Recently I picked up PRO Makeup – Salon secrets of the professionals by Kit Spencer, who is a makeup artist with 10+ year experience. I don’t think she is as famous as Kevyn Aucoin or Bobbi Brown, but her book is a wonderful reference and a fun read, and it has become one of my favorites.
In a spiral bound format (so it feels like a note book), PRO Makeup is divided into 4 chapters, plus an introduction, a section on going pro, a list of suppliers and index. Within each chapter there a several sections or subchapters. The chapters and subchapters are clearly marked on the top of each page.
Chapter 1: BEFORE YOU GET STARTED
This section talks about basic info such as different face shapes, eye sets and structures, lip shapes, complexion types and skin tones. There’s also a section on skin care and prepping for makeup.
Chapter 2: ESSENTIAL TECHNIQUES
This chapter goes through all the basic (essential) techniques and tools. All the information is organized by the type of products (e.g. foundation, blush, concealer, etc); within each subchapter the techniques associated with the product are explained. There is also information on solving problems such as open up close-set eyes, narrowing wide face shape or making lips look fuller.
Chapter 3: DEVELOPING LOOKS
This chapter explains how to expand the basic techniques and develop variations of basic makeup looks. The concept of using colors to achieve different looks is introduced. There is also a tutorial on doing smokey eyes, a section on bridal makeup and a section on things to consider when developing different looks.
Chapter 4: APPLYING MAKEUP TO OTHERS
This is the fun section! It is full of ideas on special effect makeup (e.g. period, horror, fantasy, etc). It also offers tips on applying makeup on men and children.
The step-by-step guides are easy to understand and follow; and there are pro tips sprinkled through out the book. The final section of “taking it further” offers advice on becoming a professional makeup artist.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who’s new to using makeup, or those who wants to advance his/her technique. I like how all the information is very to-the-point, and there is no stroke-my-ego type junk like some other makeup reference books have. The way the information is organized make it easy for readers to look thing up.
You can find PRO Makeup by Kit Spencer at:
Other books by Kit Spencer:
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