Pretty Honest: The Straight-Talking Beauty Companion

I picked this up because I've read Sali Hughes' beauty column in the Guardian and I like her no-nonsense and unapologetic attitude. This isn't so much a set of tutorials (honestly, it's probably easier to follow her YouTube videos for application how-tos anyway) as it is a collection of tips and advice in essay form. I like that Hughes covers a wide range of skin types and needs that don't often get discussed in mainstream venues, and there are chapters here on everything from red lipstick to why saving things for best "is like metaphorically spending your life sitting on a sofa wrapped in cellophane." I don't think there's necessarily anything here that you won't have picked up from reading her column regularly, but it's nice to have show more it all in one spot.

(While I trust Hughes' assessment of beauty products, given that she's been working in the industry for 20 years, I really wish she'd had a fact-checker who could have checked the veracity of the quotes she uses as epigrams at the beginning of each chapter. Despite what the internet would have you believe, Marilyn Monroe never said, “I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.” The most cursory bit of due diligence would have made that clear.) show less

How can I begin to say how much I love this book? Sali Hughes is intelligent, inclusive, kind, positive, and no nonsense. She cuts through the bullshit of the beauty/cosmetics industry with good (British*) humor. She knows her readers are beautiful, and she sees cosmetics as a way to evince our beauty. The focus here is on face makeup, but there are also interesting forays into scents, hair, nails, and a little bit of body products (e.g. self tanners). She includes makeup recommendations for women of color, which I appreciate as an Indian woman.

This book is not like most beauty books in that there are very few photos and certainly no detailed tutorials and diagrams. It is more like a book of beauty philosophy that also contains much show more practical advice. I was impressed by how well written it is! It is apparent that Sali took incredible care to be accurate and articulate. Highly recommended.

*Although I yearn for an American edition of this book--it would be great to know which American only products Sali would recommend--I doubt her characteristically British humor and slang could be translated. show less

The first few chapters were interesting, all about cleansing and moisturising and skin care but she mostly lost me with the makeup advice chapters, I'm not a makeup wearer on a normal day, and barely on special days too.

So I was cruising along with the read, seeing if she could convert me, which she pretty much didn't, and the wedding makeup chapter happened, and it was interesting and then she mentioned casually that same-sex couples should try not to match too much but try not to clash too and I was charmed.

Then she had the "Saving the Best for Now" chapter, which should be compulsory reading for almost everyone. It's about using the good stuff now rather than saving it for a special moment, to regard every moment as special and it show more sang to me, and moved the book from a 3 star to a 4 star read in one short chapter.

The other resources chapter has some interesting links. show less