Fed up of not knowing how to choose the right lipstick colour or control your fly-away hair? Not sure what skin products are good for your combination skin or how to apply your expensive new foundation? Then this is the book for you. With its sumptuous silver cover and stylish photography, it is an ideal gift for those who want practical advice and skills on how to make the most of their skin and hair. Written by Marie Claire"s beauty editor, Emma Bannister, the emphasis is on demystifying common beauty myths and explaining how you can achieve a salon style look--be it blowdrying your hair or applying fake tan--in your own home. The book is divided into six comprehensive sections: the real you, skincare, make-up basics, colour, haircare and beauty solutions. Each chapter is clearly laid out with easy-to-follow box sections of advice, tips, and lots of helpful photographs. The food section is particularly good with sensible advice on skin "goodies" and "baddies". Also recommended is the section entitled "faking it". Read this and discover how to apply fake tan properly and end up looking like a bronzed beauty--not orange and streaky! Because the emphasis of the book is on real women and achievable beauty, real women have been interviewed and photographed for several sections of the book--a welcome change from the usual page after page shots of perfect models. The book finishes with a comprehensive directory listing a wide range of suppliers suitable for all purse sizes. --Meg Slyfield