By Genevieve LaFranc

Women are known for their faultless intuition, and as we get older, we often feel we already know everything there is to know about looking our best. While your “tried and true” makeup and hair regimes have served you well for a good bit of your life, it never hurts to update your knowledge and entertain the experts of the beauty field.

While magazines, romance novels, or even Harry Potter have kept you amused as summer reads, why not pick up a book that does more for you than distract you from work or life’s other responsibilities as we progress into Fall? Beauty books are some of my favorite to read: they are enjoyable and entertaining, but offer legitimate tips, techniques, advice and the latest knowledge of everything beauty, while inspiring you to set aside your favorite shade of lipstick for a fresh new look, or to conquer a technique you’ve been trying to master. Here are some of my favorites.

“Happy Hair Days” by Philip Kingsley

One of the simplest ways to give your look a boost is with your hair. Whether you’re trying a new style or cut, using a new moisturizing treatment, or test driving a bold new color, our hair is the ultimate accessory for enhancing our beauty. An intricate braid or chic chignon can transform your look instantly. This adorable and informative little blue book offers 50 hair tips for preserving, improving and enhancing your locks from Philip Kingsley, hair guru to the celebrities with 50 years of experience in the industry.

Philip Kingsley boasts a clientele of politicians, celebrities, and even royalty—both men and women. In his book, the quirky, comical cartoon illustrations accompany a lifetime of experience in his distinctive, direct and humorous style—it will have you laughing and learning from start to finish. Kingsley also provides answers to many of the hair myths we all wonder about: stress causing hair loss, heat damage, and the truth about dandruff. You will immediately find yourself putting his practical advice to use, and your hair will reap the benefits. Would you expect anything less from the man who coined the phrase “bad hair day”?

“The Green Beauty Bible” by Sarah Stacey and Josephine Fairley

With the tagline “The Ultimate Guide to Being Naturally Gorgeous,” this book is perfect for the environmentally aware or Earth Mother types. Going green with your beauty routine isn’t always easy, but this book makes organic, natural beauty a cinch! Hundreds of real women tested products for this book to cut through the hype and find out what’s really worth your while (and money!), and the authors offer real, solid insight into the world of eco-beauty with a simple, less-is-more approach. Even those who prefer their products from a sparkling department store counter will find this guide invaluable for suggesting products that really work, are truly “green,” and budget-conscious.

“Face Forward” by Kevyn Aucoin

Whether familiar with the legendary name or not, there is no doubting the late Kevyn Aucoin was one of America’s greatest make-up artists and a celebrity in his own right. World renowned as a leading and innovative mind in the beauty world and true visionary, Aucoin worked on countless celebrities and famous faces for innumerable fashion shows, ad campaigns, music videos, editorials, and covers of every major magazine in the world. Not only will this book be at home on your coffee table, you’ll find yourself spending hours pouring over the stunning, rich photographs and transformations, turning every page to see what’s next.

Aucoin believed that makeup could give anyone an endless variety of “faces,” and for every look he provides detailed, practical, step-by-step instructions so you can recreate any look on your own at home. This book is perfect for every makeup junky, demonstrating the true power of cosmetics. With clients like Cindy Crawford, Elizabeth Hurley, Whitney Houston, and Linda Evangelista , Aucoin was a thoroughly renowned and celebrated talent in the beauty industry. My favorite pages are the unique transformations of Gwyneth Paltrow into James Dean, Calista Flockhart into Audrey Hepburn, Winona Ryder into Elizabeth Taylor, Courtney Love into Jean Harlow, and even Martha Stewart into Veronica Lake—using nothing but makeup.

“Bobbi Brown Beauty” and “Bobbi Brown Teenage Beauty” both by Bobbi Brown & Annemarie Iverson

These books will seriously amp up your basic knowledge and understanding of makeup and how it should be used for a refined look. A firm believer in makeup enhancing natural beauty, makeup artist Bobbi Brown clearly and concisely offers useful, real advice in the realms of skincare, hair care and cosmetics. She understands real women who want to look and feel their best day and night, and offers the essential and necessary techniques to maximize your potential. Jam-packed with question-and-answer and “do’s and don’ts” sections, common beauty questions are answered for the everyday woman.

Both books are honest and refreshingly straightforward with Brown emphasizing her belief that there is no one perfect standard of beauty and that every woman should embrace her own look and the features that make her unique, while learning how to correctly play up her strengths. With such a positive message, every woman young and old can feel good about reading this book or giving it as a gift.

I received New York Times Bestseller “Bobbi Brown Teenage Beauty: Everything You Need to Look Pretty, Natural, Sexy, and Awesome” as a gift when I was still just a young teenager beginning to experiment with makeup. It helped me embrace my “flaws” and learn how to appropriately apply makeup for my age, as well as addressing issues like makeup for braces (with which I suffered for nearly three years). If you are a mother with a daughter who is beginning to experiment with cosmetics, this is the perfect book for her. It sends a healthy message to young women while still offering them the practical advice they want to know. From zits, prom, and body image to makeunders, preteen basics, and mother-daughter beauty, this book is a must-have for every budding cosmetics coveter. So go ahead, be the cool Aunt or Grandma and pick up a copy of this today for the young beauty in your life.

“Supermodels’ Beauty Secrets: Hot Tips for Style, Beauty, and Fashion from the world’s Top Models” by Victoria Nixon

What woman hasn’t coveted the Heidi Klum’s luminescent skin, Adriana Lima’s perfect pout, or Gisele Bundchen’s gorgeous, beachy hair? Whether in the pages of a glossy magazine or on a TV ad campaign, many women wonder what supermodels do to look the way they do, and how they can recreate the looks themselves. In this book, former model Victoria Nixon shares the lowdown on the hottest beauty and hair tips in an easy-to-read, simple format with help and advice from other top models like Elle Macpherson and Helena Christensen. This guide offers ideas for making the most of your makeup, as well as my personal favorite: a list of the classic, must-have cult products that no woman can do without. Nixon even includes useful sections promoting healthy eating habits as well as choosing the right clothes for your body type. In no time, this book will transform you from sidewalk to catwalk!

“Jemma Kidd Make-up Masterclass: Beauty Bible of Professional Techniques and Wearable Looks” by Jemma Kidd

This book is really all about perfecting your skills. Former model and international makeup artist Jemma Kidd was inspired to write this book with the aim of teaching women exactly how to use the latest techniques. While most women everywhere use some kind of makeup, very few have been taught just the right way to apply it, and Kidd’s glamorous, contemporary guide eliminates the mystery that can often accompany makeup’s proper application. Expert advice is offered in an accessible, “broken-down” format with insider tips and detailed instructions. Perfect for any behind-the-scenes junky, Kidd shares details about her life in the beauty industry and the preparations of fashion shows and photo shoots, while explaining how she works with the latest trends. Perfect for the daring, high fashion girl, Jemma Kidd also demonstrates how extreme runway looks can be adapted for an everyday look.