| A
supermodel for more than 40 years, Christie Brinkley shares
her personal beauty regimen in this audiobook, offering her
experiences and recommendations on skin, hair, diet, exercise,
makeup, clothing, and dermatological procedures. Some of the
general advice is what readers would expect to hear because
they've heard it from other sources: wear sunscreen every
day, stay away from sugar, bread, and pasta, eat dark colored
fruits and vegetables, exercise daily with a variety of different
activities, and develop your own unique fashion style.
The book contains many specific suggestions, too. For example,
Brinkley describes a plank exercise that works the core more
effectively and safely than doing crunches. She goes into
great detail about how to apply eyeliner, eyelashes, and eye
shadow to make eyes look larger. Readers also will learn how
she applies fresh avocados and coconut oil to her hair for
extra shine, plus dozens of other suggestions.
Brinkley reads the material in a natural, conversational style,
as if she were talking to a small group of friends. At one
point, she offers a sincere apology for including tanning
suggestions in her previous beauty book, written more than
thirty years ago before the link between tanning and skin
cancer was well-established. In fact, the entire effort seems
sincere, as Brinkley shares her "Quick Tips" and
other ideas with readers about how she stays so young and
healthy looking, despite being 61, enduring many injuries,
and raising three children.
A PDF on the fourth CD contains "My Favorite Recipes"
developed by her personal chef, a list of "enlightened"
and "unenlightened food" (such as using applesauce
to replace butter or eggs), an endorsement of the Total Gym
product for which she's been a long-time spokesperson, a list
of superfoods for skin, twenty makeup tips for any age (such
as use powder only in your T-zone), and a resource guide with
products and people she recommends (including her own line
of Christie Brinkley beauty products). The PDF would have
been even more helpful with demonstrations of the exercises
she describes in the book, and with additional bulleted points
taken from the text.
Despite its good intentions and helpful ideas, the book often
lacks relatability. As Brinkley has spent her entire career
earning money from her appearance, it makes sense she would
focus on beauty elements during most of her waking hours.
For the average reader, however, there's a sense of separation,
as she (or he) likely cannot afford worldwide travel, a personal
trainer, personal chef, physical therapist, makeup artist,
and other beauty experts, nor can she spend the time necessary
to duplicate Brinkley's makeup and exercise regimen. And the
average reader cannot expect to look like Christie Brinkley
regardless of the time, effort, or expense exerted on her
appearance. Rather than reading this book with the intention
of adopting the author's complete program, readers may get
the most benefit from expecting to find a useful tip or two
from each area covered, and adapting these ideas for their
own personal use. |
