Tykeeta Summers has just completed a review of The Beauty Blueprint

Writing through Rose-Tinted Glasses: link

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"The Beauty Bluepint: 8 Steps to Building the Life and Look of Your Dreams" is as much of a guide to feeling your best as it is one on how to look your best. Michelle Phillips, a makeup artist, TV persona, lifestyle coach, and motivational speaker, writes "The Beauty Blueprint" in an easy to follow format for women who want to improve their self-confidence and find a path to happiness in their lives by looking at specific aspects of one's life piece by piece.

She uses an interesting combination of personal experience with her wellness coachings and practical exercises to approach a message emphasizing the importance of "Mind, Beauty, and Spirit" all while maintaining that beauty is something that comes from within, and to showcase the best in people, it's important to look within and discover the qualities that make you feel in your happy space. Some of this includes looking at what qualities best describe you, evaluating relationships, seeing yourself in your ideal career/lifestyle, among other aspects.

None of it ever feels preachy and it's open ended enough to allow women of many backgrounds to think about what aspects they want to focus on improving in a general context. But in addition to the considerations of wellness, it also focuses on external beauty in giving practical tips on coordinating one's wardrobe, makeup tidbits, as well as practical organizational measures to keep in mind.

I read through this rather quickly, completing a few of the exercises within to see how well it would work for me, and it was worth the time spent. Its questions and mental visualizations were very appropriate, though I think the demographic for this book seems to aim beyond those who are in their 20s and 30s. I'm 27 as of writing this review, but I still found much of it applicable to me. Many of the exercises really don't take much time at all, and there's some wiggle room for artistic types in creating "The Beauty Blueprint." I kind of wish there were (visual) examples of other women's Beauty Blueprints to see the range of what people chose to do with it, though Phillips herself provides examples for some of the specific exercises completed within, and it's easy to understand and inspiring to read. Phillips' voice is encouraging, clear-cut, and informative throughout the work, and her presentation is very well-organized.

Overall a wellness book worth the read and one I would certainly return to.

Overall score: 4/5

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher Hay House, Inc.

Eliza Fayle has just completed a review of The Beauty Blueprint.

Name of blog: Silver & Grace

Run date of review: November 23, 2011 effective 1:00 a.m. EST

The Beauty Blueprint. Hm, what woman doesn't want a blueprint on how to be beautiful? And since the author of the Beauty Blueprint, Michelle Phillips, is a celebrity make-up artist she must be the perfect architect for such a blueprint. Wear this colour of eye shadow. Apply your blush just so. Don't forget the Spanx, ladies!

Interestingly, this is how her book starts out:

There was something more , and I wanted to know how to get it.

And so, my journey began. I kept helping women look beautiful while searching even harder to find the secrets to actually being beautiful.

Now isn't that insightful? Looking beautiful and actually being beautiful are not the same thing.

What Michelle discovered, of course, is that beauty truly does start inside and radiates outwards. As a make-over artist, Michelle discovered she could only take women so far, if she did not address the woman's 'insides' first.

Thank you, Michelle!

Although I enjoy watching shows like What Not To Wear? as much as the next person, I approach them with a healthy dose of skepticism. Buying a woman a $5000 wardrobe and giving her a haircut is not going to address why she stopped caring about her appearance in the first place. Until a woman truly believes she is fun, sexy, intelligent and real, a pretty outfit from H&M is not going to cut it.

And Michelle knows this. Which is why the full first half of her book is dedicated to tapping into the reader's inner beauty. She does this by encouraging you to be honest.

Being honest with yourself doesn't mean being critical; instead, it's an invitation to be authentic. Every truly beautiful woman knows the power of living authentically.

With information, advice, real examples, and exercises, Michelle guides you to an authentic, beautiful life.

Then and only then does she get into make-up and wardrobe hints and tips.

At this point, you are just putting the icing on the cake. The real beauty work is done. Now you are just showcasing it.

If you are ready to shine forth in all your authentic glory, The Beauty Blueprint is an excellent map for guiding you there.