When I started reading this book I totally understood the hype behind it and what everybody was talking about. The self proclaimed straight talking companion is exactly what is says on the cover, its 'Pretty Honest'. With five star reviews across the board from fashion magazines and beauty bloggers alike, I knew I had to grab myself a copy and see what Sali Hughes debut book was all about.
Sali Hughes is a Welsh journalist, writer and broadcaster and has written features, beauty and lifestyle columns, opinion columns and celebrity interviews for Grazia, ELLE, Red, The Guardian, Glamour, Top Santé, Now and Cosmopolitan. Since January 2011 she has also been the Guardian’s resident beauty columnist, featuring weekly in their Saturday magazine and online video tutorials. Hughes views on beauty and lifestyle are really refreshing and it is not surprising she has had such popularity and a huge fan following!
The cover itself is very simple and shows the reader exactly what the book is about without being too in your face, this simplistic approach is very clever and something I really liked when I saw this in the bookstore, and knew it would make a great addition to my bookshelf.
When I was reading 'Pretty Honest' I was really blown away although it is 328 pages I could not bring myself to put this book down. In most beauty books there is a strong need to plug products or tell you rather than advise you about products and methods and this is totally different, Hughes tells the reader what is necessary and what isn't, advising you on things you don't necessarily need in your makeup kit, and what items work well on different skin types. A favourite of mine was the chapter on 'Red Lipstick'. As an avid fan of red lipstick and having an extensive collection, this chapter screamed out to me. Hughes discusses the hardship of trying to find the perfect red lipstick and suggests which reds suit which skin tones, for example "..the paler the face, the orangier the red should be." I also love how Hughes has given us a step by step guide of how to apply red lipstick which I found very useful especially the blotting sections of the guide which I hadn't even thought of doing prior.
I also loved the chapter on Beauty Icons, Hughes included a few people that I haven't seen other people mention before and showed great admiration for people such as Anne-Marie Duff and Barbra Streisand instead of praising someone like Marilyn Monroe who everyone seems to turn to. As an avid fan of Streisand and the other beauty icons in the chapter to say I liked this section was an understatement I LOVED it, its nice to see Hughes think outside the box and include people that haven't been flogged to death by everyone else, it really shows her creative difference and how she is really giving us her own personal opinion rather than following the crowd. Everyone has their own personal beauty icons and it was great to see her mentioning hers.
All in all with chapters such as Your daily skincare routine, Basic Kit: the products you need now ( and the stuff you don't) which give us a great view on what exactly we should have in our kits and what fads we really don't , Brows, Beauty Icons etc this book is an absolute joy to read, it feels as if Hughes is having a discussion with the reader rather than telling which is a breathe of fresh air and different to most beauty books I have read. 'Pretty Honest' focuses on the reader and what could work best with them as well as discussing items and routines you don't necessarily need in your life, likewise this is different to most beauty books I have read in the past. Ever since reading this beauty companion I find myself reaching for it on a daily basis to refresh my memory or just browse on what different things I could try that day. It is exactly what you need in a beauty book and once you have it you really won't need anything else!
★★★★★'Pretty Honest' is exactly what it says on the front and once you indulge in this beauty companion you will find yourself glued and constantly re-reading on a daily basis!
Check out Sali Hughes at http://www.salihughesbeauty.com
and also at http://www.theguardian.com/profile/sali-hughes ,
for beauty Reviews and videos!! xoxo
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