Sephora: The Ultimate Guide to Makeup, Skin, and Hair from the Beauty Authority (Hardcover)

by Melissa Schweiger (Author) "We live in a world full of beauty..." (more)
Key Phrases: product shopping guide, applying bronzer, natural lashes, Dick Page, Cristina Bartolucci, Vincent Longo (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Ever wonder what it's like to have your own personal team of beauty experts, advising you on how to look and feel knockout-gorgeous every day? Or have you ever questioned what exactly goes on inside the creative minds of beauty industry heavy-hitters? Step into the pages of Sephora, where the top beauty authorities give you access to their private domains. Spend the day with Vincent Longo backstage at fashion week, create red carpet—worthy hair with celebrity hair stylist Oscar Blandi, master the smoky eye with Hollywood's hottest makeup artists, and take a tour of Dr. Nicholas Perricone's kitchen with his refrigerator full of skin-perfecting foods.

In Sephora: The Ultimate Guide to Makeup, Skin, and Hair from the Beauty Authority, fashion and beauty journalist and former Sephora beauty editor Melissa Schweiger personally introduces the people behind some of your favorite brands and fills this gorgeous book with the beauty secrets usually reserved for insiders. Each photo-packed page brims with words of wisdom and expert advice from the creators of and authorities on more than two hundred classic and emerging beauty brands sold at Sephora, including LORAC, Smashbox, Too Faced, Dr. Perricone, Frédéric Fekkai, and many, many more.

Each chapter is designed to mimic a Sephora store's "try everything" vibe while revealing the finest beauty tips and tricks for getting creative with cosmetics. From an A-to-Z glossary of terms and ingredients and a shopping guide to the best products, to detailed explanations of how to properly use cosmetic tools, Sephora is the complete beauty package that no woman will want to be without.

About the Author

Melissa Schweiger is a freelance writer and editor. Her articles have appeared in Women's Wear Daily, Interview, Marie Claire, Redbook, Hamptons, Seventeen, and In Style, and on Sephora.com. Most recently, she was a fashions feature editor at Marie Claire. Prior to that, she was a beauty editor at Sephora.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (April 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061466409
• ISBN-13: 978-0061466403
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #98,625 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Prety Basic, April 24, 2008

By	Antigone Walsh - See all my reviews

This breezy and attractive book is for beginners only. The tips and suggestions contributed by beauty industry luminaries could have just as easily been culled from the beauty sections of major women's magazines. Actual instruction, which includes basic hair, skin, brow and makeup application including the ubiquitous "smoky eye", is minimal and very basic. The book appears designed for young Caucasian females with very little for persons of other races or ages.

The bulk of the book is devoted to products that are, not surprisingly, available at Sephora outlets. Lists of the contributors' favorite products scarcely justify the cost of the book. What works for them may not work for you, although you might be tempted to check out a Sephora store.

If you are thirteen and a makeup newbie, you will most likely enjoy this book. It is beautifully photographed and written in a light, easy style. However, if you wish to take your makeup to the next level or are seeking to address a cosmetic challenge, you will be disappointed.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Don't bother., May 25, 2008

By	Ralaliel (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This book does have an author, but really, it's the company's name on the front, which I suppose should have been the first red flag.

Whoever did the final proofing on this book should be taken out back and beaten. Multiple images that should have been transparent weren't, resulting in entire pages where lines ended mid-word.

A large section (dare I say, most?) of the book is devoted to specific products with big, honking, full-color pictures and page-filler descriptions. That's right, this "book" is an overpriced hard-bound color catalogue of Sephora products.

There are pages upon pages of vapid quotes on the nature of beauty and individual beauty tips from the creators of various lines of beauty products. One person recommends yoga, pilates, and cardio. Another swears by "wholesome food". If you don't get it, there's a full-page (and full-color) spread of the man's refrigerator.

Oddly, the quotes deliver this idea that, if you're not beautiful before you reach for the Mega-Zit Concealer (TM), you just shouldn't bother. But the arbitrary bits don't stop there:

One part of the book says, "Try red on your lips!" You, my discerning would-be reader, should ask, "Why?"

Your book: "We can't even be bothered to give historical precedent. One of the rich and not particularly famous people we interviewed just thinks it's a good idea; he sees red lips so often now that red might as well be neutral."

You: "But I don't want neutral; I want beauty! Could you at least give me an aesthetic reason for this highly opinionated recommendation?"

Your book: "...Have you considered trying the Holy Cow Bazungas Lip Exfoliator?"

You: "Is it really made with holy cow?"

Your book: "Focus on the bazungas, sweetheart."

I'm giving two stars for very pretty pictures. Coffee table reading is this book's only means of redemption. My advice: skip the book and pick up a free catalogue next time you're at the mall. Save your book money for one of the non-corporate-affiliated beauty books out there.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not worth it even for beginiers, June 6, 2008

By	angela santiago (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this book knowing that it was going to be one huge ad. But i thought it would have would a tome of enlightenment. Well it wasn't. Basically if you want to go from blah to pretty get you eye brows plucked put on some eye shadow, mascara lip gloss. In order to become a glamazon put on some lip color, make eyes look smokey get your hair blow dried. The give you a few ways to fake a few issues, and say what to try(red lipstick, blowdrying your hair). This book is far from ultimate.