On My Beauty Bookshelf: Face Paint By Lisa Eldridge

Face Paint by Lisa Eldridge

I don’t really fancy the term “makeup guru” especially when used on YouTube but if I do, I would give that to my favourite YouTuber and celebrity makeup artist Lisa Eldridge anytime. I’ve been following her videos for years and when she released her first book, Face Paint, I made sure to pick one up as soon as possible.

When Lisa Eldridge did her series on vintage makeup and interviewed Madeleine Marsh on her collection vintage makeup, it made me fall in love with her even more. And to think that her first book is on the history of makeup … well, that’s just a no-brainer; I had to get my hands on it!

Face Paint by Lisa Eldridge

It’s interesting that for a makeup artist, her first book wouldn’t be on makeup tutorials, tips and tricks, but on the history of makeup. I’m certainly not complaining; give me the history of beauty any time! I can always watch makeup tutorials on YouTube; heck I’m sure a lot of us learn better visually anyway.

Face Paint by Lisa Eldridge

The cover of the book is incredibly eye-catching and it matches the title of the book perfectly with all those carefully applied flecks of makeup. In Face Paint, Lisa Eldridge traces the beginning of makeup in ancient and classical times, through the Victorian age and golden era of Hollywood and up to today. It explores the practical and idiosyncratic reasons behind makeup’s uses and the actual materials used over generations.

To be honest, it’s hard for me not to compare Face Paint with Madeleine Marsh’s Compacts and Cosmetics because their topics of research were quite similar and I had only read the latter not too long ago. Nevertheless, Face Paint was very well-researched and written. It’s not just a book filled with pretty pictures. In many ways, Lisa made the book very “Lisa” by also including makeup muses that were inspirational to her. I particularly enjoyed how she incorporated how different cultures use makeup into the book.

The book delved into the history of beauty pioneers in the olden days and the modern world, how certain colours dominated the cosmetics culture, how certain beauty product evolved from the war times to modern day and much more. Each chapter reveals interesting industry stories that I’m just only learning for the first time.

Face Paint by Lisa Eldridge

Lisa also showcased some of her beloved vintage makeup that she’s collected over the years and they’re still a delight to behold. It almost made me wish I didn’t chuck all those makeup I held on to years ago because who knows, 20-30 years down the road, what I had would be considered vintage. 😛

All in all, Face Paint is a highly enjoyable read on top of being a very pretty coffee table book. If you’re interested in the history of makeup and how it evolved from ancient times to what it is today, I can’t recommend this book enough.

Face Paint by Lisa Eldridge

Face Paint retails at US$29.95. I got mine cheaper from Book Depository so *ahem* you know where to get yours. 😉

Have you read this book? Are you also a Lisa Eldridge fan?

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7 comments… add one
  1. Ash

    I’ve been meaning to get my hands on this book, I’m a huge fan of Lisa and I know she has a huge amount of knowledge so I can imagine this book will be so informative!
    Ash recently posted..Brand Focus / SmashboxMy Profile

    1. Tine

      Oh do get this book. You will love it!

  2. MM Curator

    Yes, this book is great! Very informative. Now I want to compare it to Gabriela Hernandez’ Classic Beauty: the History of Makeup, which I got for Christmas but haven’t gotten around to reading yet.
    MM Curator recently posted..Curator’s Corner, 1/24/2016My Profile

    1. Tine

      Oooh I’ve not heard of that! I’m going to Google it now! 😀

  3. I haven’t actually followed her on YouTube before. The book looks great though – I’m a big fan of makeup books and I think this one looks like a winner, especially given it takes a different focus to the norm. I think I shall head over to YouTube and check her out! x
    Belinda | The Female Entrepreneur Collective recently posted..What is Marketing & Why is it Important to Your Business?My Profile

    1. Tine

      Oh if there’s just ONE person you should follow on YouTube, it’s Lisa Eldridge. I would give everyone else up in a heartbeat but her, no way. 😛

  4. under armour curry 3

    The following time I read a blog, I hope that it doesnt disappoint me as much as this one. I imply, I know it was my option to learn, but I truly thought youd have one thing attention-grabbing to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you would fix in case you werent too busy searching for attention.

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