Pretty Honest by Sali Hughes
by
Aisling Grimley.
Given that we are coming to the end of the quiet month of January and I assume that at this stage you have worked your way through the stack of high brow books you got for Christmas, I’d like to recommend some complementary reading - a new high brow beauty book.
'Love lipstick and literature'
I was given a present of a great beauty book called Pretty Honest by Sali Hughes. You may know Sali Hughes as a Guardian columnist and broadcaster. In the opening paragraphs of Pretty Honest she declares: ‘I believe looking good to be an important and valid pursuit….All too often, women with an interest in their appearance are assumed to be stupid, shallow or unintelligent - even traitors to feminism…I believe it’s perfectly normal to love both lipstick and literature…Feminism is about freedom’. I was loving her lines right from the off.
With chapter headings such as - Basic Kit: the products you need now (and the stuff you don’t), How to Look Good in a Picture, Beauty Icons, How to Pay and Receive Compliments, Beauty Gifts - you’ll find plenty of good reading and top tips. Sali Hughes has a brilliantly engaging, straight talking way of writing and is vastly knowledgeable and passionate about make-up and looking good. In the chapter on Mature Beauty she points out that during menopause and beyond, women can be confused about their identities. Suddently feeling invisible and less confident we are often uncertain as to how we should look. This is why she thinks that 'advice and clear instruction is useful. Did you know that a sparkly crayon is your new best friend or that teeth whitening will knock off more years than a jawlift? I will take you through what needs to change, what should stay and what never to waste your precious money on.'
I picked up lots of great tips throughout the book. I’m now using facecloths rather than muslin cloths to cleanse; not bothering to even consider a separate eye or neck cream; and I'm using a night time moisturizer from the supermarket shelves. I’ve been inspired to tweek my daily make-up routine and add a few new products. I’ve upped my game on minimalist/natural looking make up - doing things like shaping my eyebrows and wearing some eyeshadow. Sali assures us that there’s a suitable red lipstick for everyone, but having tried a few I’m not sure I agree with her on that one. She also tells us why not to interfer with our beloved teenagers' make up style - In her chapter on Teen Beauty she says: 'Teenage years are a brilliant time to enjoy beauty because mistakes are not only forgivable, they are crucial.... It's your face and I implore you to explore it.'
If you’ve already read the book let me know what your take-away messages are, and what changes, if any, you've made. If you have not read it, treat yourself - here's a link to Amazon - you won't be sorry.
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