Customer Reviews

The Beauty Workbook: A Commonsense Approach to Skin Care, Makeup, Hair, and Nails

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Last Friday I ran across this at a bookstore and was so intrigued that I sat down and read it! Never have I seen a beauty book so well organized and written with the average woman in mind.

Living in Florida, I really appreciated the whole section dedicated to skin care and sun protection. Alot was devoted to explanations of why the sun can be hazardous as well as other environmental factors.

The section on makeup singled out those who are wary of cosmetics and those who are "addicts" (me). Lots of tips followed, all easy to master. The products listed were also readily found, nothing too funky. Color schemes thoroughly discussed and how-to's included

The section on hair was also beneficial with tips on what to do with different types, etc. I didn't spend much time reading these pages or the followng ones on nails (I cheat and get mine done). But then again the book is so filled with valuable information (and fun stuff) that all girls will feel more "beauty" powered!

Order a copy now-I am ordering another for my friend.

This is a great book, with lots of information written in it, but I guess I was expecting more photos, and there are none. There are drawings, drawings of colors, etc. I was looking for more of a "how to with full color photos" I guess, this is not it. I was looking for more pictures.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but it can be enhanced by careful selection and application of proper skin care, makeup, and hair and nail treatment. Cynthia Robins' The Beauty Workbook is a stylish and no-nonsense guide to feminine beauty.

This beauty book is for the contemporary woman: women who have a life besides their looks. Women who want minimum fuss but maximum looks. It is empowering for women because it tells women to end the self-criticism and confusion in favor of a more proactive approach to dealing with the way they look. "The Beauty Workbook is for women who want to look finished but not `done'. It is for those who can't, won't, or shouldn't take more than 10 minutes with their makeup".

The five chapters in the book are simply and clearly laid out: the subjects are skin, sun, makeup, hair, and nails. Highlights include a brief history of the suntan, color Q-test, simple makeups, and getting to know your own face. The author stresses the importance of eating well, drinking plenty of water, and getting enough exercise and sleep.

This chic book offers practical information in straightforward vernacular. Its simple style and direct presentation are refreshing. It offers colour charts, illustrated techniques and buying tips, as well as tabbed chapters, handy pockets for storing coupons, and exercises that focus on areas of individual concern. It is sparse in glossy photographs, but abundant in plain practicality with the goal of streamlining a woman's beauty regiment.

"The Beauty Workbook lobbies for taking the time to care for what nature has provided. It is a celebration of femaleness for all shapes, sizes, ages, and colors".

This book was fun to look at, but not really usable. Lots of stylized drawings and self-aggrandizing tales by the author and not a lot of realistic how-to. Also, the explanations about skin care were clearly not written by anyone with a science or medical background.

Applying make-up, using proper skin care products, how to manage your hair, the importance of manicures and pedicures -- when does it end?! It seems that women have a price ($$) to pay in order to be beautiful. The effort I take in plucking eyebrows, scheduling manicures and pedicures, shaving legs and getting bikini waxes, not to mention the loot I spend in cosmetics and skin care products makes me wish I were a man at times. (Okay, I would never want to be a man, but wouldn't it be nice to just take a shower and shave?) At times, we don't even do these routines correctly. We either use the wrong products, and, if we do use them correctly, we become beauty victims. Which is why I like The Beauty Workbook.

This great book gives you insight on how to have better care of your skin and how to look radiant at all times. It instructs on what products to use according to your skin type and how to apply make-up properly. Also, the overall look and approach to the book makes it a hip investment and you'd want to carry it around with you.

So, if you're a beginner or think that you already know how to take care of your skin -- hey, I thought I did -- I strongly recommend this book. Because we're all there when it comes to wanting to look our absolute best!

Remember when you bought your back to school pencil box? You picked one that was bright and sparkly and had all the crayons and pencils and erasers that you would need. It had color and excitement and you *liked* it. It was often the best part of going back to school. Well, that's how I felt when I picked up Cynthia Robins' "Beauty Workbook." It is so pretty, smashing cover photo, user friendly, even dividers between the chapters. I don't even *like* beauty products and this inspired me to try some new shades of lipstick.
It is full of beauty information, and lest we make it less fun, even some health instruction. Cynthia Robins is a pro. She knows her stuff, and loves to share. She writes well, is an insider and is generous with success tips. Young or old, you just have to try this book. Even if you don't believe the old saying "powder and paint make a girl what she ain't," consider it play time and wander the pages for fun.
Bravo, Ms. Robins, great job, thank you very much.

I must agree to some extent that some (but not all) of the beauty instruction/info within this book is fairly basic. Yet I enjoyed this book much more than I did any of the other beauty books I've read. Robins makes this book special by sprinkling it with personal beauty anecdotes and reminiscences. For example, she takes the reader back in time to the "Fabulous Fifties," when she worked in a department store's cosmetics department. She recalls her childhood jealousy of her best friend's gorgeous hair, as well as her childhood fascination for her mother's beauty routine. She bemoans her teenage quest for the perfect tan.
Aside from personal stuff, Robins also includes some looks back at the cosmetic brands, campaigns, and fads of the past.
If you're a beginner, I think this book will provide good basic information for you. If you're a seasoned cosmetics aficionado with little patience or who is only out for new info, don't bother. But if you (like myself) can find delight in simply talking about cosmetics and beauty and don't mind sitting through related anecdotes and history, then this should prove an enjoyable read for you.

This book had very few colour photos, no application techniques, and often incorrect statements about hair and skin types. There were no insightful tips or "insider information" that would have been useful to back up my current knowledge. Everything was rather juvenile, with suggestions such as "wear sunscreen" and the use of a curling iron too often can "damage your hair." Who doesn't already know that? The "advice" is not worth your money!

I've always been a skeptic about most beauty advice, but this beautifully organized, wonderfully written book has made a convert of me. Robins makes it clear, makes it pertinent and makes it fun to read.
After reading just part of my copy, I went out and bought an armload more to give as gifts. With its snazzy cover and incredibly helpful information, I know it's a book my daughters, niece and sisters-in-law will love as much as I do.

It has been several years since I wore makeup regularly, and lately I had gotten overwhelmed by all the different types on the market today. And I dont read Cosmo. So this book really helped make sense of the dizzying array of products to choose from, and now I'm not so intimidated by the hags at the makeup counter.