Customer Reviews

Asian Beauty

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I got this book for my birthday, and I wish I would have chosen a different book. I'm full chinese and this book is primarily for mixed asians or asians with eyelid jobs. There is a lot of text and a lot of pictures, but not many tutorials. i think that what would have made this book a sucess- is more tutorials with different models. I really don't feel like there was enough representations of the various races i.e. chinese, japanese, korean, indian, vietnamese etc. I think the author should have chosen a few models of each race to display technique. I also think the writer should have shown more models with different facial structures. I thought her eyes section was pretty funny, she said "Smoky eyes like this look great on Asian women because they add to our mystery" insert close up of an eye thickly lined all the way around with kohl liner. The way that i and other asian girls put on their eyeliner because they can't figure out what else to do!

Her makeover section before/after photos was disappointing. All talk... i guess she couldn't totally copy aucion's book and put in photos or drawings of the "process".

Her "get a new attitude" at the end of the book should have been entitled "Notes to myself" ... "make time for yourself, set goals, start a journal, learn to forgive, take responsibility, dare to do something different, learn to love yourself naked"....

All in all, this book was a HUGE disappointment. Kimura prefers to tell you what she likes to do in this and that situation but doesn't want to SHOW you. You might as well go read allure if you don't have a crease in your eyelid.

I wanted to check this book out at my local book store first before I bought it,thank goodness I did. I thought this book would discuss and show different techniques on how to apply makeup and different looks you can achieve with makeup, but it didn't. It vaguely discuss how Asian features are different, which is nice, but it doesn't discuss on how to play up those features. The pictures and the models in the book were pretty but some of the makeup is a little strange (orange lipstick?). The book claims to have all types of Asian women in the book which it does but it doesn't discuss or show how to apply makeup to different people and the explainations on how to do things were skimpy. This is a nice book to look at while waiting in line someplace, but as for reading and it's usefulness to anyone Asian or not, very little. I think anyone thinking of buying this book should look it over before making any irrational decisions.

The description of this book claims that Asian Beauty contains "step-by-step guidance on how to enhance lips, eyes, cheeks, and brows" and that the book would be helpful to people like me, those "who have had to make do with beauty tips tailored for women of European descent". This is terribly misleading. I won't deny that Asian Beauty contains some stunning photography of beautifully made-up Asian women of all types. However, I don't think this book would be terribly helpful for someone looking for detailed make-up application tips accompanied by photographs demonstrating specific techniques. For example, I had hoped the book would finally be a source of tips on how I could enhance my eyes, which like those of many Asian women, lack eyelid folds. Wouldn't this be one of the classic questions many Asian women would have? I hunted through the book to find the answer, but found that Kimura gives only a brief mention of this particular feature, and offers no real helpful hints on what to do with it. There are a few series of photographs which purport to be "how to" shots, but Kimura offers frustratingly vague descriptions of many other techniques which are not illustrated with photographs.

You might find Asian Beauty interesting and helpful if you like to see glamorous photographs of Asian women made up in a variety of styles, both classic and cutting edge. But you will be sorely disappointed if you are looking for the guidance to get to that end result. Browse this book in the store before ordering.

I picked this up at the book store to see if it may be useful for me, an asian-american. As I scanned through the pages, I saw a lot of pictures of asians with "white" features. Most of the models tend to be asians mixed with white or black. None of the models had single eyelids. The makeup also looked very tacky, using colors that did not seem to complement asian skin tones. I cant say this book is all bad. It does have a few good tips for skin and make-up applicators. I still think this book tries too hard to make an asian woman look white. It does not seem to accentuate the natural beauty that asians have. I am glad there is a book that focuses on Asians. I give props to the author. I still think it should be more focused on the typical asian rather than trying to make them look white.

I have The Asian Face, written at least 20 years ago and was looking for a new, updated book on makeup tips for Asian faces. I called a local bookstore and had it put on hold. Stupidly, I bought it without looking through it. It certainly wasn't what I had expected or wanted. The faces of the models are not pure Asian faces; rather they are Asian blends with beautiful deep-set eyes. The faces in the book hardly need any help.

I wanted some tips for every day makeup. Many of the models had makeup on that I wouldn't even wear at night. I am especially interested in makeup for the eyes. I had expected some tips for the various types of Asian eyes (which no magazine ever covers). However, that was not the case. I'm sorry I bought the book. I had planned to buy another one as a gift but will not do so now.

Despite it's title, the majority of models featured in this book are half-asian. And although I was initially excited by the fact that there were so many faces similar to mine, it was a useless purchase.

I could've picked up an issue of Allure or Glamour and found more useful beauty and makeup tips for a fraction of the price. As for the actual quality of the photos, I was in shock. Some of the images had been so enlarged that I could see the pixelation on some of the models' faces. I've seen newspaper inserts that were of a higher quality.

If I was a full Asian woman I would've given "Asian Beauty" one star. I saw nothing in this book that deals with the specific issues that many women of Asian descent deal with, ie: single eyelids, rounder faces, etc.

Initially, I was very excited about this book. I have Making Faces by Kevyn Aucoin, but I wanted another book that would teach me how to use vibrant colors so I thought that Asian Beauty would be a good choice. The design is nice and the makeup looks are exactly what I was looking for but Kimura doesn't tell you how to achieve those looks. She does mention a 'light and shadows' technique but it is not adequately demonstrated. She also doesn't give product names. I understand that some artists don't give product names because they want to give the reader freedom but it's hard for me to find colors if I don't have a name to go by. All in all, this is a pretty book. Too bad its not a useful one.

I picked up this book with much enthusiasm and anticipation.. it is rare enough to see a makeup book featuring Asians, but one that devotes itself to Asian makeup.. wow! That's a first!

Imagine my disappointment seeing page after page of pan-Asian looking models with deep set eyes and Eurasian features! There is little information on makeup techniques, other than what you probably already know. To give due credit, a few of the makeup looks do look outstanding and quite beautiful. But all in all, I am rather surprised at the kind of makeup featured in the book: I am no makeup expert, but a few models looked like they have oil smeared all over the face, quite frightful indeed! Do we Asians really want to look like that? And dare I say it... actually a few of the models in the makeover section are better off in the "before" pictures than "after"!! What a shocker! And what's with the stenciled eye brow look most of the models are wearing?

If you want a book to stack up the coffee-table fern, this is it; if you want one for picking up real makeup tips and looks, you are better off with Kevyn Aucoin's collection anyday.

If anyone has read all of the reviews on this book they will notice that overall many consider that the book Asian Beauty falls extremely short of its goal. And if one has read all the posted reviews they will notice that most of the few positive opinions of this book have been posted by (probably) white readers and the majority of the negative (and more realistic) postings were made by Asians who know "real" Asian beauty. Like many I was happily awaiting a book dedicated to Asian beauty but as an African American even I noticed the frequent Eurasian featured models and the short and vague makeup advice. At first I thought I would be the only one giving a negative opinion on this book but I am glad that many recognize its faults.

This book contains beautiful photographs of stunning Asian and partly-Asian women. However, as far as makeup tips that address all of the different types of problems that Asian women have (no eyelid fold, wide faces, small eyes, thin lips, etc.), it's pretty thin. It was nice to see the wide range of colors that we can use, but that's about it. I already know about drinking a lot of water and getting enough sleep, thanks!

Lots of sparkle, little substance. Too bad.