The 21st Century Beauty Bible

"I found this book quite disappointing for several reasons, but I'll be brief. 1) Encompassing make-up, skin, body, hair, fragrance and well-being in a scant 250 pages whereas other books on make-up and skin-care alone are up to five or six times longer. 2) The trying and testing, which is supposed to be the mainstay of this book, does not really give any other information than the fact that some women tried the products and liked them or didn't. Is that the 'exhaustive research' the authors claim to have carried out? Comments like 'too drying for my skin', 'I like the pump dispenser' or 'a pleasure to use' are completely meaningless. The authors repeatedly 'swear by' this or 'swear by' that, but what suits their skin (and budget!)obviously does not suit everyone's. Some product descriptions seem to be taken directly from the packaging: 'high glam factor' or 'a favourite with celebs', yet again, tell us nothing about the suitability of the product on our skin. 4) Prices are not even mentioned - only one budget buy appears in each section but the great majority of the 'winners' are from the extremely expensive cosmetics and skin-care ranges. The authors use the word 'invest' insted of 'buy' a product on more than one occasion. 5) Most other information is not anything new at all for the person who is accustomed to buying and using cosmetics and skin-care products.
If you're looking for a book that explains which products are suitable and beneficial for different types of skin because of the ingredients they contain, and which are good value and which constitute little more than wasting money then I wouldn't personally recommend this book. There are much better researched options available. "
~ Written on 2007-10-02

"This book is truely wonderful and has made me think alot about what you can do for yourself - and keeping the cost down. I am always in a rush in the morning so the makeup tips are great as well as the make your own oils, scrubs etc. Definetly a must have for any age group!!"
~ Written on 2005-11-03

"This is so much more than just makeup and hair: it's about bringing beauty from within through diet, exercise and healthy living, and THEN keeping it all ticking over nicely with the best quality (no, I didn't say expensive) products. This version on Amazon is a fully updated paperback version of the 2002 edition. There is a large splattering of products that have been Tried and Tested (by panels of 10 women) next to each relevant section, with a rating which also shows the cheapest ones and which are considered 'natural'.

There are main sections on MAKEUP, SKIN, FAST FIXES (eg. botox, minimising wrinkles), BODY, HAIR, FRAGRANCE and 'WELLBEING' (ways to stay healthy and happy). It also provides food for thought with articles like the one from Aveda's Horst Rechelbacher about whether or not we should try and use more 'natural' lip products (did you know that in a lifetime a woman swallows the equivalent of about four tubes of lipstick? Ergh!) and also a list of specific names of ingredients that are considered to be natural, and of course, those that aren't.

The main difference between this and other beauty/makeup books is that it includes an abundance of home made beauty recipes for facial oils, natural masks, body scrubs, body oil, hair rescue remedies, fragrances made from essential oils, bath oils and fruit juices. If that wasn't enough there are methods on how to use some of these with facial massage techniques, two minute face de-stressers and a scalp massage (I have yet to experiment with all of these!)

There are little 'tip' boxes dotted around the pages for quick reference and the vast majority of advice is given by professionals in the field they're discussing (like Stila's Jeanine Lobell on makeup!) I loved all of the pictures included as they were well chosen and not as in-your-face with the makeup and beauty aspect, not like other books which just show boring model after model being made up just to fill extra pages. The directory of cosmetic suppliers at the back of the book is also a welcome addition as it is convenient having them all listed in one place, as is the 'bookshelf' at the back with suggested reading titles.

Although there wasn't an exhaustive amount of information I did appreciate the inclusion of advice on makeup for coloured women (by Iman) as it's a subject not many books even attempt to include. There were also a few pages on solutions for ethnic hair given by leading London stylist Errol Douglas which I think was great because I guess it would provide ideas on what to do or where to go for more advice.

This book has got me reading the ingredients labels of my cosmetics with genuine interest and scanning products in the aisles of Boots before buying (which has also enabled me to determine which things aggravate my skin, something I've never done before - so thanks!)

The website is www.beautybible.com and it gives you lots of brilliant advice, much of which actually expands on the book. The book would be a perfect gift for most beauty-conscious ladies, but it could be particularly valuable to a girl/lady in your life who likes her beauty things and also has a vague interest in staying healthy in other ways."
~ Written on 2005-09-21

"I have just received my copy and think it is such a fantastic book! Lots of recipes for natural alternatives - hair conditioners, body scrubs and oils etc. Plus lots of buying advice. Will save a small fortune by not having to try lots of different products and find they are rubbish! Lots of advice on buying natural products and what to look for on the labels. Just brilliant!!"
~ Written on 2005-07-12

"This new and updated 2004 edition of the beauty bible gives insightful hair and beauty tips, 'tried and tested' product reccomendations, quick fixes for beauty problems, (which are a life saver!) and useful make-up tips, making this book is the only health and beauty book you will ever need!"
~ Written on 2005-03-14