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 - Interesting book, but you probably already know most of the advice givenI first saw this book in my quick picks section and thought, "You've got to be kidding, is Amazon looking in my bathroom mirror?". Denial. Then, on the new book section in our public library, there it was again. So, I checked it out. No harm, no foul, right? I think the main reason I finally looked through the book was that over the past year I've been feeling more frumpy mom-ish and thought that I needed to start paying attention to myself again. This book talks about looking young and hip. It does have good example pictures. It talks about high maintenance and low maintenance and gives make-up and other advice as well as product names. Some of the advice we all know already - you can't wear the same color lipstick that you did when you were younger and mommy jeans are passe. I would have dropped the book quickly if the author had said absolutely no to gray hair, because, I think that gray hair can be quite fun and not frumpy if done correctly. She did not, so I kept reading. I haven't decided whether to try the bangs or not. All in all, I think this is a book of the moment. The recommended products and styles are sure to change, so we'll be looking for another book/style in a few years. My girlfriends passed the book around our breakfast table one morning & we stopped at certain pictures and talked about the styles and suggestions. I think that no one really was interested in running to the bookstore to buy it though. Rating:  - Something to aspire toWhile I did not initially believe this book would be of value, it pleasantly surprised me on several fronts. The photographs of the 'famous' and 'beautiful people' are not the reality of those over 40, but somehow the reader could see a difference in their choices and what makes one timeless and tasteful. Each chapter had something to offer in the way of low, medium and high maintenance. No matter what your budget, there were recommendations. Everyone, no matter their income, body shape, or tastes can look better and not so OL (old lady), but instead YH (young and hip). There is something for everyone. Consequently, I have cleaned a lot out of my closet, reassessed makeup, glasses, shoes, skirt lengths, hair, jeans, jewelry etc. Read the book thru and will every now and then rereference it to stay 'on track.' For its kind, this book is highly recommended. Rating: - Fair amount of good advice here...but try not to go overboard and take this book as the ultimate authority. Somebody else mentioned this- she comes right out and says "don't wear Uggs- no, never", and then a little further into the book there's a photo of three good-looking women she uses as models in the book, and guess what they're ALL wearing- yep, Uggs or Ugglike boots. There's more contradiction scattered throughout, but in all, it's a pretty good guide. She does go into cosmetic procedures without being judgemental, neither recommending them nor condemning them, but it's a good roundup of what's out there if you want to go that route. One thing- I really hate the cover photo, to me it's exactly what she says you shouldn't do- look like you're trying to pass for 20. Rating: - On the moveThis book has served as a beauty bible for many of my friends, so I wanted you to know that favored colorist Jamie Latiolais has moved from Stan Milton Oasis in Atlanta to Bernard Dugaud Salon. Bernard was named as best haircutter, so the salon information is in the book. Thank you, Charla. Can't wait for the hardback. Rating:  - Worth considering but a skewed, slave-to-fashion viewIt really bothers me that she didn't even mention the possibility of letting your hair go gray, thereby refusing to submit to the fashion-industry dictate that everyone must look as young as they can for as long as they can -- and beyond. But that's what the book is about, so why am I disturbed by that omission? We owe it to ourselves, our daughters, and society to rebel and go natural, and to make it to-be-expected for more than men in corporate offices to have gray hair. We're encouraging age-discrimination when we don't. We ARE the dominant demographic, and as Gloria Steinem once said, "This is how 50 looks" (although I think it was "40"). Gray hair can be elegant and gorgeous, too. People need to "get used to it" and "get over it," to add more recent cliches that have been favorite sayings among people under 30. And why did she mention Lancome in her product listings only once and Estee Lauder not at all? (Every woman I've ever known knows that Lancome has the best mascara, regardless of price range.) They didn't provide enough free "product"? To me, knee-length skirts look old and matronly, so there are some things she's adamant about that I simply disagree with and would never do (especially with my knees), but we all have a tendency to get stuck, wearing hairstyles, makeup, and clothes that are familiar, and it's worthwhile and fun to update your style every few years. Getting a free makeup demo at any department store cosmetics counter is a great way to do that, too. This is a far better, more substantive book, with a better tone and approach than the utterly nauseating one of "Staging Your Comeback," which has the egotistic author's photo beside every page number (really revolting). Yet it says something that there are already a lot of copies of this book for sale, used.
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