitions). This is definitely a book for your coffee table!

As far as the content goes for this book, I wouldn't say it was fabulous. The book was sometimes informative, sometimes funny and sometimes I just disagreed with the definition (Miss Michi is a little opinionated...).

Overall, 3.5 stars. It wasn't awful, but it is defintely not a source of fashion inspiration or information. A cute gift for a chick with a sense of humour or like I said earlier; A coffee table book.

-Your Favourite Blogger,
Natalie

Non-fiction Review: 'Style Me Vintage: Look Book' by Naomi Thompson, Katie Reynolds and Belinda Hay

THE DETAILS:
Pages: 272
Genre: Non-fiction, Style/fashion
Release Date: November, 2012
Publisher: Pavillion
I bought it online.

THE DESCRIPTION:
The three retro-gorgeous tomes in the Style Me Vintage series, covering clothes, hair, and makeup, are brought together in one glam package For anyone who has ever wanted to introduce vintage into their personal style but felt unsure where to start, this resource is filled with tips on how to create the complete and authentic look.

It provides everything fashionistas need to know about all things vintage, so whether one is looking to completely overhaul a look, go for total vintage glam, or just introduce a few key vintage elements into the day-to-day look, this book explains how. Combining step-by-step hair and make-up styling techniques with a guide to sourcing vintage clothing from the 1920s to the 1980s, the book's detailed photographs and expert insight from its three authors provides readers with the knowledge needed to determine an individual style. It also offers tips on how to make retro styles work with modern accessories, making it essential reading for every girl who likes to dress up.

MY THOUGHTS:
I really liked the idea of this book. While I am a bit of an old-fashioned girl, I wouldn't say I was particularly well versed in fashion. Like many things I tend to get confused which era it actually came from, but I do like it regardless. So, I thought a guide on how to create an authentic look might be exactly what I needed to learn a few things about each era and to master a few techniques like how to get that Audrey Hepburn look with my eye-makeup.

I chose to buy this volume rather than buying each one separately mainly because it works out cheaper. I don't know if the combining of the three books means that they have combined the "best of" the three or, the total complete three volumes, so anything I think is missing might actually be a part of the single volumes. I'm not quite sure on that part, and I'm not sure many people would know.

I really wanted to get this book for the fashion/style aspect. I don't have a lot of hair at the moment (got a pixie cut) and I think I do a good enough job of applying make-up (though I'd rather not try anything involving liquid eye-liner and false lashes without some sort of guide or assistance, so those aspects of the book were really just bonuses. I decided to buy the bind-up rather than just a style book, because you never know what you could learn and when you might be able to help someone else with some ideas for Halloween costumes, or when I might decide to grow my hair...

I thought the "Clothes" aspect of the book was really well set out. There were a few pages of information about the clothes of the era: what happened in the world that impacted the fashion, what sub-cultures emerged, what was in,  a dot-point list of what people were wearing and a picture of a model dresses in those era-specific outfits. I thought this format was nice and simple; easy to follow. It was too-the-point and full of information. I could find out exactly what I needed to know without being bogged down in dense descriptive text about rationing during the war (I've had plenty of experience with this in other books that I've borrowed from the library.

I wish the author had included a few more example outfits from each era, because I thought one night outfit and one day outfit was a bit limited . I think I would have liked to have seen outfits for different types of weather or occasions, or even the sub-cultures included in the information. I just thought it was too much of a generalisation to only show two (some eras were lucky enough to have three) looks per era.

I liked the section about shopping and the links the author suggested for more information and online shopping. I liked that the author included information about how to find out which era the garments you're buying came from and the emphasis she put on buying clothes that fit and have minimal damage (not everything can be fixed). My only dislike was that even though 80's and 50's dresses are quite similar, reader of this book are told to "run for the hills" pretty much because of minor details like the brand on the tag or the zipper being made of different materials. Actually, I'm a bit puzzled as to why any 80's fashion was even included in this book. Don't get me wrong, I love the 80s, but I thought 80's was hardly considered retro or vintage by anyone (at least not yet), and that the writer was particularly harsh on 80s fashions. I quote "It scooped up every major trend and made it bigger, bolder (but, arguably, not better)", which I didn't completely agree with.

One of the things I really liked about this book was the make-up tutorials. They were easy to follow and gave great results. I have now begun using an eyeshadow brush as a "socket brush", but don't intend to swap my trusty lip-stick for a lip-brush and gloss. That just isn't practical. I thought it was cool that they used celebrity looks, rather than era-specific looks to write tutorials for, but didn't love the fact that they used models with similar face-shapes and colouring for those looks. I think I would have liked to see more daytime looks. The only looks I thought were appropriate for that were the 'Marilyn' and 'Audrey' make-up looks.

While I didn't necessarily need to read the hair section of the book I thought it was the only fair way to do a review on it. I thought the hair tutorials were cool, but think it would have been helpful for the book to have a few pages about curling methods, because curls/sets/perms seemed to be very popular in many of the eras. I also thought that while it was cool for the tutorials to feature old-fashion techniques for creating old-fashioned hairstyles I thought it was a little unrealistic. In one tutorial the model is sitting under an old-fashioned salon hair-dryer (used for perms), when I think a hairdryer with a diffuser attachment would have been just fine.

At the beginning of the hair section there is a little note about what sort of hair-cuts work well with those styling techniques. I think it would have been really helpful if there were pictures of models with different vintage style hair-cuts included as examples. Along with descriptions of the cut, so that people know what to tell their hairdresser.

Overall, I think this book is helpful and good value. A great guide for people who want to know the basics of vintage style. I would have liked more detail in some parts of the book and not so much 80s stuff (if the author chooses to write about it in a negative way). I recommend this to people who want a basic guide and nothing more. I gave it 4/5 stars.

Your Favourite Blogger,
Natalie

Non-fiction Book Review: 'A Life in Frocks: A Memoir' by Kelly Doust

THE DETAILS:
Pages: 246
Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir/Fashion
Release Date: November 2010
Publisher: Pier 9, Murdoch Books

I purchased this book online.

THE PREMISE:
A Life in Frocks is about the ‘divine obsession’, a woman’s love for clothes. In particular, it is a personal, entertaining, joyous – and seductive – exploration of the significance of clothes, filtered through one woman’s lifelong sartorial infatuation.

MY THOUGHTS:
I've been in a bit of a fashion-y mood lately. I've been on ebay purchasing cheap clothes I probably don't need and on a few book sites drooling over DIY sewing guides and Volumes about vintage couture. I've been regretting not reading as much as I should be (I haven't looked at my Goodreads challenge in ages) and looking at my gigantic TBR pile, knowing that more books will be headed my way I decided that I have to read something. Already part way through more than three books I decided to start this one...

This book was exactly what I needed. 'A Life in Frocks' is a very cosy book with a writing style much like that of Brigid Lowry's 'Tommorrow Everything Will Be Beautiful'. The airy-fairy thought processes and unusual life story of Kelly Doust also reminded me of some of the articles I like to read in 'Frankie Magazine' (warm and cozy, inspiring, addictive). This was the most fun I think a memoir could offer and what a cool way to tell the story of your life, through clothes!

'A Life in Frocks' was a quick read (for someone who hasn't been reading much more than a chapter in her lunch break, reading 246 pages in three days [with breaks for 'Charmed' episodes] is an achievement) that had me captivated from the first page. Okay, maybe the cover... The illustrations on the cover and throughout the book (by Zoe Sadorierski) are very cute. Along with the writing, the illustrations ensure that this is a book to learn from and to treasure.

Doust tells us about how she discovered that fashion (or rather crafting fashion) was her calling. We learn of her mishaps, her inspiration and that sometimes an outfit can make a huge difference to your day. We learn about those dream outfits, the ones she missed out on, the ones that she wore during tragedies, the clothes that were worn until they were worn-out and the clothes she considers to be staples. The most important things Doust taught me during this book was that advertisements can be misleading, some outfits aren't practical for certain situations, don't hang on to something you don't wear and that with a bit of effort a $5 dress can look like a $50 dress. What I didn't quite agree with though was the ruling that every woman should wear heels (even if they are tall). I don't agree. I like to feel a bit shorter standing next to people (a nice change) and I can't walk in heels. Unless high heels are chunky heels, I won't wear them.

The Book features a glossary at the end of a few designers and clothing items that were mentioned during the book incase readers aren't schooled up on who/what they are already. The only thing I really wish this book had, is a glossary of french terms used throughout the duration (at least I think it was french). While it is super classy and chic to be able to speak french (whether talking about fashion or not) it's not fair to the people (like me) who were schooled in a time where french was not the preferred language to be taught in schools.

This book was so cute I thought I'd share some pictures:

 

 ^Underneath the dust jacket (which has pictures of clothes on it) there are pictures of pretty underwear. So when you take the jacket off you are literally "undressing" the book!

 

^One of the lovely illustrations.

Overall, I gave this book 5/5 Stars and a favourite, aside from a few (minor) differences I really enjoyed 'A Life in Frocks'. The luxurious descriptions and little connections the author made between her life and the clothes she wore was very original; very inviting. This is a book I'd recommend to anyone with a polyvore account (that they use frequently), anyone who spends just a little too much time staring at the pictures of glamorous models in magazines, Or, anyone who likes op-shopping not only because it's cheap, but because they like the idea of finding "treasure" (or something they can create "treasure" out of). After you've read it this book will make you want to: buy a sewing machine, travel, go op-shopping, read every issue of vogue you have (twice) and go through your current wardrobe organising and ditching things that no-longer have any appeal to you.

Kelly Doust has written a few other books (which I can't wait to purchase) and also has her own blog 'The Crafty Minx'

Your Favourite Blogger,
Natalie