Beauty Book Review: Style Eyes by Taylor Chang-Babaian

Through the blogging and YouTube community I have developed a genuine interest in and love for all things beauty/make-up (and would actually really like to go on a professional make-up course at some point).

I have starting experimenting with different make-up looks, and whilst i'm not quite confident enough yet to 'showcase' (i.e. do tutorials etc) any of my looks on my blog or YouTube, I have enjoyed practising on myself and other people, and am always on the look-out for new sources of inspiration.

My friend recently have me two books to look at for this purpose: Style Eyes, and also Express Make-up by Rae Morris (review to come).



Style eyes is the second book by makeup artist Taylor Chang-Babaian.

Taylor is considered one of America's top makeup artists in the fashion, magazine, music, film and television industries. Her makeup tips have been featured in the likes of Town and Country, Instyle and Glamour, and she has appeared on several American TV shows including Dr. Phil Extra and Fox News.

Taylor's first book, Asian Faces, focused on the various make-up needs and styles of Asian women, but now with Style Eyes she is approaching women of all ethnicities but also focusing on what could be considered the most challenging part of makeup application: eyes.

The book covers everything from shaping your eye brows to applying false lashes.
There are step-by-step instructions for every look and technique, explanations, definitions, tips and tricks.

I especially loved the detailed how-tos for different eye shapes and lids. Those should give even the most inexperienced users a good idea how to create a polished look that really fits their features.

I also like that when recommending product types to use (i.e. tweezers, brushes etc), she doesn't actually recommend/push particular product brands - so for example she never says "buy Tweezerman tweezers or MAC/Bobbi Brown brushes" - and therefore you don't feel excluded if (like me) you can't afford certain products due to their price.

I've included some of my favourite images (taken by Albet Sanchez) below simply because they're so colourful and beautiful - there are less complicated, every day looks in the book too!

For a fairly inexperienced makeup junkie like myself, Taylor's tips are succinct, straight-forward, and well-explained. It's nice to see a book that's easy to understand, even for beginners, and to see "functional" pics -as opposed to simply being eye candy. Don't worry, there's still some eye candy in the book, too as you can see from the pictures above!

You can get Style Eyes on Amazon for £13.59 (RRP £15.99), and I personally think it is worth every penny for those wanting to expand their knowledge of eye makeup.

Have you read this book or have any to recommend?

Melanie x

Tag: Book Lover

I saw this tag on one of my favourite blogs, Girl in a Teeny Town, and couldn't wait to do it myself!

I am a Kindle owner (more out of practicality than anything, as sometimes its just hassle trying to lug round door-stop sized books in your handbag!), but I have to admit you can't beat the real thing when it comes to books: the beautiful cover illustrations, the texture/scent of the pages, even the way the pages get bent and folded and the spines bend and crease with age.

They tell stories in more ways than one-who knows you might have owned and read your book before you? - and are like old friends sitting on a shelf that you can return to again and again.

I heart books!

Imagine you sit in front of a fireplace. you read and beside you is a cup with something hot in it. What would that be in your case: tea, coffee, or hot chocolate?

Definitely tea. I am a tea-aholic. I'd need to have a choccie biscuit (or two) to go with it as well...

If the author gave you the chance to rewrite or change the fate of a book character, who would you choose?

Only because it's recently (and therefore the most 'raw' as such), I would change the fate of Prim in The Hunger Games. I'll not say what happened to her as there may be people who haven't read it yet (if not, get it read!), but those who have will know what i'm talking about!



Did your parents read stories to you when you were little? If yes are there any special ones you remember the most?

I have no doubt that my parents read countless stories to me when I was little, but Henny Penny stands out to me the most ("the sky is falling!"). The book I had had little illustrations in place of words (so for example instead of seeing Henny Penny written, you would see a little picture of said chicken in the sentence), and featured other originally-named characters such as Goosey Lucy and Foxy Loxy!

What do you like more, the smell of old antiquarian books or the smell of new fresh ones you just bought? 

Hmm I do love old books, but sometimes even i'll admit they can smell a tad...foosty (as we say in scotland), and I do happen to have a strange addiction to brand-new book smell. It's like envelope gum, I love the taste! (that makes me sound like I also lick books. I don't. I simply deeply enhale them occasionally...)

You get the opportunity to choose between two secret talents: either to be able to make things come to life through reading them, or the gift to read yourself into a book. Which would you choose?

I would read myself into a book (providing I could get myself back out of course haha). I don't fancy reading about dragons and orks and oompa loompas and having them break loose!

Do you have a favourite children's book or a favourite fairy tale?

It's a tough one to choose anything by Roald Dahl, or the Chronicles of Narnia books. The likes of The Great Glass Elevator and Danny the Champion of the World I have read countless of times, and still would today.

Someone would talk to your friends and ask them to compare you to a book character. With who do you think they would compare you?

When I was younger my friends used to compare me to Hermione Granger, largely due to the bushy hair similarity! Admittedly however, like Hermione, I am a bit of a swot, and do like to be right all the time...

Tell me the name of a writer you would like to have as a friend.

JK Rowling. Simply because i'd love to tap into that amazing ingenious brain of hers.
 

You can hide in a written down world for only one night, into which world do you escape?

As many people have doubtless answered, I would have to say Hogwarts. Who wouldn't want to experience a place where pictures move, broomsticks fly and magic really is real?!

Something terrible happens: you have to flee to an unknown place and all you can take with you are three books of all the ones you own. Which three do you put into your bag?

The Roald Dahl treasury (a giant book which contrains extracts of all his stories), Harry Potter and the Philospher's Stone (because that's where it all began) and Wendy Holden's Simply Devine (because it's silly and i'd imagine i'd need something funny to cheer me up in said unknown place!)

I think this is an amazing tag, and i'd love to see if any of you do it - please let me know in the comments box.