10 MOST BEAUTIFUL NEW BOOKS ON BEAUTY!

Spring is here and there’s new beauty popping up everywhere! We’ve been reveling in the new crop of books on beauty and we’ve curated a top 10 collection to share.

From photography to philosophy, from interior design to make-up, from guidebook to novel, these books offer a fresh set of lenses and scopes through which to view beauty in our world.

Renowned make-up artist Yasmin Heinz, interior designer

1. ELEMENTS: THE ART OF MAKE-UP

“Elements: The Art of Make-Up,” by renowned make-up artist Yasmin Heinz &‎ Jess Henley explores incredible makeup artistry. Heinz works at the cutting edge of fashion. She is considered one of the tops and most creative in her field. The book is divided into sections that echo the universe’s four elements: earth, air, fire, and water, with images curated from Heinz’s vast archive, and featuring renowned illustrators, and artists.

Heinz has worked with celebrated designers such as Chanel, Dior, Thierry Mugler, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Sonia Rykiel. Her make-up works have appeared in magazines like Elle, Harper’s BAZAAR, Vanity Fair, and Vogue.

Prestel

2. BEING BEAUTIFUL

“Being Beautiful,” by Helen Gordon, is an inspiring collection of writings on beauty – inner and outer – from some of the world’s most fascinating thinkers. Contributions include the Buddha on living beautifully, the philosopher Edmund Burke on how to define a beautiful face, Dolly Parton on the importance of inner beauty, and Naomi Wolf on ageing beautifully. Through its text and original illustrations, the book attempts to explore and illuminate what beauty means to us in the twenty-first century, and to inspire, provoke and delight. Other contributors include John Cage, Maya Angelou, Francis Bacon, Charlotte Brontë, Immanuel Kant, Joan Collins, Kate Moss, and many more.

White Lion Publishing

3. THE BEAUTY OF LINES: THE GILMAN AND GONZALEZ-FALLA COLLECTION

“The Beauty of Lines: The Gilman and Gonzalez-Falla Collection,” by Tatyana Franck, Pauline Martin, &‎ Sondra Gilman, is a beautiful collection of minimalist photos, from Sondra Gilman & Celso Gonzalez-Falla, one of the most important private photo collections in the world.

Stark, simple, and sparsely populated, these photos are at once riveting and calming.

Throughout history, photographers have made use of photographic line. Among the images reproduced here are famous masterpieces by Eugène Atget, Robert Adams, Walker Evans, and Robert Mapplethorpe, as well as works by contemporary artists, such as Cindy Sherman, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and Thomas Struth.   

The book more than one hundred plates, including many in full color.

Tatyana Franck is director of the Musée de l’Elysée in Lausanne, one of the world’s leading museums entirely dedicated to photography.

Scheidegger and Spiess

4. HIGH VIBRATIONAL BEAUTY: RECIPES & RITUALS FOR RADICAL SELF CARE

“High Vibrational Beauty: Recipes & Rituals for Radical Self Care,” by Kerrilynn Pamer & Cindy DiPrima Morisse, explores the role of wellness in beauty -- and beauty in wellness!

Pamer and DiPrima Morisse, founders of CAP Beauty, the all natural beauty site and store with a cult following, share their wisdom on the benefits of natural beauty, foods, and mindfulness techniques. They show how natural beauty can create true radiance from the foods we eat. It connects caring for ourselves with caring for the planet.

Through routines, recipes, and rituals, High Vibrational Beauty addresses beauty from the inside out and vibrancy from the outside in.

Divided into seasons and focused on self-care and rejuvenation, High Vibrational Beauty combines mantras, meditations, natural skin care regimens, and over 100 plant-based recipes for a more beautiful body, mind, and soul.

Rodale Books

5. THE BEAUTY OF TIME

“The Beauty of Time,” by Francois Chaille & Dominique Flechon, is a lavishly illustrated, book containing a selection of nearly 200 extraordinary timepieces, from mechanical and pendulum clocks to pocket and wristwatches.

Text, annotated by an expert horology historian, spans the arc of time, illustrating the technical advances and the evolution of aesthetic tastes over time, from the Middle Ages to the present.

For horology enthusiasts, art, design, and history lovers, as well as for collectors, this book is published in partnership with the prestigious Fondation Internationale de la Haute Horlogerie.

Flammarion

6. LIFE WITHOUT BLINDERS IS BEAUTIFUL

“Life Without Blinders is Beautiful,” by David W Miles and‎ Christopher Robbins, is an inspiring, thought-provoking call to living a more beautiful life. The book lifts us up and spurs us to discover the amazing beauty hidden in our world. The tough stuff can blind us, but this book helps us to see beauty despite storm clouds, rise up from ashes, find kindness in rough places, and find friends among strangers. Cool feature: the jacket is a blinders page that can be removed!

Familius

7. ROCK THE BOAT: BOATS, CABINS AND HOMES ON THE WATER

“Rock the Boat: Boats, Cabins and Homes on the Water,” edited by Gestalten, is a quirky curated collection of water-focused homes. It’s all about living on romantic lakes, wide open bays, lazy rivers, and the sea. From converted ferry boats to shanty boats, from cruise ships to floating hotels, the book profiles both the homes and their imaginative inhabitants and designers.

"In a global voyage, Rock the Boat explores the nuances of houseboat design through the lens of the unique individuals who call the water home." - Dwell

Gestalten

8. MARIPOSAS NOCTURNAS: MOTHS OF CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA, A STUDY IN BEAUTY AND DIVERSITY

“Mariposas Nocturnas: Moths of Central and South America, A Study in Beauty and Diversity,” by famed American photographer Emmet Gowin, is a stunning portrait of regional indigenous nocturnal moths.

While Gowin is best known for his portraits of his wife, Edith, and their family, he has also produced significant images that document the impact of human activity upon landscapes around the world.

For the past 15 years, Gowin been capturing the unique beauty of over 1000 species of nocturnal moths in Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, French Guiana, and Panama. These stunning color portraits are, in many cases, the first ever photographs taken of each species.

The moths were all photographed alive, in natural positions and postures, and set against a variety of backgrounds taken from the natural world and images from art history.

Gowin calls for a greater awareness of the biodiversity and value of the tropics as a universally shared natural treasure. An essay by Gowin provides a fascinating personal history of his work with biologists.

"Alive, in color and against assorted backdrops from art history, Mr. Gowin's moths portray an acceptance of uncertainty in scientific discovery, the creative process and life more generally. They also present an exchange of beauty, a childlike curiosity and an appreciation for the hidden ties between humans and moths."--JoAnna Klein, New York Times

Princeton University Press

9. IT’S BEAUTIFUL HERE: HOMES THAT MAKE YOUR HEART SKIP A BEAT

“It's Beautiful Here: Homes that Make Your Heart Skip a Beat,” by star interior designer  Megan Morton, is a refreshing new collection of beautiful homes from Paris to New York to Adelaide, with a special look at the people who created them and the people who live in them.

Thames & Hudson

10. THE HOUSE OF IMPOSSIBLE BEAUTIES: A NOVEL

“The House of Impossible Beauties: A Novel,” by Joseph Cassara, was named a most anticipated book of 2018 by Buzzfeed, The Wall Street Journal, The Millions, Southern Living, Bustle, Esquire, Entertainment Weekly & Nylon. Why?

Enter the Harlem ballroom scene as it pulsates through the 1980s. Glam and drag are all a-glitter. Angel is new to the drag world, new to ball culture, with a longing for family and community. When she falls in love with Hector, a beautiful young man who dreams of becoming a professional dancer, the come together to create the House of Xtravaganza, the first-ever all-Latino house in the Harlem ball circuit.

Then, Hector dies of AIDS and Angel has to go it alone. She recruits Venus, a trans girl with dreams of sugar plum fairies and sugar daddies; Juanito, a shy fashionista; and Daniel, a butch queen. Hang with this passion-filled aspirational eclectic posse as they navigate sex work, addiction, and persistent abuse. You’ll be moved by their resilience, determination, and love.

“Passionate...empathetic and vibrant.” (Entertainment Weekly)

“Cassara’s propulsive and profound first novel, finding one’s home in the world—particularly in a subculture plagued by fear and intolerance from society—comes with tragedy as well as extraordinary personal freedom.” (Esquire)

Ecco Publishing

Read more about Beautiful Newbies in  Beautiful Brand New Island Wonder, Beauty Begins with Babies and  Becoming Beautiful Blossoms.

And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Mind/Body, Soul/Impact, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Arts/Design, and Place/Time, Daily Fix posts.

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IMAGE LIST:

1. Image: From “Elements: The Art of Make-Up by Yasmin Heinz,” by Yasmin Heinz. Courtesy of Prestel.
2. Image: “Elements: The Art of Make-Up by Yasmin Heinz,” by Yasmin Heinz &‎ Jess Henley. Courtesy of Prestel.
3. Image: “Being Beautiful,” by Helen Gordon. Courtesy of White Lion Publishing.
4. Image: “The Beauty of Lines: The Gilman and Gonzalez-Falla Collection“ by Tatyana Franck,‎ Pauline Martin,‎ Sondra Gilman and Celso Gonzalez-Falla Foundation. Courtesy of Scheidegger and Spiess.
5. Image: “High Vibrational Beauty: Recipes & Rituals for Radical Self Care by Kerrilynn Pamer  & ‎Cindy DiPrima Morisse. Courtesy of Rodale Books.
6. Image: “The Beauty of Time,” by Francois Chaille,‎ Dominique Flechon. Courtesy of Flammarion.
7. Image: “Life Without Blinders is Beautiful,” by David W Miles,‎ Christopher Robbins. Courtesy of Familius.
8. Image: “Rock the Boat: Boats, Cabins and Homes on the Water,” by Gestalten. Courtesy of Gestalten.
9. Image: “Mariposas Nocturnas: Moths of Central and South America, A Study in Beauty and Diversity,” by Emmet Gowin. Courtesy of Princeton University Press.
10. Image: by Emmet Gowin. From “Mariposas Nocturnas: Moths of Central and South America, A Study in Beauty and  Diversity.” Courtesy of Princeton University Press.
11. Image: “It's Beautiful Here: Homes that Make Your Heart Skip a Beat,” by Megan Morton  Courtesy of Thames & Hudson.
12. Image: “The House of Impossible Beauties,” by Joseph Cassara. Courtesy of Ecco Publishing.
13. Image: by Matthieu Bourel. From “Elements,” by Yasmin Heinz. Courtesy of Prestel.
14. Image: by Zena Holloway.  From “Elements,” by Yasmin Heinz. Courtesy of Prestel.
15. Image: by Karin Berndl. From “Elements,” by Yasmin Heinz. Courtesy of Prestel.