Classic Make-Up & Beauty by Mary Quant

This is an excellent and very reasonably priced book. Unless you are a beautician or make-up artist, you'll definitely learn a lot from it. Very well illustrated and well written also. I just bought it a few days ago and have found it extremely helpful and inspirational too. This book is a MUST-HAVE for any woman who likes to take good care of herself and always look her best, no matter what age group she falls into. Here's a list of the topics covered:

1. Firstly, it gives you a gallery of eight different looks which are suitable for different times of day and different seasons in the year. Obviously you can also mix and match certain parts of these looks to suit your preference.

2. Understanding your skin: This covers discovering your skin type, analysing your facial shape (this will make an instant difference to how your face looks with make-up on), analysing your colouring (MANY women choose the wrong foundations, also helpful with choosing eye shadows and lipsticks to suit your colouring), choosing colours (guidelines for choosing the right palettes for you).

3. The Make-Up Palette: Besides listing the equipment you'll need and giving a little info on each, it gives you ideas on what colours work well together,little tips here and there on how to apply which will make all the difference for the outcome, and the differences between different types of the same cosmetic (eg liquid or cake foundation) and when to use each. Essential equipment (brushes, sponges etc), Foundations (including colour correctors,treatment foundations and eye foundations), Face Powders, Blushers, Eyeshadows, Eyeliner & Mascara, Lip colours, Nail polishes, Skin & Body Preparations (a little bit about cleansers,toners,moisturizers,body cleansers, bath crystals, body moisturizers and special treatments, and which ones are right for you).

4. Skincare Regimes: (The Right Ways To): Cleanse,Tone,Moisturize,Remove Eye Make Up,Remove Lipstick. Info on face packs, Exfoliation, Steam Towel Treatment, Firming Facial Massage.

5. Step-by-step Make-Up Lessons (info on each cosmetic product goes deeper here and you are shown exactly how to apply each): Using Cake Foundation, Using Liquid Foundation, Colour Correcting, Applying Blusher, Shading & Highlighting (to bring out features like cheekbones and make less desirable features like a square jawline look more oval shaped), Correcting Face Shapes (tells you exactly where to shade,highlight and apply blusher on different face shapes), Applying Eyeshadow, Applying Liquid Eyeliner, Applying False Eyelashes, Applying Mascara, Defining Eyebrows, Effects for Eyes (how to bring out eyes of different shapes for eg round eyes, small eyes, long eyes etc), Applying Lipstick and Lip-liner, Effects for lips (how to correct lips that aren't perfect for example thin lips, uneven coloured lips, uneven cupid's bow etc), Manicure, Effects for nails (daytime look,party time look, french manicure etc), Effects using Colour (ideas for light hair, ideas for dark hair).

Bodycare Programmes: A little info on Excercise, Relaxation Techniques, Diet, Sun Protection, Hand and Foot Care, Cleansing your body, Acupressure Points, Daily Firming Massage, Special Toning Massage, Body Scrub and Cellulite Treatment.