Rating: 
Summary: Fabulous, Creative and Artistic!
Review: Creation, transformation and inspiration are the words that come to mind when you turn the pages of this beautiful book. Aucoin, once again, shows his extreme talent. Do you prefer the sultry look of Cleopatra or the magnificent wonder of Bette Davis' eyes? Who ever imagined one could transform the stars into so many dramatic, exotic creations? The book is filled with tips and techniques that, through the magic of cosmetics, will give you a variety of looks from vamp, glitz and sophistication to downright cool, earthy, and unusual. With a little know-how and patience, you, too, can create a whole new look. As a suggestion, whatever brand of cosmetics you choose, make sure it is the very best you can afford. A professional and artistic image is very difficult to achieve with a low-end cosmetic; the texture generally does not allow for proper blending, mascaras "clump", foundations cast an off-colour hue and the overall result does not lend to a finished, professional look. There are so many different "faces" in this book, one could change their personal image as often as a change of clothes! Whatever your age, or preference in style and image, this fantastic book has something for everyone. Who said you couldn't "make heads turn" or have the pizzaz of a glamorous star? Go for it, spice up your life, buy this book! Aucoin makes it all seem....oooh, so easy!
Rating:
Summary: Good Stuff
Review: Kevyn Aucoin's third book, and it's his best yet. The book covers structure (face, skin, teeth), shape (brows, lips, eyes), balance (light/light faces, light/dark faces, dark/light faces, dark/dark faces), color, texture, and setting. The Face to Face section gives step-by-step instructions, aided by photos, to the everyday make-up routines of ordinary people, as well as a few famous faces. The next section of the book, and my personal favorite, is Dimensions. Celebrities and some lesser-known faces are transformed into beauties of the past (following the present setting of the last chapter). Tina Turner is morphed into Cleopatra, Cher into Queen Isabella, Susan Sarandon in Bette Davis, even Gwyneth Paltrow into James Dean. The final section of the book, Moving Forward, contains looks for the new millenium. The past, present, future theme of the book keeps everything well-organized, while the great photos and step-by-step illustrations keep everything bright. Kevyn Aucoin's openess to all kinds of looks is the true core of the book, however. I recommend Making Faces to anyone who is ready for a look at eternal beauty.
Rating:
Summary: A great entry in the new age of beauty books
Review: Kevyn leads the pack in a wonderful new wave and new age of beauty books, where diversity is stressed, and the viewpoints are stretched. Kevyn's book includes emotion and science, and his recent books have helped usher in such other interesting achievments as Robin Cosio's THE EYEBROW, Mary Quant's MAKEUP, Jessica Pallingston's LIPSTICK, and the new book HAIR: A HISTORY. Keep it up, everyone! This is great!
Rating:
Summary: Exceptional, from both artistic and "how-to" perspectives
Review: If you've ever looked at fashion magazines and wondered what makeup techniques went into creating the look, "Face Forward" may give you all the answers you need. Not only did Kevyn Aucoin do all the makeup in this book, but he also wrote it and contributed to the photography, art direction and design. He is a genius. Period. Outside of the introductory chapters, the book is divided into five main parts: 1) "Behind Beauty," where Kevyn describes how he treats the face to bring out a wide range of attributes; 2) "Face to Face," which consists of in-depth photography and illustrations of the steps involved with creating beautiful looks; 3) "Dimensions," where Kevyn explores the "classic personifications of beauty" by making up actresses and models to look like stars of the past; and 4) & 5) forward-looking concepts of makeup techniques and the future of beauty, also using the faces of actresses (and even his mom). I think it's great that someone as talented as Kevyn can be so generous in explaining his craft, but even if you're not into that, "Face Forward" holds up fantastically on its merits as an art/photography book: the resemblance of the current stars to the past ones is incredible (e.g., Winona Ryder as Elizabeth Taylor). This book may be a little advanced for makeup artists who are just starting out, but hey, makeup is art, and art is about ideas, so it's definitely worth checking out. For anyone who is just plain interested in fashion and style, "Face Forward" will be intriguing, even if only for the skill exhibited in transforming one famous face into another. It's a masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Wow!
Review: Kevyn Aucion is a genious! I've only flipped through this book, but you would not believe what Kevyn can do with a box of makeup. The most amazing transformation I saw in his book was Calista Flockheart made to look like Audrey Hepburn. An amazing book!
Rating:
Summary: Very beautiful, if not a litte unpractical...
Review: I loved, loved, loved Kevyn's last book "Making Faces" because I could add a lot of the looks he did in his book to my everyday face. His techniques and tips were helpful and well illustrated. In this book, I found more looks that I would want to experiment with, but a lot of the makeovers he did had to do with classical movie stars, and therefore not very practical for everyday use. Both the makeup and the photography in this book are stellar, and the celebrities and unknown people alike look fabulous! However, I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for basic makeup tips and ideas. Most of these looks are not for the office, much less daylight. But if you are interested in the art of makeup and designing character based makeup, this book is a must have. I saw this book at my beauty salon before I bought it, and I wanted it as soon as I saw how it featured pictures of people actually applying the makeup, and also when I noticed the faces of Julianne Moore, Tori Amos and some very pretty imperfect unfamiliar women that wore looks I could see myself in. FINAL VERDICT: Delightful for women who want to experiment and explore the artistry of makeup. Not suggested as a starting point for people seeking basic makeup know-how. If you did decided to get this book, I suggest taking some signature looks of the timeless celebrity faces and make them part of your style. I can't wait to add a little bit of Elizabeth Taylor's eye makeup into my everyday routine!
Rating: 
Summary: Kevyn is a makeup genius, but spare me the political views
Review: Ever since I first saw Kevyn Aucoin on TV, it's been my dream to have him make me over. He is a makeup genious, the most wonderful! I love the make overs and the great makeup tips. However, I was a little offended by some of his political comments. If he wants to write about politics, he should write about them in a politically based book, not a book that is supposed to be about makeup. I think he'd sell more books if he wasn't so offensive.
Rating:
Summary: THE MASTER OF MAKEUP
Review: Kevin Aucoin is talented, and proves that even the most ugliest, haggered person can look like a sex bomb with the right makeup. I am so honored by the fact that Kevin Aucoin is sharing ANY of his beauty secrets. Therefore, I ignore the previous comments by jealous, mean women who get upset because Aucoin's book is full of "FANTASY" or lacks how-to. Just the simple fact that he can transform a face and gives you incite on how he does it, is enough for me; he REALLY does not have to share anything! And I am honored by the fact he choose to share his secrets with millions of women. Besides you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out the steps, especially if your "how-to" challenged.
Rating:
Summary: For a Make-Up Book, It's the Best Read Ever!
Review: Okay, I was sooo bombarded with Kevyn Aucoin's name at every turn of the channel and page of everything I watched or read, I had to check out what all the Aucoin hoopla was about. I read this book and it was soooo amazing that I read it in 2 days!I bought his other two books and read them both in 3 days - I mean this guy is the quintessential genius of make-up and the beauty of it is that, while you can't get Mr. Aucoin to do your make-up unless you're a supermodel, a star, or someone he happens to run into while looking for average faces for his next book, he has written his books in such a simple, step-by-step way with so many pictures that you can actually duplicate his techniques and come out looking almost-perfect! My make-up used to consist of too much foundation (I had no idea!), no concealer (duh!), clumps of mascara (I thought the clumps were wonderful thickness!), dull-colored lipsticks (my idea of the natural look) and no blush or eye shadow (felt like overkill to my pitiful version of the natural look!). Now lest you think I looked ridiculous, keep in mind that most women are walking around wearing this same make-up application in varying forms of ignorance and thinking they look good. After learning and following Kevyn's techniques, I hear EVERY DAY now how "pretty" I look, how "well-rested" I look, how well my diet is working, and other forms of flattery that I am not used to hearing (but drink up like a sponge!). This book ROCKS!
Rating:
Summary: The Work of a Genius
Review: Considered to be the best in the fashion industry, Kevyn Aucoin has shown that he is a visionary genius when it comes to transforming people with the flick of a brush. Mr. Aucoin, who left Louisiana and moved to New York in order to pursue a career and live life as a gay man without the ignorance and intimidation that plagues the South, has made himself a major force among Hollywood's elite due to his amazing ability to transform normal faces into breathtaking works of art. With great friends that include Cher, Winona Ryder, Madonna, Tina Turner, and Julia Roberts, Aucoin has had the luck and success that he deserves. In his first book, "Making Faces," Kevyn introduced his special kind of magic to the world when he showed how easy it is to transform yourself with blush, lipstick, tweezers, and other beauty aids. However, in "Face Forward," Kevyn decided to employ some of the most famous faces in the entertainment world (in addition to several non-celebrities) in transforming them into personas of the past and present. When I first opened this book, my mouth gaped on how powerful Kevyn's work can be. I couldn't believe my eyes on how he was able to transform Tori Amos to a Native American woman. He is amazing, and many other celebrities in this book will make you open your mouth in awe. Seeing Gwyneth Paltrow as James Dean, Liza Minelli as Marilyn Monroe, and Tina Turner as Cleopatra will blow you away. I especially loved seeing how he transformed his own mother into various radiant personalities that truly show that age is nothing but a number. Ms. Aucoin must be extremely proud that she has son with such immense talent. Kevyn's work will blow you away! Purchase this book and discover how much of a genius Aucoin is. I can guarantee you will not be able to put this book down at first. Mr. Aucoin's work and words will leave a lasting impression on how the idea of beauty can be interpretated by many. In his own words and work, Kevyn proves that you don't have to be beautiful on the outside, but rather beautiful inside.
|
