Rating: 
Summary: If you love makeup, you MUST own this book.
Review: 'Makeup Your Mind' is the latest addition to my collection of makeup books- Francois Nars now joins the ranks of Kevyn Aucoin and Bobbi Brown on my bookshelf. Not only are the pictures in this book stunning, but the detailed instructions tell you all you need to create the beautiful looks. The book contains a before and an after picture of each model and is divided into sections such as 'colour,' 'neutrals,' and 'eyes.' The most unique aspect of the book is the transparent sheet that fits over each makeover so that the reader can see exactly where and how the colour was applied. I have tried many of the looks already, and the results were amazing. Francois tells you the names of the products that he used from his own line, but also gives a generic hue name so you can use whatever you have in your own kit. The models he uses are of a wide range of ethnicities, and there are many recognizable faces, such as Naomi Campbell, Maggie Rizer, and Sophie Dahl. Although the book might be most useful for the intermediate or advanced makeup user, it is definately clear-cut enough to be of help to a beginner (with a little effort). Although the book is pricey, I guarantee you that it is worth it.
Rating: 
Summary: Not challenging for the professional
Review: As a professional makeup artist and Instructor, I found this book non-beneficial, although it was beautifully laid out. (The art director did a fabulous job.) All but a few eye techniques were a basic color wash of one color. This book does not challenge the professional with different techniques or looks. What I and the other instructors found horrifying was the lack of brow grooming. Any print artist knows that everything needs to be flawless before they go on film. One models brows were growing in all directions. The other con to this book was the light grey type that was tightly spaced. While creatively appealing, it was very hard to read.
What I did like was the acetate overlays with the description of the basic color and then the color in his line. What I thought would have helped the book out even more was to provide pictures of the products he was using or to tell a little more about them because if you aren't familiar with his line, you had no idea what he was using.
Rating:
Summary: Not Impressed
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, inspiring, and experimental...
Review: François Nars, one of the most imitated makeup artists in recent history, melds his love for makeup and photography in a highly unique and innovative way, by using before and after picture with instructional acetate overlays to show exactly what he has done.Beginning with the beautiful Elenora Bose on the cover (and bare faced on the back cover), François Nars photographs some of the world's most striking faces in "bare canvas" form, and then transforms them before your eyes with a minimal hand, with a wild streak, and many areas in-between. Models include Naomi Campbell, Sophie Dahl, Karen Elson, Erin O'Connor, Caroline Ribiero, Devon Aoki, Eva Herzigova, Elsa Benitez, Maggie Rizer, Ninja Sarasalo, Amy Wesson and man, many more. Also, surprisingly, are two men (Csaba Egri and James Rousseau) demonstrating a rich smoky eye and the startling effect of a few well placed false eyelashes. Chapters include Eyes, Lips, Neutrals, Shimmer, Monochrome and Suntan, Pastels and Color. There are also some important and informative sections on Skin Care, Pre-Prep tips and a fabulous "10 Basic DO NOT Makeup Mistakes." Designed by the equally imitated Fabien Baron, Makeup Your Mind is disguised as a coffee table book (and is being used as one by me!), but is meant to be more of a functional workbook. The Slipcase that it comes in, while beautiful, is somewhat delicate and needs to be taken care of to last well. The spiral bound format is also a little precarious, so extra caution on that front too. Fransçois Nars Makeup Your Mind is everything a makeup book should be: beautiful, inspiring, experimental, and informative. Very highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, inspiring, and experimental...
Review: François Nars, one of the most imitated makeup artists in recent history, melds his love for makeup and photography in a highly unique and innovative way, by using before and after picture with instructional acetate overlays to show exactly what he has done. Beginning with the beautiful Elenora Bose on the cover (and bare faced on the back cover), François Nars photographs some of the world's most striking faces in "bare canvas" form, and then transforms them before your eyes with a minimal hand, with a wild streak, and many areas in-between. Models include Naomi Campbell, Sophie Dahl, Karen Elson, Erin O'Connor, Caroline Ribiero, Devon Aoki, Eva Herzigova, Elsa Benitez, Maggie Rizer, Ninja Sarasalo, Amy Wesson and man, many more. Also, surprisingly, are two men (Csaba Egri and James Rousseau) demonstrating a rich smoky eye and the startling effect of a few well placed false eyelashes. Chapters include Eyes, Lips, Neutrals, Shimmer, Monochrome and Suntan, Pastels and Color. There are also some important and informative sections on Skin Care, Pre-Prep tips and a fabulous "10 Basic DO NOT Makeup Mistakes." Designed by the equally imitated Fabien Baron, Makeup Your Mind is disguised as a coffee table book (and is being used as one by me!), but is meant to be more of a functional workbook. The Slipcase that it comes in, while beautiful, is somewhat delicate and needs to be taken care of to last well. The spiral bound format is also a little precarious, so extra caution on that front too. Fransçois Nars Makeup Your Mind is everything a makeup book should be: beautiful, inspiring, experimental, and informative. Very highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: The NARS Technique Has Changed My Whole Outlook!!
Review: I can't imagine what I was doing before getting my hands on this book...the Nars technique has cut about 20 minutes off my makeup time in the morning; not because he takes a simplified approach, but because he discounts all those old adages, like "Wear this color if your eyes are blue", or "Don't arch your eyebrows if your face is round", etc. Nars seems to have 3 main ideas for choosing and applying makeup:wear what YOU want to wear,use your intuition about what looks right for you,and don't take the process too seriously. And to my particular delight, his advice for eyebrows is to stick to your natural shape and don't make them up too much (I describe myself as being in "eyebrow rehab" now that I've studied the less-is-more approach that Nars takes with eyebrows). The book is beautifully put together, although I'm not a big fan of the spiral binding. There's a transparent cover sheet over each photograph, showing the Nars Cosmetics colors & products that were used on the models, the area of the face on which it was applied, & the shape of the shading (so the reader can achieve the exact same effect). Some of the looks are outrageous or exotic, but most of them are absolutely lovely and highly realistic for the average woman. I keep the book propped up & open to my favorite page in the bathroom, so I can glance at it while I do my own makeup. I can't recommend this book enough!! I finally feel satified that I've found the best makeup style for myself, thanks to Nars. Go for it!
Rating:
Summary: love at first sight!!
Review: 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!!
Rating:
Summary: love at first sight!!
Review: 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!!
Rating:
Summary: This book should be free
Review: I had bought this book at Sephora and paid... retail value... thinking this book was going to show me how to apply makeup. Instead what I got was a commercial for NARS makeup. Yes this book tells you where to apply his makeup to desire a certain runway look.. that is if you buy his makeup. I was forced to go back to Sephora to see the NARS colors that I had read about, to find cheaper similar colors and textures. I feel this book should be free, because all it does is sell NARS makeup. It does not explain how to use makeup, but simply which of NARS makeup to use on the face. The pictures are great, and there are great ideas.. but it does not help anymore than looking at a magazine filled with models in ads. I would however rate this book 5 stars if it was a free guide to using NARS makeup.
Rating:
Summary: Waste of Money
Review: 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!
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