Customer Reviews

Make Up Your Mind

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First of all, the introduction rubbed me the wrong way and I found it full of contradictions and a way to knock other makeup artists. He mentioned that makeup articles in "these books" are blatently unrealistic because of the retouching, yet I didn't see one blood vessle in the eyes in any of the pictures in this book. He also says you should "notice the woman, not her makeup", but isn't that hard to do when you look at a face with acid green, orange and gold eyeshadow topped off with bushy eyebrows? All of the models seem to be in the same age range and are obviously professional models. How does this benefit the reader who really needs and wants advise? Why didn't he pick people off the street to really get his point across? The pictures are large and self explanitory, but he was better off choosing a wide variety of women based on age, race etc. so everyone benefits.

I ordered this book recently while waiting for the Make Up Your Mind - Express Yourself book that is due to be released in April. The negative comments/reviews become quite funny in a "how could they not get it" and a "they obviously didn't read the book" sorta way. In the text Nars quietly explains the intention and the need for a book like this. First it's just make up: no clothes, no distracting hair that is often used to emphasize this dramatic makeover quality. He explains that he did not want to have tiny bad-lit images before images to be contrasted with the 'smiling' after, but instead made the befores identically lit and positioned so that the reader could learn and compare all aspects of the left image to the right. In this way he shares how he learnt makeup: by really looking at images. He comments that the women before are as beautiful as they are after and that the makeup is used to draw attention to existing beauty as they should be used on all women. His philosophy is that makeup artistry should not be about masking the person with makeup but rather having fun drawing attention to a women's (or man's) beauty. Also, François Nars writes, in the book, that his techniques are easy to replicate and that is the point. Beautiful makeup application shouldn't be complicated; which he also writes in the book.
So, the reviews that criticize these points truly didn't get it or even try/read a single word.

Excellent book - thank you!

[...]

This makeup book is good. It is a great way to see before and after shots, and to see how each look is achieved. You should be warned that only Nars makeup products are used. It does not mean that each look cannot be recreated with other makeup, but that it is the only brand talked about and used seeing as it was written by the brand's creator. My biggest negative issue with the book was the format in which it is bound. It is a heavy book (with the cover), and the spiral format makes the thin pages susceptible to tearing. You must handle with care if you get this. Other than having to handle it very carefully, very useful for makeup artists and enthusiasts alike.

I had high hopes for this book since it was said to use models of all colorings. I am asian and find it to be pretty useless; the total number of models was small, so even though the models did have differing colorings, they a) can't cover too many looks anyway b)are mostly caucasians c)are mostly pale and freckled and blondeish.

But in addition to being useless, it is hard to read with tiny light prints on white pages, and most of all, the photos are visually...ugly. Every picture looks like an autopsy photo. I'm not kidding. They look like they are lying motionless on a metal gurney. Maybe it's how giant the faces were and how devoid of any human context, maybe it's that the models have the usual snobbish unexpressiveness that models are supposed to convey, but the pictures are horrifyingly distrubing. With very few exceptions, they mostly look (marginally) better before the makeup, and in any case awake in me only fear and repulsion.

I purchased the book expecting a pleasant and mindless piece of eyecandy, since I really like Nars makeup. Instead I am thrusted into a philosophical vision that seems to expose or symbolize the ridiculous horror show that is our quest for beauty. Maybe I should, instead of giving it a low rating, five stars instead, because it is more profound than I ever imagined.

But Goddammit, I just want to learn how to look better!

This is a great idea for a makeup book, pages after pages of closeup shots of models with different looks. The best part is it shows you very simply how to get the look, I love it! I wish every makeup book was like this one. Some looks are not my taste but most are very wearable.

It was a good read on the essays and tips on different parts of the face - skin, eyes, and lips etc... However, I didn't seem to walk away with anything new as far as how to correct problem area or acne blemishes and contouring. Robert Jone's book Beauty Made Simple seems like a better choice for that matter. However, Mr. Nars has some good insight on makeup and that alone may worth the price of the book. As a photographer and want-to-be makeup artist, I want to learn all.

i got my "makeup your mind today". it was absolutely stunning! i love it. (although the models look kinda scary...) still everybody should get it!!

If you are looking for a book that shows you how to do makeup to go to work at your office, this probably isn't the book for you.
If you are a beginning makeup professional like myself I find this book helpful. It has two full face size pictures, before makeup on the left and after on the right, with an overlay showing where and what product was used.
It is all Nars makeup but the variety out there these days isn't bad and I think you can probably find the same colors in other product lines. (You might have to search a bit.)
The graphic design of the book is great. It's a spiral bound hard cover so you can use it without it flopping around while you're working. I would say the detailed pages with light grey text on white is a bit annoying but other than that the desing is practical and useful.

The book definitely has great looks and ideas. As an African American though, only 2 faces look similar to mine. It would have been nice if there were models with all shades of skin, not just mostly caucasian people. The book is very creative and fun to read, it gives you good detail of how to create each look as well. A fun read if you are a makeup fiend.

I thought this book is a really great way to see NARS products on actual faces. I must say after I purchased it, I really got into the NARS makeup line. It has great pictures and cool trasparent pages that show directions for applying the makeup.