As I mentioned in my post on the Top 5 Curly Hair Care and Styling books, I love reading! Makeup books are no exception. I used makeup books to teach myself how to apply makeup like the pros. Now that I've got my favorite techniques down, I use makeup books for inspiration. When I find that I've been using the same eyeshadow colors or the same blush for a while, I flip open a book to find something that I can replicate or draw inspiration from.
Here are my Top 5 Makeup Books that I would recommend to my friends!
1) Making Faces by Kevyn Aucoin
Aucoin started his makeup career off with Revlon. He's launched several makeup lines around his philosophy that there should be makeup for every imaginable skintone that helps bring out natural beauty, rather than limited ranges that seek to cover and hide. He's worked on celebrities from Julia Roberts to Cher. This book was a TIME bestseller.
This is the book to get if you're looking to learn how to apply makeup like the pros. The photos are gorgeous and use non-celebrities to achieve a variety of different looks. The book is from the 90s, but a lot of the looks are classics. This is my favorite book to recommend to someone who asks me for advice on how to apply makeup. It's a classic.
2) Jemma Kidd Makeup Master Class by Jemma Kidd
Jemma Kidd is a countess, former model, and makeup pro. She runs her own cosmetics business and runs a makeup artist school in London.
This book will be a classic in 10 years! I think of this as the essential update to Kevyn Aucoin's book. Published in 2009, this book has gorgeous photos and easy to follow advice for applying makeup. This book excels at providing photos to backup what the author is saying. Techniques are always photographed rather than just explained in text. She recommends her own products throughout the book, which is a bit of a downside, but since everything is photographed, you can find your own versions of things easily.
3) Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual
Bobbi Brown is the beauty editor for the Today show and a self-made business woman. She has her own makeup line and has written five books on the subject.
I have two of her books and this one is my favorite (the other one I have is Bobbi Brown Beauty). This is a makeup encyclopedia. I think this book lives up to its description of being for everyone between beginner and pro skill levels. The photos and instructions are crystal clear. This book overflows with tips and tricks that are easy to incorporate into what you're already doing (for example, applying concealer under your foundation for certain types of problem areas). This is a must-have for makeup lovers.
4) Face to Face by Scott Barnes
Scott Barnes is a professional makeup artist. His list of celebrity clientele is longer than a red carpet line at the Oscars.
This is the most unique book on the list. The others are about technique whereas this book focuses more on creating distinct looks. There are looks from a corporate appropriate look to a dinner date to a red carpet. Keep in mind that this isn't going to give you the same level of step-by-step how to's, but in conjunction with the knowledge one of the other books can give you, this book can serve as meaningful inspiration and guidance when you're deciding what makeup to wear for a certain occasion. This would make an amazing housewarming gift for a young woman moving into her first apartment! This would look very chic on a coffee table or on a vanity as it's hardcover.
5) Makeup: The Ultimate Guide by Rae Morris
Rae Morris is a former model who has written three books on makeup thus far. She works as a makeup director for L'oreal and is a four time winner of Australia's Best Makeup Artist.
This book is for those with the basic set of skills already mastered. This would make an amazing coffee table book for a young woman's apartment! The photos are editorial and very high fashion glamorous. They are a great source of inspiration when you are stuck in a makeup rut.
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