Title Tuesday: My Current Favourite Beauty and Fashion Books

Whilst I enjoy a good read of a blog post or an online article, I'm pretty old school when it comes to books and I love a good paperback. The same goes for fashion and beauty books, which is why I love to have a few good reference books in my library to flick through for inspiration. These are my current faves, which are yours?

The Little Dictionary of Fashion, A Guide to Dress Sense for Every Woman (Christian Dior):

A 2008 Victoria and Albert Museum re-printing of Christian Dior's original 1954 'dictionary of fashion', this is a great handbag or coffee table book. Fun to flick through, with some useful and some outdated tips and tricks on how to dress well, this book perfect for any fashionista.

Compacts and Cosmetics, Beauty from Victorian Times to the Present Day (Madeleine Marsh):

From fashion to beauty, Madeleine Marsh's 'Compacts and Cosmetics' is a great guide to the history and evolution of beauty, makeup brands and vintage makeup collecting.

Check out my Title Tuesday post dedicated to Compacts and Cosmetics:

http://cupcakesandcosmeticsbyclare.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/back-to-bloggin-title-tuesday-compacts.html

Fashionista, A Century of Style Icons (Simone Werle):

Beautifully combining neat biographies and classic imagery, this book charts the classic fashionistas and starlets of the 20th century. All the great are there, Marilyn Monroe (of course!), Audrey Hepburn, alongside guides to the unique styles of more recent heroines such as Agness Deyn and Gwen Stefani.

Carpe Diem xx

Back To Bloggin': Title Tuesday - Compacts and Cosmetics

I told you I'd be back, so I'm kicking off the upgrading of my blog with 'Title Tuesday', where I will share my favourite pick from my bookshelf that week. As a beauty blogger and amateur historian I have always had a fascination with fashion, cosmetics and body adornment of other eras and cultures.

I first became aware of 'Compacts and Cosmetics: Beauty from Victorian Times to the Present Day' after watching world-famous celebrity makeup artist Lisa Eldridge's interview with it's author (the interview was recorded in two parts and is available on YouTube), beauty historian and collector Madeleine Marsh. Needless I eyed up the book and it was on my Amazon wishlist for quite a while before I finally took the plunge!

It arrived in speedy Amazon fashion the other day and it definately doesn't disappoint! Charting the progress of not only the cosmetics industry but also the history of women's lives in the 19th and 20th centuries, the book outlines key movements in social history and cosmetics manufacturing. Linking the influence of makeup with women's liberation and vice versa this is a must buy for any beauty addict. 

Like me I'm sure you'll end up flicking through its chapters and gazing adoringly at it's pictures for years to come if you buy this book!

Carpe diem xx