When I saw what this book was about and the fact that it is a non-fiction piece, I was so excited because it has been difficult to find books on this subject and since now there has been a general cultural and social shift to inclusion, this type of book can be written, published, and shared. I loved reading this book and all the stories and anecdotes about icons. This is seriously a book that I would love to buy a bunch of copies of and just share it with everyone because it is a great conversation started and its important to have these sorts of topics and issues in our repertoires for future use. I love that this book breaks the stereotypes set forth and creates something new and dynamic that celebrates each person and each person's beauty while also reminding us that we should all be happy and proud to be who we are, regardless of what society thinks or places on us. ( )

"Beauty" is a word a lot of people typically associate with femininity, and traditionally femininity is only acceptable when it applies to women. More and more we can see this hard line between men and beauty being blurred. Enter: "Pretty Boys." This is a book about self-care and how things like makeup, skincare, nail polish, perfume, etc, have a history of being gender-neutral. David Yi talks about why and when a binary was created and how it's only been in recent years that strict gender roles have been seriously questioned, allowing self-expression and men, queer or not, to embrace beauty.

The tone of the writing in this book is casual and colored by David Yi's vibrant personality. It was a light and enjoyable read. The tutorials were hit or miss for me, though, so I could've done without them. Also a little surprised Yi didn't mention that some baseball players (the catchers) paint their nails with bright colors. Even though it's a little thing, a bit of nail polish has become a normal thing in a very straight, male-dominated space, so I was kind of expecting a mention.

*read via NetGalley ( )

Pretty Boys is an outstanding history of male beauty. David Yi does an amazing job of combining historical facts with current beauty tips. Each chapter explores a different aspect aspect of beauty and sexuality, from King Tut and ancient rituals of male make-up, all the way to BTS and Korean skincare. At the end of each cAhaptAer are tips on how boys and men can improve their own make-up looks.

This book would be an amazing gift for the male beauty star or the average man in your life who has never used make-up. I think girls and women would also be interested in this book. Personally, I've rarely used make-up myself, but I was still interested in the rituals and tips provided in the book. The the illustrations at the beginning of each chapter were a nice and beautiful touch. Overall, this is a beautiful and well-researched book, and would make a wonderful gift for anyone. ( )