Your Beauty Mark: The Ultimate Guide to Eccentric Glamour

I am going to preface this with saying that I absolutely adore Dita Von Teese and I will likely gladly give my money over to whatever she puts out. She only signs her name to products of amazing quality, so I know I won't be disappointed (and I haven't been thus far!). Also, I first learned of Dita when I was a teenager, grappling with my own identity and the potential of what I could become. I latched onto Dita because she was a self-professed creation of glamour and class, rising from the ashes of her former self--blonde Heather Sweet from rural Michigan. I thought to myself, "If this is what she can do, then why can't I?" It didn't hurt that she personified a modern-day pinup look that I injected into my own life from the time I first laid eyes on a Bettie Page art rendering. I have long been fascinated by Dita Von Teese for so many reasons, not the least of which is how she crafts her signature look on a daily basis. As she points out in every interview I've ever read or seen of her, she is almost 100% DIY. She does her own hair and makeup almost all the time (save for the rare instance she gives herself over to the hands of a true artist and professional on a photo shoot), she serves as her own stylist rather than employing someone for the role, and she even dyes her own hair using box color. BOX COLOR, people! Amazing. So when I learned that she was putting out a book where she laid her secrets bare, I preordered that bad boy and waited for true wisdom to appear on my doorstep. I was not disappointed. This book is part-History book, part-memoir, and part-beauty bible. It covers such a wide range of topics, from hair to makeup to body modifications to diet and exercise. There are some area where I wish she would go into further detail, but honestly it's a matter of laziness because I can easily look up more information elsewhere. I'm just happy to have not a glimpse, but a real look into her world and routines. Not to mention the gorgeous photos scattered throughout! It took me two weeks to read this book, not because of its heftiness--it measured in at roughly 400 pages!!--but because I wanted to savor the experience. I would draw a bath, pour a glass of wine, light some candles, and read for about 45 minutes. I soaked in the bubble bath AND the knowledge that was pouring out this book ;) Seriously, though, I can't say enough good things about this book. To top it off, it's a BEAUTIFUL book that would look at home on any coffee table or vanity.

I really enjoyed every moment of this book, and instead of reading bits and pieces here and there, actually found myself reading this in its entirety, beginning to end. This was no small feat, at nearly 400 pages. I loved how packed this book was and spent a blissful couple of weeks reading some every evening. Highlights for me: tidbits about old Hollywood starlets and beauty rituals throughout time. There were interesting bios of current artists who Dita knows personally. I enjoyed learning about several of them and their own personal messages about style. I also appreciated how comprehensive this book felt! Dita really covered just about everything I could have asked for. I felt the only item noticeably absent was clothing...she seems to have set herself up to write a book on fashion somewhere down the line. Though, never fear, she does cover a bit on lingerie: bras, stockings, corsets, heels etc. I'm looking forward to trying out the exercises outlined in this book, and felt that the tutorials throughout the book included detailed instructions with good photos. I was happy to find specific brands called out, as I have been intensely curious on what specific beauty products she uses. Much to my dismay though, the one beauty item I really wanted specifics on, her favored eye shadow brands and palettes were never mentioned. She does give color guides for her choice of shades, she just doesn't list specific brands. There are great specifics given on her favorite red lipsticks, eyeliners, box hair-color, etc., though. In part I believe I enjoyed this book so much because I love Dita's overall aesthetic, and it matches up well with my own. I've been dying my own hair black for years and received much criticism for it not looking natural (though plenty of compliments, too), but Dita has reminded me how important it is to please yourself, not others. Highlights and ballyage aren't for everyone! Fake tans, skin bronzer, nude lips and white jeans just don't match everyone's style. The take-away here is not to trash anyone for their particular beauty choices, I think, but to encourage everyone to embrace what makes you, uniquely you! (Though that doesn't mean you are stuck with what you were born with!) I'm not going to start setting my hair in rollers every day quite yet... that's still for special occasions!... but I do find I am taking more pride in my appearance, and am enjoying a renewed sense of indulging my girli-ness. I believe that the overall voice heard here is that of Rose Apodaca, serving as Dita's interpreter, and initially I found her writing to be not as clear and concise as I usually prefer. However, once I got used to her voice, I really enjoyed myself. The personality of these two ladies feels as though it really comes through here. If you love all things beauty, I really believe you'll find this book worth every penny! I'm already looking forward to starting a second reading...

When it arrived, it was not what I expected. First off, I didn't realize it was going to be hardcover and the book is huge! The amount of pages in this book pass 100+ and so the book is nice and thick. Plus it's not just filled with words, it is filled with beautiful illustrations as well. Secondly, the information in this book is vast and in depth. The focus of the book is how you can transform your life into living a 'glamorous' lifestyle. The book stresses for you to not live as a carbon copy as someone else but to reinvent yourself in the best you can be and the person you want to be with realistic expectations. This book isn't an erasure, it is a manual that you can look to when your feeling down about yourself and you need some extra guidance coming from a stranger. It is a great book for women and men alike; basically it's a great read for anyone who find happiness and takes pride in the beauty they feel in and outside themselves. And it's also a great book for those who may not feel like they are beautiful because the whole point of the book is about finding yourself, evolving into your best self and putting your mark on the world. If you had doubts before, I hope that you read this and have changed your mind now.

I was blown away by this book. For $24 it was a bargain. It was huge, the pages were glossy, the pictures were gorgeous and she covered practically everything. There was even a chapter on eyebrows! I love Dita because she's a sexy glamour powerhouse that started as an ordinary mid-western girl with big dreams. I admire the fact that she's very much in control of her career and image. She even does her own hair and make up most of the time. Despite all this, she remains humble and down to earth. All of this shows in the pages of this book. I very much agree with her take on beauty being created. I'm a lingerie consultant like Dita used to be and I can't tell you how many women I've fitted in that dressing room that have apologized to me for some perceived body flaw of theres. Small chested women want to be bigger and bustier women want to be smaller. We are all different! Many of the insecurities women have are due to society pressuring them to look a certain way, not just for the eyes and pleasure of men but to compete with other women. It's a sad state of affairs. Whatever you want to change and however you want to look should first and foremost be for you. Dita talks about this in her chapter on cosmetic surgery which I find very empowering for women. We are constantly bombarded with images of female celebrities looking seemingly perfect and being glorified and worshiped like goddesses for doing so with headlines that have some of version of "You need to look like this and here's how". Dita makes it clear that you don't need to look like her. She tells you her secrets and routines but your hair is not hers, your skin is not hers, your body is not hers but you can certainly find what works for your hair, skin and body.

This book is a MUST for any Dita Von Teese fan or just a fan of beauty and glamour and old Hollywood history. This book is HIGH QUALITY! the stories, the images and the details are superb! I've been a fan of Dita for a long, long time. she is the epitome of glamour, intelligence and that particular 'do-it-herself' obsessiveness that makes her so spectacular. I just adore her. I have had this book in my cart for YEARS and for some reason never pulled the trigger until this month. let me tell you, this book is so worth it. She includes so many interesting stories and details, its candid and still very graceful. not to mention the hardcover book is in and of itself a thing of beauty. If youre interested in this book, do not hesitate, buy it now! You will be so glad you did. Just reading Dita's thoughts on do it yourself glamour and gazing at her beautiful pictures makes me feel more beautiful though osmosis. I wish I bought this book years ago when I first heard of it. Im so glad to have it now!

In a world obsessed with fleeting trends and Instagram filters, Dita Von Teese's Your Beauty Mark is a seductive manifesto for unapologetic individuality and timeless elegance. A book as lush as its author, this guide to "eccentric glamour" is a feast for the eyes, the mind, and the soul of anyone who's ever felt the magnetic pull of a red lip and a perfectly arched brow. Equal parts beauty handbook, personal memoir, and ode to the art of transformation, Dita takes readers on a journey to rediscover what it truly means to embody glamour. Her advice is practical and indulgent, covering everything from the sacred ritual of perfecting a cat-eye to the transformative power of lingerie. For Dita, beauty isn't just skin-deep; it's a performance, a statement, a lifestyle. The book itself is a work of art—a full-colour delight filled with glamorous photos, step-by-step tutorials, and little-known tidbits about Dita's personal routines. It's also delightfully witty, with her dry humor and penchant for self-aware anecdotes shining through every page. She regales us with tales of her early days as a natural blonde and how she learned the intricacies of corsetry and burlesque not from a YouTube tutorial but through sheer determination and a love for the bygone glamour of Old Hollywood. Dita's advice is rooted in self-discipline and a fierce commitment to personal standards. She doesn't wake up like this; she becomes this, one meticulous step at a time. Her beauty routines and rituals prove that there is power in creating your own aesthetic and owning it unapologetically.

This is an amazing book! You get a fabulous history of beauty, step by step instructions on makeup, recommendations on products she finds helpful, and even stretches! I forgot the exercise part in here. She hold nothing back, ladies, and does it with such style and grace. She even shows how to re-use antique compacts and lipstick tubes, which I am doing now. She also really inspired me to wear sunscreen every minute of every day. I enjoyed the interviews with her dermatologist and other people and performers she has friended along the way. The book itself is glamorous. It is oversized, has wonderful glossy pages, and beautiful photography. I know I am forgetting half of what I wanted to say about this book. She advocates glamour, every minute, every day, and shows how easy it really is to be glamorous in your own special way. Keep up the fabulous work, Dita! Order this book. You will not be disappointed.

What a beautiful and informative book!