Customer Reviews

Eye Candy: 55 Easy Makeup Looks for Glam Lids and Luscious Lashes

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

I have to write a review in defense of this fabulous book. After turning 40 last year, I have come to the conclusion that life is too short to continue doing the basic "lightest shade over the entire eye, middle shade on the upper lid, darkest shade in the crease", and all in shades of taupe. I bought this book on a whim to try some of the crazy ideas on the weekends, and loved them so much that I have moved on to wearing the more conservative ones during the week to my office job. I am making notes on each one I try, as some looks are too dramatic for the daytime, some are best if paired with darker or brighter lipstick, etc. I agree that the photos are kind of unattractive, but so what? I did not buy this book to display the photos. I like these looks on me, and that is what's important. It helps to not be afraid of color and to be able to figure out how to tone down some of the shades. I also have a large collection of Bare Escentuals glimmers and glimpses, which are significantly more subtle than the cream and other eye shadows the book recommends. Definitely not the book for those just learning to apply eye makeup--but for those who want to try something unexpected and fun, who want to experiment, who want to look different every day, who love colors and can wear colors with confidence, and who love love love makeup and painting faces!

this book is okay but not what i expected. like the other poster mentioned most of the women in this book look to be teenagers. i buy a lot of makeup books and this one definitely has a juvenile versus a grown woman feel. honestly i probably wouldn't replicate many of the looks but i do see the artistic value of the book so i'm glad i got it a low price. i noticed the author has a book for teens and i wonder if there are some of the same pics in this book. i also agree that in many pics the eye is open and it would be far more beneficial if the eye was closed so you could see the full effect....maybe even having a pic of one close and one open eye would be valuable. i think this would be a great book for a young girl interested in makeup. many of the models are white, there are a few ethnic models but not as many as i'd like to see. there are some interesting tips in the book so all is not lost.

Unlike the first reviewer, I enjoyed this book. I agree that most of the looks are catered to a younger audience. If you like the cover, you'll enjoy its funky and unique styles. There are some every day and less dramatic styles, but the strength of this book lies in its more playful and avant-garde looks; so if this doesn't appeal to you, you might want to look into a more traditional make up book.

On the downside, some of these looks require a skilled hand to pull off that no amount of reading (only practice) will give you; but by and large the looks can be achieved by beginners. I also would have liked for there to be more closed eye illustrations to better demonstrate how to apply the eye shadow, as the first reviewer suggested. However, in most cases the illustrations and descriptions are sufficient enough to create the look- but still, it would have been nice to have a closed eye illustration on each page for clarification.

I disagree with the other reviewer that the fresh faced/light foundation look is out of place with the more dramatic eye. The colorful eyes are in perfect balance with a subtle lip-gloss shown in most of the pictures; and because this book focuses on a younger aesthetic, it is completely appropriate. Furthermore, while the models are wearing a minimal base, there are no "blackheads", "pimples", or "oily skin" shown. Some of the models' looks include natural eyebrows and -gasp- freckles! I really appreciate the use of natural looking models and the author's choice to showcase their natural beauty in lieu of a heavy, overly pruned, cookie-cutter look.

Over all, I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants some inspiration for more high fashion, funky, and hip looks. There's no question that this look isn't for everyone, but if it interests you, I think you'll enjoy this book. On a side note, I'd recommend L'Oreal HIP and Medusa's Makeup brands to those looking for the funky, high pigment colors shown in the tutorials.

Loreal Hip High Intensity Pigments Concentrated Eye Shadow Duo, Spirited 218 - 2 ea

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With all of the other helpful makeup artistry books available (hello, Kevyn Aucoin), this book really becomes a "why bother?" Some of the looks are pretty, but most are very abstract and, at least to me, don't look like a professional artist applied them. Many of the looks would not translate well into real life, either, and this is coming from someone who frequently wears hot pink, turquoise, and other bright shades of eye makeup. While I do think it's nice that the models are not airbrushed and made to look fake, it would certainly be possible to present an un-airbrushed photo while still making the model look beautiful and...well...clean. I agree with the posters that some of the models looked oily and a little grungy. Overall, I'd say it's very crude makeup application that should not be replicated. If you are looking for real makeup tips and application techniques, purchase any (preferably all) of Kevyn Aucoin's books, which are GORGEOUS and display real cosmetic artistry talent.

First my love for this book: I am very happy with the color combinations and the swatches of color on the right side of the page making it easy to tag and then pick up colors at MAC or Sephora to apply to my eyes. There are some combinations I would normally not have tried if I didn't get this book. For that, I am grateful.
Now for the hate:
One of my pet peeves is having eyebrows ridiculously unkempt or bushy, they look overpowering to a face, especially a teenager appearing in a photo shoot. There ought not be two pages dedicated to a picture, diagram and explanation of taming and shaping brows when over 75% of the girls featured in the book have some of the worst brow shape I have ever seen. One poor girl had a face of an angel but brows that looked as if they belonged on an older man! Worse off the artists insists on brushing eyebrows upwards creating a clown effect. Kevyn Aucoin would shudder at this if he were alive and darn well very near pluck those brows to perfection.
So here you have it, my love hate relationship with this book. I don't LOVE it all the way, nor do I hate it entirely so. I'll keep it for color reference and SOME color placement and work my own ideas I get from YOU TUBE to polish up the look.
I wouldn't pay full price for this book. Get a low priced used copy and see for yourself.

I was searching for a book of makeup tutorials. I tend to focus on my eyes, so this book seemed to be a good choice. The makeup on the cover looks beautiful, and I figured the looks in the book would all be similar to this. Boy, was I wrong. The looks in this book are horrid. The majority of the looks seem as if they were done by a five year old. Some are just one swatch of color swept on the lid, not blended at all, and does not need a tutorial in order to do. There is one look featuring three dots on the eye... again, that doesn't need to be explained, and it looked horrible anyway. I would only recommend this book for children ten years old and younger who have absolutely no idea about makeup and have never put any on before. Even then, I would say there are books much more helpful than this one. Oh, and just so you know, all the models in the book are preteens and younger kids also. They really should have listed that this book was for little children, not teens and definitely not twenty-somethings.

This book is a complete joke! The cover caught my eye at the bookstore, so I picked it up and flipped through it. Absolutely horrid stuff in it! I feel so terrible for these poor models. The "artist" should be ashamed of herself, but judging by her own picture in the book, she doesn't know any better.

There is no blending, eyebrows are in total disarray (on one face, one was pointy, the other blunt and furry), random dots or sprays of eyeshadow, chapped/cracked lips and red lipstick with nearly everything. This does not work! In the first section on how to shade your eyebrows, they even suggest taking a paintbrush and swiping blue and green Kryolan makeup across the entire brow (Cookie Monster/Oscar the Grouch unibrow, anyone?)!

How could a "professional makeup artist" with their own makeup line and beauty salon have missed the entire concept of blending? Or that you shouldn't pair red lipstick with everything (especially yellow eyeshadow with hot pink eyeliner!)? Or that if you're going to *insist* on wearing red lipstick, you at least need to make sure your lips are in good condition? Disgusting!

There *may* have been one or two looks in this book that could be considered decent in the right circumstances (read:situations that don't involve you wearing a clown suit or standing on the street corner at night), but even those are a stretch.

This book is a mess and I can't believe it was ever published. Definitely not worth your money, there are much better books available.

This is like a companion piece to Linda Mason's book on makeup for teens, however I'm forty and enough of a superfreak to think the teens shouldn't be having all the fun. I don't want to be matte and brown and earthy all the time. And what for? I don't work in a cubicle with Ziggy cartoons or pom pom critters on my computer keyboard. I'm an artist and I GET to spontaneously wear glitter all day if I want, and go to the supermarket in orange eye shadow.

And I don't have to spend a half-hour putting concealer on and then foundation followed by powder. Who knew? I get to show my good skin and still have fun with my eyes!

So if you're conservative and looking for airbrushed and touched up photos of un-real, un-smiling faces, move on by. Well, there are some more conservative looks to balance it all out. This is a fun and spontaneous application of Linda Mason's approach to makeup and art (and life).

What's amazing is that on some of the funkier samples, I suck in my breath like she's speaking makeup heresy and I think, "Oh my! We get to do that?" And then the idea is that we'll move on from there.

At the very least, you'll know what to do with that bright orange you got at MAC when you were feeling frisky.

I hope that Miss Linda Mason's working on a companion book for arty lips now, too. You should see some of her work with lips in her first book.

I think that this is a great book for someone who wants to learn how to blend shades. I have read a lot of the other reviews on this book and some say that it is a waste. I say if you want to know basic makeup application, then buy a basic book. This book cover is self-explanatory. Blending techniques with multiple colors and lash jewels applications are far more advance forms of makeup artistry. Most schools do not teach this form of makeup application. They teach business setting, bridal, and runway. This is a form of High Fashion makeup and if you can perfect this, then the other basic makeup application will be like a 2nd nature to you. I say that this book would be useful to makeup artist who do senior proms also because this look is really hot with the teens and they lean toward a more nontraditional look for proms nowadays.

There were some nice eye makeup ideas however none of the makeups were finished out leaving the photos looking unpolished and incomplete. Many of these makeups didn't even use mascara, false lashes, or finish out the models brows as needed. I had at least hoped to see a basic corrective and concealer used to eliminate distracting elements in the pictures. The photography was poorly done as well. In one photo you could actually see the photographer and his car reflected in the models eye.

Last but not least, the makeup breakdowns for each look ranged from incomplete to inaccurate. Several times the colors reflected in the illustration and breakdown weren't even the same as the colors used in the photographed makeups. I give it one star and couldn't, in good conscience, recommend it to anyone in or outside of the makeup industry.