Makeup Book Review: Bobbi Brown's Makeup Manual

I've been super curious to pick up a few makeup books just to keep around as reference guides in case the zombie apocalypse rears its ugly head and internet becomes inaccessible... [yup!] and decided to find a few first edition hardcovers.  [I'm a sucker for a first edition hard cover - books are the new heirlooms of our generation, especially since books are slowly becoming obsolete with electronic data being so easily accessible]

Anyways, onward with the review!

Being a person that considers themselves an avid watcher of countless YouTube tutorials, I found this book to be a bit redundant.  It was nice to see a comprehensive list of what might be found in a professional MUA's kit and a regular individual's makeup bag and essentials to pack... it was also nice to see the book promote products that were not just from Bobbi Brown's self-named makeup line.  I read through many of Amazon.com's reviews, and I decided to purchase this and Kevin Aucoin's Making Faces, and I definitely agree with many that this book is a better primer for those that are complete novices.  I enjoyed the break down of brush shapes and application techniques - but there were a few stand out shapes I loved that were not included.  The reference photos lacked in challenging real-world situations of covering up severe skin issues, but the inspiration photos for "clean" makeup is definitely there.  My main complaint would have to do with the book's editor - more so than Bobbi Brown herself.  The writing style of this book rubbed me the wrong way because everything was said in short/curt style statements...?  I hope that makes sense.  There are a few run-on sentences, and considering how this book is supposed to be a comprehensive primer on how to get started as a novice OR pro, it failed to deliver a professional tone that I could trust teaching me a few new tricks.  This book was much better as a novice book than being something that could help a professional.  There is no mention of airbrushing makeup, not all tools were mentioned [tapered/tulip brushes missing!  *gasp!*] and the Asian eyes breakdown of how to do makeup was lacking in detail, and many of the step-by-step photos left more to be desired.

OVERALL: 6.5/7 out of 10.  I think this book is decent for understanding color correcting and matching foundation shades.  A lot of the tips in there are definitely beneficial for a beginner, but for someone looking to branch out into the professional world, I think it just gives you a tiny glimpse of what there is to come if you decide to follow that career path.  Nice pictures, but I do agree some of them might have looked airbrushed.

QUICK TIP: If you decide to buy a hardcover, buy it used!  New books are just the same if you know how to search out the correct condition through a used seller on Amazon.com!  Save trees, and start a new tradition by handing down the knowledge from our time to future generations with hard cover books!  =)

PURCHASE HERE: Bobbi Brown's Makeup Manual