NOVEMBER
As it turns out, old birds can learn new tricks.
I picked up Zoe Foster-Blake’s book in the last weeks of
October, gripped by post-thesis glee and living in oh-those-other-five-assessments-don’t-matter-denial.
To put my excitement into context; I could’ve bought Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, or Amazinger Face – and I bought Zoe’s book. I am probably the biggest Harry Potter fan you’ll meet and
I’d been itching to get my hands on the script… but I chose Zoe. I also made
the foolish assumption that I’d be able to put this book down and focus on
those pesky last five (FIVE. FIVE GUYS. I WROTE 15,500 WORDS AND STILL HAD TO
DO 5 ASSESSMENTS) assessments.
I was wrong.
Amazinger
Face hooked me in with its quirky page design and pretty
aesthetic. The writing style is pretty close to how I talk to customers about
beauty and skincare, and each page (pretty much) had something new that I hadn’t
learnt or heard about before. It was the first book I read this year that wasn’t
university or thesis related (aside from Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but that’s different… I read that at least
once a year #sorrynotsorry).
The book really is like a guide to beauty/haircare/sunscreen/skincare/bodycare/feet
for dummies, but Zoe never makes you
feel dumb for not knowing the things she’s telling you. It probably comes from
her warm, self-deprecating sense of humour, as well as all of her years
experience as a beauty editor. And it’s just so relatable! Who hasn’t picked up a How-To eyeshadow quad
on sale and stuck to THAT for their entire make-up game for a year? (This girl
here definitely did/has/might still do on occasion). The tone never gets too bossy,
save for when Ms Foster-Blake discusses sun care, and that’s where I too toe
the line. I have no time for people that ‘don’t burn, just tan’ or ‘don’t like
sunscreen’. I don’t care, and you know who else doesn’t care? THE SUN. USE SPF.
JUST DO IT.
The book is super easy to navigate as well; I used the index
to flip through to the section on blow drying last night, actually, and woke up
with hair that didn’t make me run away screaming, for once. Zoe has literally
thought of everything, every possible disaster that can come up in the world of
beauty.
If I had one qualm about the book (A SUDDEN GASP OF HORROR),
it would be a minor one, and that is that it simply isn’t long enough.
Yup. That’s right. My one issue with the book is that there’s
not enough book.
I understand that for readability and production and etc.
etc. that the book is the way it is, but I really do enjoy Zoe’s style of
writing, and I feel like there may be
just a teeny, tiny bit more information
to be squeezed out of that beauty-obsessed brain. That said, I can’t wait to
see what title she gives the next updated version in 5 years’ time when we’re all
using bra chicken fillets to apply foundation (that’s actually a thing, check
this link).
Ms Foster-Blake, if you’re reading this (oh sweet flippin’
Jesus if Zoe Foster-Blake read my blog I think I’d actually jump for joy!) I
toff my imaginary hat to you. While I might’ve gotten a degree in something
obscure this year (yay for ancient stuff!), when it comes to breaking down the
beauty game you da real PhD.*
Tweet tweet x
*I don’t have a PhD btw, I might one day but now really isn’t
the time to be making that decision*
