Beauty, Thy Name is Woman

            The quotation really is “Vanity, thy name is woman”, but the above title is appropriate for this entry. Usually women are the ones who search for reading material on improving their physical appearance. Here are some of our library’s new selections on this popular subject.

            Me, My Hair, and I: Twenty-Seven Women Untangle an Obsession, edited by Elizabeth Benedict, is a collection of essays written by a variety of famous and not-so-famous writers, actresses, and others about their crowning glories. Each selection is humorous and informative, giving the reader insight into the cultural and emotional entanglements that our hair produces.

            Vintage Hairstyles: Simple Steps for Retro Hair with a Modern Twist is written by Emma Sundh and Sarah Wing, with accompanying photographs done by Martina Ankarfyr.  Wing is the hairstylist who has developed the easy-to-do modern techniques for producing these retro hairstyles dating from 1910 through the 1960s. Tips on color, accessorizing the hairstyle, and makeup ideas also are presented.

            How to Fake Real Beauty: Tricks of the Trade to Master Your Makeup is written by professional makeup artist Ramy Gafni. From faking the perfect complexion to the perfect tan, to creating big eyes and shapely eyebrows, the information is here. Create a brighter smile and use contouring to change the shape of your face and features. A multitude of color photos provide guidance for the reader.   

The Bee Cottage Story: How I Made a Muddle of Things and Decorated My Way Back to Happiness

            Frances Schultz, the author, can list several accomplishments to her resume. She is a blogger (FrancesSchultz.com), author and co-author of several books, a contributing editor to House Beautiful, has appeared on several television shows, and more. Here she presents a combination memoir and home decorating guide; showing us her inner soul and her home and how she was able to develop both.

            The reader learns about Frances’s abilities and accomplishments during her early years, in her career and the social/emotional realm. Yet as she approached the age of fifty, she broke off a relationship just before the wedding because she realized that she wasn’t being true to herself and her fiance. At loose ends, Frances decided to cope psychologically by throwing herself into a renovation project. Before she broke off her engagement, Frances, with her fiance’s approval, had purchased a small cottage in East Hampton. She threw herself into the project; its details are recorded here with helpful decorating guidelines and accompanied by appealing before-and-after photographs taken by Trevor Tondro.    

            Happily, Frances succeeds in both creating her new home and recovering emotionally. This book is based upon the House Beautiful magazine series on the makeover of Bee Cottage.