Finish: Give Yourself the Gift of Done


Jon Acuff - 2017
    I’ve started a million things, but I never finish them. Why can’t I finish?According to studies, 92 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail. You’ve practically got a better shot at getting into Juilliard to become a ballerina than you do at finishing your goals. For years, I thought my problem was that I didn’t try hard enough. So I started getting up earlier. I drank enough energy drinks to kill a horse. I hired a life coach and ate more superfoods. Nothing worked, although I did develop a pretty nice eyelid tremor from all the caffeine. It was like my eye was waving at you, very, very quickly. Then, while leading a thirty-day online course to help people work on their goals, I learned something surprising: The most effective exercises were not those that pushed people to work harder. The ones that got people to the finish line did just the opposite— they took the pressure off. Why? Because the sneakiest obstacle to meeting your goals is not laziness, but perfectionism. We’re our own worst critics, and if it looks like we’re not going to do something right, we prefer not to do it at all. That’s why we’re most likely to quit on day two, “the day after perfect”—when our results almost always underper­form our aspirations. The strategies in this book are counterintuitive and might feel like cheating. But they’re based on studies conducted by a university researcher with hundreds of participants. You might not guess that having more fun, eliminating your secret rules, and choosing something to bomb intentionally works. But the data says otherwise. People who have fun are 43 percent more successful! Imagine if your diet, guitar playing, or small business was 43 percent more suc­cessful just by following a few simple principles. If you’re tired of being a chronic starter and want to become a consistent finisher, you have two options: You can continue to beat yourself up and try harder, since this time that will work. Or you can give yourself the gift of done.

The French Beauty Solution: Time-Tested Secrets to Look and Feel Beautiful Inside and Out


Mathilde Thomas - 2015
    She interviewed thousands of women and was struck by how different the French and American approaches to beauty were. American women are all about the quick fix—the elusive product or procedure that will instantly solve a nagging beauty problem, even if it hurts, is wildly expensive, or is damaging in the long term. The French, by contrast, approach beauty as an essential and pleasurable part of the day, a lifelong and active investment that makes you look and feel good.Mathilde used these insights to turn Caudalíe into one of America’s top beauty brands. Drawing on her company’s twenty years of scientific skin-care expertise backed by the research of doctors and dermatologists—as well as the beauty secrets she learned growing up on a vineyard in Bordeaux—The French Beauty Solution covers everything from how to use natural ingredients such as oil and honey to wash your face; what foods to eat for healthier hair, skin, and nails; and the amazing properties of grapes and grapeseed oil. She also introduces an easy three-day grape cleanse that European aristocrats have been using to detox for hundreds of years. Blending stories, science, DIY recipes, and tons of savoir faire, The French Beauty Solution is the last beauty regimen you’ll ever need.

Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life


Nir Eyal - 2019
    Later, as you're about to get back to work, a colleague taps you on the shoulder to chat. At home, screens get in the way of quality time with your family. Another day goes by, and once again, your most important personal and professional goals are put on hold.  What would be possible if you followed through on your best intentions? What could you accomplish if you could stay focused and overcome distractions? What if you had the power to become "indistractable"?  International best-selling author, former Stanford lecturer, and behavioral design expert, Nir Eyal, wrote Silicon Valley's handbook for making technology habit-forming. Five years after publishing Hooked, Eyal reveals distraction's Achilles' heel in his groundbreaking new book.  In Indistractable, Eyal reveals the hidden psychology driving us to distraction. He describes why solving the problem is not as simple as swearing off our devices: Abstinence is impractical and often makes us want more.  Eyal lays bare the secret of finally doing what you say you will do with a four-step, research-backed model. Indistractable reveals the key to getting the best out of technology, without letting it get the best of us.  Inside, Eyal overturns conventional wisdom and reveals: Why distraction at work is a symptom of a dysfunctional company culture - and how to fix it  What really drives human behavior and why "time management is pain management"  Why your relationships (and your sex life) depend on you becoming indistractable  How to raise indistractable children in an increasingly distracting world Empowering and optimistic, Indistractable provides practical, novel techniques to control your time and attention - helping you live the life you really want.

How To Be Adored


Caroline Cox - 2009
    A glamorous woman has a magnetism few men can resist, yet all of us can attain it--even those without classically natural beauty. Many beautiful women lack glamour and conversely some of the most unusual looking women have glamour by the bucket load. "How to be Adored" is a style guide with a difference, featuring secrets and advice from a roll call of history's most seductive women, including Marlene Dietrich, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Jackie O, Debbie Harry, Sophia Loren, Gwyneth Paltrow, Princess Diana, Kate Moss, Gwen Stefani and Carla Bruni. In their own words they reveal how to achieve glamour and how to be adored by all you encounter. Professor of Fashion, Caroline Cox, fills every page with witty observations and entertaining anecdotes. With masses of primary research you will be instantly drawn in by the juicy revelations about Hollywood stars past and present. "How to be Adored" is packed with useful information and advice, supported by wise words from those who know. And as you begin your glamorous transformation, remember what sixties film star Arlene Dahl said, 'There's no such thing as an ugly woman. There are only those who have not realized their full potential.'

The Glam Guide


Fleur de Force - 2015
    What began as a fun hobby quickly turned into something much bigger, and she's spent the past five years seeking out the best products, top tips and easiest ways for us all to look and feel more fabulous. In The Glam Guide she shares all of her secrets and discoveries so whether you're looking for makeup tips, wardrobe cheats, first-date pointers or healthy lifestyle motivation, this is the book for you.

Parisian Chic: A Style Guide


Inès de La Fressange - 2010
    Inès de la Fressange—France’s icon of chic—shares her personal tips for living with style and charm, gleaned from decades in the fashion industry. She offers specific pointers on how to dress like a Parisian, including how to mix affordable basics with high-fashion touches, and how to accessorize. Her step-by-step do’s and don’ts are accompanied by fashion photography, and the book is personalized with her charming drawings. Inès also shares how to bring Parisian chic into your home, and how to insert your signature style into any space—even the office. The ultrachic volume is wrapped with a three-quarter-height removable jacket and features offset aquarelle paper and a ribbon page marker. Complete with her favorite addresses for finding the ultimate fashion and decorating items, this is a must-have for any woman who wants to add a touch of Paris to her own style.

Love, Lashes, and Lipstick: My Secrets for a Gorgeous, Happy Life


Mally Roncal - 2014
     Celebrity makeup artist Mally Roncal has a message she wants to share with the whole world: What makes you different makes you beautiful! It’s the mantra that inspires her work with A-list clients (who include Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Angelina Jolie, Taylor Swift, Mary J. Blige, and Kelly Osbourne) and every single “bulletproof” item in her Mally Beauty cosmetics line. With her warm, generous spirit, infectious energy, and deeply rooted belief that with a positive outlook and a couple of genius makeup tricks every woman can be gorgois inside and out, Mally has created a legion of fans, a.k.a. Mallynistas, who faithfully tune in whenever she appears on QVC and follow her on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram.   In Love, Lashes, and Lipstick, Mally tells her own story of growing up as the daughter of two Filipino doctors; smuggling blue eyeliner into her Catholic school; breaking into the business (with giant platform heels and bleached blond hair) in New York; jetting around the world with megastars; meeting her soul mate when she was least expecting it; and gradually building a full, joyous life running her own business and raising three young girls.   Along with her wise and hilarious life lessons, Mally shares the secrets to all her signature looks with easy, step-by-step instructions and gorgeous illustrations. Want to master Beyoncé’s and JLo’s sexy glow, or the ultimate smoky eye? Need to look polished but fierce for a big day at work, or fake eight hours of sleep when you only got four? As Mally would say, “It’s all here, my loves! Come and get it!”Praise for Love, Lashes, and Lipstick  “The beauty book you’ve been waiting for forever.”—The Huffington Post   “Mally Roncal’s new book is full of beauty wisdom. . . . If you’re a makeup junkie, you’ll want to get your hands on it ASAP.”—Allure   “A beauty lover’s must-read.”—StyleBistro“The most important thing we learn from Mally (aside from everything you ever wanted to know about false eyelashes) is how to have fun, how to be a wonderful, beautiful, love-filled person, and how to enjoy life. Had this book come along earlier, I might have had a better life (and better lashes).”—Isaac Mizrahi   “Mally Roncal’s approach to makeup is exemplified by her personality: smart, sexy, fun, and beautiful. I really dig this woman!”—RuPaul   “Mally’s gift, aside from creating beautiful makeup, is her incredible generosity of spirit. She shares tools for feeling beautiful inside and out. Mally’s family is the center of her universe, and her heart is big enough to enfold each and every friend, client, and customer within that family. Kudos to my dear friend on this amazing book! Within it are the tools for achieving true beauty.”—Tracy Reese   “Mally isn’t just a beauty expert—she’s a spirited cheerleader for women everywhere. Within the first twenty minutes of reading her new book, I found myself in stitches, then tears, then stitches again.”—Amy Synnott, executive editor, InStyle

Makeup: The Ultimate Guide


Rae Morris - 2008
    Rae also reveals all the tricks, techniques and trade secrets, including which eye shadow colours work best and how to contour and highlight your face.

L'art de la Simplicité: How to Live More with Less


Dominique Loreau - 2008
    Discover the magic of simplicity in this international bestseller.Biographical Notes Dominique Loreau is a French essayist who has lived in Japan since the 1970s. After fully adopting the Japanese way of life, she now offers seminars for those who want to simplify their lives. L'art de la Simplicite was published in France in 2005 by Laffont and is an international bestseller.

Style Yourself


Tavi Gevinson - 2011
    This book presents the best of fashion bloggers, with tons of outfit ideas and expert tips that show you how to apply high-fashion inspiration to your everyday wardrobe. In this innovative guide to personal style, 95 of the world’s premier fashion bloggers—whose sites receive over 500,000 daily visits combined—give hundreds of coveted insider tips, which are sure to delight teens, industry experts, and urban professionals alike. These new taste-makers (including Jane Aldridge of Sea of Shoes, Tavi Gevinson of Style Rookie, and Susie Lau of Style Bubble) boldly lead the way toward fresh personal style, sharing rich images of their wardrobe inspiration and glimpses into their personal fashion philosophies. With eight comprehensive chapters, Style Yourself has you covered—from your head to your toes! Hundreds of illustrated and annotated garments provide readers with classic fit and styling advice, and for each type of garment, you’ll find examples of how to rock it from the blogosphere’s hyper-chic members . . . from Stockholm to Cape Town, and Osaka to Milan. Featuring: -GARMENT BASICS. Each type of garment is broken down, piece by piece, to help readers get their personal perfect fit. -TAKE YOUR PICK. Illustrated galleries showcase tons of garment types, giving you variations on the basics, plus how to style each one. -GARMENT REMIX. Bloggers show you how to mix and match basic garments in clever, fresh ways. -BUILD YOUR LOOK. Learn how fashion bloggers start with a basic garment and use it to build a complete, head-to-toe look. -SKIRT THE GLOBE. Go on a whirlwind tour to see how international bloggers wear a trend piece. Chapters include: Wardrobe basics – Get on top of your everyday look and learn what’s a must-have for any woman’s closet. Plus, insider shopping tips! Tops – Start at the top—literally. See how to remix that old rock-band tee, wear a sequin shell any day of the week, and get cuffs that hit just right. Bottoms – Craft fresh, high-fashion looks with fun layered tutus, elegant maxi skirts, clever cropped trousers, and brave knit shorts. Dresses – Be a knockout at every occasion—from picnic-perfect pinafores to sexy date-night mini dresses and formal goddess gowns. Colors and Fabrics – Take a crash course in color to figure out which hues look best on you! Discover how to go monochromatic, use an accent color, and play with multiple prints for unexpected looks. Shoes – Skimmers, kitten heels, booties, brogues, and more! Study up on these fun shoe styles to see how a great pair of kicks can transform any outfit. Accessories – Top off your look with a fedora worn in a surprising way, a pair of perfectly flattering sunglasses, or a stack of luxe bangles. Underpinnings – Bras and hosiery can make or break an outfit! This chapter ensures that the garments closest to you give you the confidence to make the whole ensemble rock. With its vibrant imagery and user-friendly appeal, Style Yourself is a book to be savored, showcasing ideas that range from highbrow couture to everyday chic. Let these self-made fashion experts guide you through the maze of fashion, so you can build a personal style that’s all your own!

The Home Edit: A Guide to Organizing and Realizing Your House Goals


Clea Shearer - 2019
    From the Instagram-sensation home experts (with a serious fan club that includes Reese Witherspoon, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Mindy Kaling), here is an accessible, room-by-room guide to establishing new order in your home.Believe this: every single space in your house has the potential to function efficiently and look great. The mishmash of summer and winter clothes in the closet? Yep. Even the dreaded junk drawer? Consider it done. And the best news: it's not hard to do--in fact, it's a lot of fun.From the home organizers who made their orderly eye candy the method that everyone swears by comes Joanna and Clea's signature approach to decluttering. The Home Edit walks you through paring down your belongings in every room, arranging them in a stunning and easy-to-find way (hello, labels!), and maintaining the system so you don't need another do-over in six months. When you're done, you'll not only know exactly where to find things, but you'll also love the way it looks.A masterclass and look book in one, The Home Edit is filled with bright photographs and detailed tips, from placing plastic dishware in a drawer where little hands can reach to categorizing pantry items by color (there's nothing like a little ROYGBIV to soothe the soul). Above all, it's like having your best friends at your side to help you turn the chaos into calm.

Better than Beauty: A Guide to Charm


Helen Valentine - 1938
    It's the perfect simplicity of manners--a winsome blend of kindness, confidence, and grace. Better than Beauty resuscitates the long-lost art of charm with hints, tips, and tricks guaranteed to boost our charm quotient. First published in 1938, this classic compendium is overflowing with timeless advice to help guide you through a maze of social interactions with wit and finesse. Much more than an etiquette or personal grooming book, Better than Beauty tackles complicated social situations with delicacy. You'll learn-How to engage in creative conversation-How to be pleasant on paper and refined on the telephone-How to choose your confidantes with care-How to maintain peace in difficult situations-How to find the most flattering clothing for your figure-How to deflect unwanted advances-How to be kind to atrocious peopleAnd much, much more...

Entre Nous: A Woman's Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl


Debra Ollivier - 2003
    Why do French women always look inimitably stylish? How do they manage to sit in a café for a three-course lunch and a glass of wine...by themselves? What gives them the certainty that allows them to refuse anything-whether a man, a job, or a little black dress-that doesn't suit them perfectly?More than just a book on fashion, Entre Nous is about the essence of French living-its observations about French women and their ways will help you take the best of all pages from the French girl's book: the page that reveals how to really enjoy life."Ollivier spent a decade in France and learned a thing or two about how French women cultivate that sense of being easy in one's skin...(she) helps us bridge the cultural gap."- Seattle Times

Making Faces


Kevyn Aucoin - 1997
    Kevin Aucoin shares his secrets, explaining not only the basics of makeup application and technique but also how to use the fundamentals to create a wide range of different looks.

10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works


Dan Harris - 2014
    A lifelong nonbeliever, he found himself on a bizarre adventure, involving a disgraced pastor, a mysterious self-help guru, and a gaggle of brain scientists. Eventually, Harris realized that the source of his problems was the very thing he always thought was his greatest asset: the incessant, insatiable voice in his head, which had both propelled him through the ranks of a hyper-competitive business and also led him to make the profoundly stupid decisions that provoked his on-air freak-out.We all have a voice in our head. It’s what has us losing our temper unnecessarily, checking our email compulsively, eating when we’re not hungry, and fixating on the past and the future at the expense of the present. Most of us would assume we’re stuck with this voice – that there’s nothing we can do to rein it in – but Harris stumbled upon an effective way to do just that. It’s a far cry from the miracle cures peddled by the self-help swamis he met; instead, it’s something he always assumed to be either impossible or useless: meditation. After learning about research that suggests meditation can do everything from lower your blood pressure to essentially rewire your brain, Harris took a deep dive into the underreported world of CEOs, scientists, and even marines who are now using it for increased calm, focus, and happiness.10% Happier takes readers on a ride from the outer reaches of neuroscience to the inner sanctum of network news to the bizarre fringes of America’s spiritual scene, and leaves them with a takeaway that could actually change their lives.