This beauty book is a dream. Short (116 pages)but packed with step-by-step instructions and brilliant illustrations (one would expect nothing less from the excellent Dorling Kindersley), it enables the beginner or intermediate make-up enthusiast to perfect their individual look. It helps you analyse your face shape, skin-tone etc. and then illustrates with colours and tools how to make the most of them, or cover up flaws. It takes you through all skin-care regimes such as toning and moisturising and shows you step-by-step how to apply foundation properly, for example. What I liked most was that the models had 'real' skin and less than perfect features to begin with - which means you can compare yourself and work on making your eyes look bigger with shadow or toning down rosiness with correctors, to name just a few. And the models are not all white - thank goodness. Women of all skin colour will gain from the book. Various life-like colour palettes for shadow, foundation, nail polish etc. give you much help in choosing colours which which suits your tone of skin. You can make all your choices based on these illustrations which approximate real colours, unlike lots of other beauty books. Little boxes throughout give you Tips and each section, eg. lips, eyes, nails has an 'Effects' page for recreating certain looks. There is also a wonderful gallery of eight looks for copying at home. I can really recommend this because it has an emphasis on 'classic', not fads or fashions, so it will never go out of date. Plus you take the onus for experimenting with the ideas in the book. It's biggest asset is that it assumes we are all of different skin-tone and type and works hard to cover all angles so that you can find and show-off your own 'classic' look.