My Beauty Bible Collection

Today's post is something a little different to my usual posts, but is still very much beauty related. In addition to make-up, I have a deep love for beauty books or bibles as they are more commonly known. I think this has been passed on to me by my Mum who originally owned two out of the five books in my collection and also has these type of bible/coffee table books for home décor and fashion. Another reason as to why I love beauty bibles is they are wonderfully visual. As a creative, particularly with layout and design, I could get lost in the way products and people are shot and laid onto a page. It presents the images as more than just accompaniments to the informative text, they are their own art form within this book. I thought I would do a post about my beauty bible collection because they span over 20 years and show how beauty trends have changed, but tips and techniques are still very similar to today.

The oldest book in my collection is Bobbi Brown Beauty: The Ultimate Beauty Resource by Bobbi Brown and Annemarie Iverson. There are three Bobbi Brown beauty bibles in my collection (clearly my Mum was a fan!) yet they are all different from each other. This book really is what it says on the tin, there are no defined demographics. Everyone and everything is catered for. The book starts off with beauty, skin and body care basics and how to find your own beauty style. It then dedicates chapters to different steps in your make-up routine such as your base, eyebrows, eyes and lips. In the latter half of the book, there is a chapter dedicated to every woman of every ethnicity, for every eventuality such as black-tie, bridal, pregnancy, chemotherapy and mature beauty. I've actually just noticed there is a chapter for men and male grooming! This book really is the ultimate beauty resource. The information in the book is ultimate as well with real advice about real situations. What kind of make-up to wear to an interview or for the camera whether it be a photoshoot, television or video. There is also advice for beauty counters and how not to be a victim to eager sales people, which I feel is something all women of all ages can feel the pressure of. Whilst this book is around 20 years old, the beauty advice is timeless.

The next oldest beauty bible in my collection is Bobbi Brown Teenage Beauty: Everything You Need To Look Pretty, Natural, Sexy & Awesome, again by Bobbi Brown and Annemarie Iverson. This was actually a gift from my Mum when I started to take an interest in make-up. I remember we were in a department store and looking at the Bobbi Brown counter, she spotted this book and asked me if I would like it to learn how to do my make-up. I would hazard a guess that I have had this book for around 10-12 years and flicking through it now, I still think it is a great book for a young girl/woman who is figuring out make-up. It's a very sensible guide with sensible advice that makes sure girls are age-appropriate yet still are able to have fun with make-up, as it should be! One thing about the book that I love is the many 'before and after' shots of ordinary teenage girls where you see them made up but not over-done. I think this is very comforting to young girls (it was to me anyway) to see other teenagers their age looking good in minimal make-up.

The third and final Bobbi Brown beauty bible in my collection is called Bobbi Brown Living Beauty from 2007. Flicking through this book, I think this is definitely geared towards the forty-something women (which makes sense as this was originally bought by my Mum). The content of this book is definitely geared towards anti-aging, menopause etc. which isn't necessarily my ideal demographic but one day it will and until then, it is still nice to flick through the pages of this book.

The final two books were both gifts from family members last Christmas. The first is a very popular release from famous celebrity make-up artist, Lisa Eldridge. What is different about her book which I absolutely love (having studied History too at university) is that the content is focused on the history of make-up, rather than advice. It looks at both ancient and modern make-up muses and the traditions of make-up with breathtaking photography to visually illustrate the content. It then progresses into the business of beauty as we know it now. When I re-decorate my room, I'd love to display this book on a shelf because I think it is so visually stunning that it deserves its own space.

Secondly and lastly is The Ultimate Natural Beauty Bible by Sarah Stacey & Josephine Fairley. I must admit, as much as I do love some good acids in my skincare I do enjoy going down the completely natural route for some beauty needs. This book has a ton of DIY face masks, foot sprays, teeth whiteners, tinted lip balms and more if you are feeling particularly fancy. I love the ability to customise products to your needs with DIY beauty and these can also make wonderful gifts for friends and family. The recipes allow you to learn about the properties of natural ingredients as well as understanding what it means when a company says their products are organic. Another part of this book that I love are the quick product reviews within the chapters and as this book was published fairly recently, the products are still available for purchase.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about my beauty bible collection! Let me know in the comments about your favourite beauty bibles and any great advice they have given you.

P x

October Favourites!

I know it's a little late but here is my monthly favourites post with all the lovely products I've discovered throughout October and have been loving!

First up is fragrance. I have two staple fragrances that I've been wearing for a while now and this particular one is a fairly new addition to my life but I really like it. Flowerbomb by Vixtor and Rolf has been very popular since it's release and I take have a whiff when it first launched but I wasn't really in the market for a new perfume but I still loved it. My Dad went away to Australia on business earlier this year and brought me back a few goodies including this little gem! I love this perfume so much, I wear it nearly every day without fail (to the point where it's starting to run out and I'm trying to ration it until Christmas when hopefully I will get a new perfume). I'm rubbish at describing scents because different people interpret in different ways, but to me, it smells like a really sweet smelling flower.

I ran out of my Wake Me Up foundation by Rimmel so it was time to invest in a new one. I do like the Wake Me Up foundation but I found that it made my face too glowy and shiny very quickly (I was dabbing my face with mattifying papers pretty much as soon as I put it on). Therefore, I needed a foundation that wasn't as heavy. I found this in Bourjois' 123 Perfect foundation. I got the shade 52 Vanilla because as winter is drawing in, I'm getting natually paler. This doesn't have the best coverage in the world but thats because the formula isn't as thick. To be honest, I actually quite like that quality because it means it's safely buildable and I've grown to like lighter coverage foundations as I really don't like the 'cakey' finish that thicker foundations give me.  This foundation is also not too oily which is a plus!

The day came where my Yves Saint Laurent Shocking mascara ran out and I needed to buy a cheaper one. I'd seen on some of missglamorazzi's YouTube videos that she's been loving the Maybelline The Falsies Volume Express Flared mascara, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. I'm so glad I did, it is so amazing! If you spend a lot of time on your lashes like me to make sure they are suitably seperated and defined, this is the mascara for you! It's makes it easier for you to make your eyelashes thicker and longer. For a highstreet mascara, it's probably one of the best on the market. Love, love, love.

As the winter is here and the cold weather sets in, this can really take a toll on my lips. I usually suffer from chapped lips quite a bit (I'm awful with keeping them hydrated). So I thought I'd try the original Carmex lip balm which is available in Superdrug and Boots. I really like it, it's got an interesting scent to it, almost a mix of mint and honey. When I have it on, it does feel like it's helping hydrate my lips and I'm always sure to put some on in bed too so that it absorbs whilst I'm asleep.

As well as my lips being dry with the cold snaps, my body often has dry patches which need a little extra TLC. This is particularly with my elbows, upper arms and my shins. I love Body Shop products and I have some body butters still that I've been using to help. My favourite at the moment is the mango flavoured one which smells AMAZING. It really does help to hydrate my skin, especially when I've got out of the shower, my rooms a bit chilly and my skin starts to dry out.

With winter comes new colour trends. Oxblood or burgundy is a new colour trend this season and I love it! I have bought so much burgundy and wine coloured things recently. I bought Barry M's nail varnish in Raspberry and it's so lovely, just the perfect colour for this season!

My final favourite of October is not beauty or fashion related...

I have fallen hook, line and sinker for the 50 Shades trilogy. I know I'm a little late on the band wagon but it just took me a little while to get the books and start reading them. Once I'd started, I couldn't stop. Some nights I would be in bed, barely being able to keep my eyes open just to finish the chapter I was reading. The general opinion of the series is that it is basically female porn. Whilst there are a lot of sexual references, there is an equal amount of romance to it and you actually understand the characters on a deeply emotional level. I would recommend it to anyone! P.s. the 3rd book is definitely the best one!

So there you have it! I hope you have enjoyed reading this and possibly given you some ideas of what to try this next month :)


XO