Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Review: Cosmo's Sexiest Beauty Secrets


My Cosmo's Sexiest Beauty Secrets book came from Amazon two Fridays along with You: Being Beautiful ($16.19), but I've been busy so I'm sorry I didn't post this review sooner. It was only $12.35 from Amazon with free shipping.

It's a quick and easy read. I read the first 63 out of 185 pages in just less than an hour and finished it the first weekend I got it! (Although I will go through it again more leisurely or linger on certain pages.)

I have to say that this is definitely not an in-depth beauty book. I should have known since it was written by the editors of Cosmo, but basically it reads like the beauty pages of a magazine. Actually, it feels even shorter because the writing is fluffier but not as good as the magazine writing and some parts are more basic than what I'd expected from Cosmo.


I feel that since it's a book and not magazine, it's marketed to a much more general audience, so a lot of the information is very basic (like how to apply concealer under your eyes). Of course, this really depends on where you are with your makeup knowledge and experience. I am not that experienced but I have read many magazines over the years as well as a couple of beauty books, so that's what I'm using to measure this book against (including Cosmo magazine itself).

Also I felt like I not didn't learn as much as I would have liked because of the generalizations. For instance, the book frequently refers to skin tones...but only three (light, medium, and dark or by ethnicities white, Asian, Latina, and African-American). For those of us who don't fall neatly into those conventional categories, like medium/bronze Asian, caramel African-American, or mixed, you don't feel like you really learned something great or useful. (I myself am light/medium to medium with yellow undertones. In the picture below, it says something like Asians' biggest aging issue is getting sunspots and freckles due to their milky porcelain complexion...well, I think I relate more to the Latinas' issue of unevenness because medium skin can turn blotchy from sun damage.)


Because it's a book it's apparent they want the info to be "timeless" in a sense and therefore products are recommended in a general way (i.e. primer, pink blush) and not by specific brands or product names (you won't see UDPP or NARS Orgasm, for example). To me, that's good and bad, partly because I'm a sucka for products that are listed as being gorgeous examples. Also you won't see any celebrity names or photos and I'm usually a sucka for wanting to try or copy something that works for a beautiful celebrity.


The book doesn't do justice to certain sections, such as skin(face), but it comes much more alive for makeup, hair and skin (body)/spa tips. My favorite sections are probably Eyes and Spa.

There's also a hair section that's not too bad.


So overall, I think it's a cute bedside or coffee table book to flip through, but it's not the be-all-end-all beauty book I'd expected from Cosmo. I would rate it about 3.5 stars out of 5.

Some other beauty books that I have read and own are Tyra's Beauty Inside & Out by Tyra Banks and The Beauty of Color by Iman. In comparison, I think they are much more information though the Tyra one is more of a beginner's book, and Iman's book may not cover as many topics but what it does cover is much more in-depth. In Iman's book, especially the skin (face) section and info are actually think are more timeless than Cosmo's book, inho. (Sorry Cosmo...I'll still read your magazine though!)

If anyone is interested in learning more about Iman's book, I'd be happy to do a review with pictures! Just let me know.

I hope everyone enjoyed her Thanksgiving weekend! Do any damage shopping? I'm actually proud of myself that I've resisted all the sales...but I did meet a new love...the Canon PowerShot SD 880IS! I heart Canon.

16 comments:

  1. ohh u got the new canon powershot! i have the older version 870ish.. i really wanna upgrade to this but now i kinda want the asthon kutcher one haha wut did u use before? did u have the same as mines if so how much diffeent is it ?

    i wanna know baout sensitive skin how come the book doesnt have it?

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  2. Girl.. THanks soo much for this!! I was thinking of getting the book, but now maybe not.

    I was looking at the Canon SD110. Trying to convice the bf to get it for my xmas gift!LOL!

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  3. hey same thing here. my husband bought me the book and i read it cover to cover in like only 1 1/2 hours. After that, it was like.. "uh.. that's it" haha! He insisted on buying me a cam last monday.. He got me the Fujifilm s2000HD.. although I still have my trusty canon sd1000.. :)

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  4. hmm i think you officaily convinced me NOT to get this! lol ppl

    raved abotu it but idk it didnt seem like i would learn something NEW lol thanx for the review <33

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  5. ooooo look at the pretty picturesssss taken with her new purdy cameraaaaa ... YAY!

    no wonder they're so pro looking, go you. we said we were gonna get our cams. and we did the damn thing.

    lol how sad, my cosmo book is already on ebay. rofl.
    it's like cosmo mag in book format.

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  6. Informative review, my lady -_0 And thanks for the comp on my new short locks :D. Congrats on your new cam *ogling* hehe. It's cool to see what cams peops use and I'm lovin' your new profile pic oxox

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  7. Very in depth. I appreciate the review. I'm somewhat in the same boat - and hell, where'd the South Indian/Pakistani/Brown skin go? Haha, totally excluded our entire race!
    Bobbi Brown had a book out once, it was pretty good - too much about her but it was still good.

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  8. Thanks for the review!! I was interested in how this book is~

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  9. I can sense the writer about you! How wonderfilled would a day be if we actually met up for a lit symposium over something yummy??!! I am actually going to Cape Town for a conference with work but thought I should take a day or two out to work my creativity in my motherland! haha

    I am guilty of fraud! I have set up my secret blog but not actually put anything up onto it!! I plan to next week and as soon as I have something on there- you will be the first person that I invite. Please send me your email?? (makemeshiney@gmail.com)

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  10. Oh yes!! Please can you send me your address??

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  11. wow a guest appearance on you new camera huh? Good to see that you fell in love with you new Canon PowerShot SD 880IS can't wait too see more pictures taken with the new toy.

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  12. Hey Girl

    yah def. prefer DEEP THROAT over SUPER ORGASM... lol -- super O was just way too much damn glitter.

    and i actually did pretty good on that last haul with the saving money, the mac brushes were a laker/raptors bet with u know who. and thankfully I won.. so Tia 1 -- Hearts 0

    and then the brush pft $8, that lil sale from Lyn those were hecka good prices.

    but nowww it's on to the Xmas Santa Tia. HO HO HOOOOO

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  13. Thanks for saying hi!! I may not comment much, but I definately follow your blog. =)

    You were one of the few people I knew since you kept your blog name..lol

    And once I saw Mimi on I knew who she was..based on her name I was lost though..lol

    btw--your new camera is PURTY..lol

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  14. hey babe! yes, believe it or not, if i'm in torrance, i get my lashes from the korean market Freshia on crenshaw and torrance blvd. =)

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  15. Diana-I was s0o dissapointed with this book. I'm a magazine junkie, so if I see an article, make up idea, hairstyle, recipe, whatevs, in a magazine I yank it out and have a huge binder full of them. There's nothing in this book, that I haven't seen in the mag b4.

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  16. mmmm sexy cameraaaaa

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