Most of you have probably heard of Lauren Luke (AKA panacea81), but for those of you who haven't I'll give you a brief rundown on her (there's more in the book!).
The illustrious Ms. Luke is a popular YouTube personality who started selling makeup to help support herself and her son. She found she got a lot of questions about how to wear/use the products, so she started making explanatory videos to demonstrate. Her folksy, laid-back, conversational style drew viewers like flies; she's had more than 68 million views (more than half of which are from the US!).
And now sister has a flourishing YouTube channel, her own makeup line (called by Lauren Luke and sold online and through Sephora!), and a book. The looks she puts together range from basic to complex to celebrity-inspired. Read more for the review...
Lauren Luke Looks, 25 Celebrity and Everyday Makeup Tutorials
Let's lead with a brief description of this book. First, let me say that if you don't normally read dedications, you need to read this endearing one from a mom to her son. So sweet! Next comes "the Lauren Luke story" which gives background on who Lauren is and how she came to have her own makeup line and book. This is followed by a section called "The Basics" which lays out basic skincare, foundation application, contouring and highlighting, and tricks like shaping the brows and lining the lips. These topics are the foundation (pun intended) for the sections that follow.
The first full-face looks are called "Barely There" and are exactly that: simple, clean and pretty looks. "Vintage" covers some classic looks like Audrey Hepburn eyes, Twiggy mod, and a 50's pin-up style look. The last looks are called "Glamour"; here you'll find looks inspired by Bollywood, and celebrites like Katie Price and Megan Fox among others.
Thoughts...
I really love the incredibly homey, "chatting over tea with Lauren" feel of the book. It's upbeat and fun, with cute pictures and scribbles throughout. It brings to mind a friend's scrapbook or notebook full of secrets.I'll start at the beginning with my review. Naturally, the autobiographical section is fine. No complaints. The problems for me begin in "The Basics". Here's the thing: Lauren hasn't done makeup on a zillion different faces. I can say that pretty confidently because many of her suggestions aren't applicable to other skin tones or types or shades. For example, in a section called "Paint Box" (part of "The Basics"), six faces and eye-color + hair-color combinations are presented. Three are blondes, none are straight-up brunette (despite the author's brown hair!), and none of the faces seem to be "of color". So if you've got older skin or darker skin, you'll need to tweak a good number of the suggestions. Now, she does try to point that out in some places, but buyer must still beware.
Rarely in the book do I see skintone and undertones taken into account. Granted, it's easy to get too bogged down in that and lose track of the purpose of the book, but more of a nod would have been appropriate. Following the looks as written could lead to frustration for some readers, for example those with cool skin who try the Katy Perry look and flee from their reflection wearing "golden terracotta" on the lips (especially when the Katy Perry reference picture has a cool pink lip!).
Also frustrating to me is that there are quite a few points throughout the book where knowledge is assumed. For example, a "basics" section that tells one how to apply moisturizer should also explain how to conceal and where and how to put foundation on rather than simply saying "put on concealer" and "put foundation all over". Tips on some of those things are skimpy. Other times, terms are used that may not be clear to the beginner. For example "bridge the cupid's bow" is a phrase used in the lipliner section. How many makeup newbies would say, "Ah! Sweet. That makes sense!"? I can think of a few who would put the book down there; even I scratched my head for a second. People who are into makeup know what "the crease" is, but many layfolk can't even the crease as part of the eye, much less understand exactly where it is. A quick diagram with a fun anatomy lesson could have easily solved that.
The celebrity looks are "inspired by" looks, which may frustrate some people (though to be honest none of the looks are so amazing that I need to copy them exactly). In other words, the looks are similar to that of the celebrity but don't attempt to recreate it exactly. One may look at the blue eyeliner on the bottom lashline in the "Lady Gaga- Fierce and Fearless" look and then be disappointed to see it missing from the "inspired by" look.
Perhaps most disappointing to me is that the pictures aren't great. Take a look at that eye above and below. It's Lauren's, right off of her website, and the pictures are great! The pictures in the book are, for the most part, much too bland and small to be helpful (and perhaps most importantly seem to be poorly lit). Also, when it comes to technique I would have loved to have seen pictures with the brush in the suggested place, or marked-up diagrams to show where colors go. Again, I understand the language Lauren is speaking, but would all readers?
On the upside, the book is fun, informal, and I'm happy to say doesn't direct readers to Lauren's own cosmetics or any other line specifically. For those interested, she has created looks that are easily created from her own palettes (they can be found here). I love that I feel like I know Lauren a little bit after reading it, and that she has stayed true to her own style and personality. The book is, for the most part, written clearly and plainly, and none of the makeup looks are terribly complicated or hard-to-do.
I'd rate this book an A for who have a little bit of makeup knowledge but are looking for ways to stretch their chops. For those who are savvy with cosmetics, the book is probably a C+, but fun to read anyway!
Visit Lauren Luke's website, check out her YouTube channel, view some tutorials on Video Jug, Tweet with her, see and purchase her products through her own site or through Sephora, "like" or "fan" her or whatever it is they're calling it on Facebook today, or buddy up to her on MySpace.