Face Forward

Face Forward is a groundbreaking makeup and beauty book by celebrity makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin that introduces advanced techniques like contouring and sculpting to everyday readers. The book features transformative makeovers of celebrities including Julia Roberts, Sharon Stone, Martha Stewart, and Tori Amos. The publication was an immediate commercial success, with an initial printing of 275,000 copies that quickly expanded to 425,000 copies due to high demand. Major media outlets showcased the book, including a 12-page feature in InStyle magazine and dedicated segments on The Oprah Winfrey Show and the Today Show. Face Forward represents a pivotal moment in beauty culture, democratizing professional makeup techniques and establishing now-standard practices in cosmetic application. The book's influence continues to shape modern approaches to makeup artistry and self-transformation.

Readers appreciate Face Forward as a makeup instruction guide with clear step-by-step photos showing dramatic transformations. Many note the book goes beyond basic techniques to demonstrate how makeup can completely change facial features. Likes: - Detailed product recommendations and tool suggestions - Celebrity transformations showing versatile techniques - High-quality photography that clearly shows application steps - Personal stories and commentary from Aucoin Dislikes: - Some techniques require professional-level skills - Product recommendations are now dated - Focus on dramatic looks rather than everyday makeup - Price point considered high by some readers Ratings: Goodreads: 4.3/5 (3,900+ ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (500+ ratings) Common review quote: "More of an art book than a how-to guide, but the techniques are incredible if you take time to study them." - Goodreads reviewer Several readers mention keeping it as a coffee table book rather than a practical manual.

Making Faces by Kevyn Aucoin This step-by-step makeup guide includes techniques for transforming faces through cosmetics with photos and sketches to demonstrate each method.

Makeup Your Mind by François Nars This before-and-after makeup manual presents techniques through a three-layer approach using acetate overlays to reveal makeup application specifics.

About Face by Scott Barnes This makeup artist resource provides techniques from red carpet transformations and includes guidance for makeup application on different skin types and tones.

Fine Beauty by Sam Fine This makeup guide focuses on application techniques for women of color with instruction from a celebrity makeup artist who works with supermodels and entertainers.

Makeup Makeovers by Robert Jones This beauty reference presents makeup application methods through side-by-side photos showing the progression from bare face to finished look.

✧ The book's revolutionary techniques were so influential that they sparked the modern contouring trend, which gained massive popularity decades later through social media and beauty influencers ✧ Kevyn Aucoin worked with over 40 different celebrities for this project, with several allowing themselves to be photographed completely makeup-free to demonstrate the true impact of his transformative techniques ✧ Before his untimely death in 2002, Aucoin charged up to $6,000 per makeup session and was the first makeup artist to have an exclusive contract with a major cosmetics brand (Revlon) ✧ The photography in Face Forward was shot entirely by Aucoin himself, who was a self-taught photographer, adding another layer of artistic control to his vision ✧ Several celebrities in the book were transformed to look like other famous figures, including Lisa Marie Presley as Marilyn Monroe and Martha Stewart as Veronica Lake, demonstrating the power of makeup artistry