New Books at PEOSTA

Reviewed: TLS 4 May 2018.
Description: Throughout history, women (and men) have applied make-up to enhance, alter, conceal and even to disguise their appearance. Also, to a greater or lesser degree over time, cosmetics have been used as a visible marker of social status, gender, wealth, and well-being. A closer look at the world of make-up gives us not only a mirror reflecting day-to-day life in the past, but also an indicator of the culture and politics of earlier periods in history. (publ.)

Description: In this collection of more than 40 columns, New York Times beauty writer Bee Shapiro gets the world’s most photographed people to share their most intimate rituals: daily skin care regimens, opinions on makeup, hair care, diet and exercise, and the way beauty has evolved for each person over the course of his or her life. Beauty–unlike fashion–is something almost anyone can participate in and still have stellar results: the moisturizer that Emma Roberts buys at Whole Foods is just as accessible to any other 26-year-old. Skin Deep is an in-depth look at the surprising role that beauty plays in our lives, the large or small amount of work it involves on a daily basis, the money spent, the time taken, and what it means to everyone from ballet dancers to musicians, models to powerful entrepreneurs. You’ll learn how Kylie Jenner gets Instagram-ready; the preferred face mask of supermodel Natalia Vodianova; what beauty staples Olympian Allyson Felix uses off the track; and exactly what makes Martha Stewart’s skin-care regimen cost $2,000. (publ.)