With nearly 100 Before-and-After looks, Francois Nars' inspiration for this book came from a childhood passion For The makeover articles in his mother's beauty and fashion magazines. He adored these stories and spent hours comparing the Before and After images in an effort to understand and master the techniques of the makeup artists who created them. Studying a model Before (or barefaced) and then After (with a full face of makeup) allowed him to really appreciate the transformation she had undergone And The many varied techniques used by the makeup artist to enhance certain features while minimizing others. Makeup wields unbelievable power and documenting a look Before and After is the clearest and most compelling way to illustrate this. In this book are only non-professional models. The women and men who posed For The images are artists, dancers, shop owners, designers, yoga instructors, accountants, skateboarders, students and more. While all had exciting and varied backgrounds, Nars chose not to learn much about them before applying their makeup. He didn't want to be limited by their professions. The book is divided into chapters by age: Teens and 20s, 30s and 40s, 50s+. The images could have been grouped by makeup looks, but as Nars began shooting, age seemed like the most appropriate and useful way to appreciate the transformations. Every model in this book was shot Before and After his or her makeup application. Accompanying each pair of images is a transparent overlay. On this template, Nars has jotted what makeup he used where on the face And The techniques used to achieve the look. One is intended to study the Before and After images on their own, then place the template over the finished look to see exactly where the makeup is applied. At the end of each chapter is a two-page spread that lists every look and step-by- step instructions for recreating it on one's own. There's nothing more frustrating than trying to copy a look described in a magazine or book and learning the makeup required is unavailable or discontinued. Except where noted the makeup and tools used to create the looks in this book are all NARS and available at the time of publication.

François Nars was born in the South of France and attended the Carita Makeup School in Paris. He moved to New York in 1984 and debuted his first line of lipsticks a decade later at Barneys New York. Nars is the current president and creative director of NARS Cosmetics.