5 of the best beauty books to add to your bookshelf this year
No matter how long you’ve been working in the beauty industry, there’s always more to learn, which is why you should line your bookshelf with these new beauty book releases.
Created for beauty enthusiasts in every sector of the industry, these books are bursting with tips, tricks and anecdotes to help you become the best in the business.
From getting to grips with facial massage – covering lymphatic to inner-mouth – and getting male clients to talk about their mental health, to tips on how to make it as a freelancer in the beauty industry or turn to a specialism such as lashes (and do it well), these books have you covered.
We’ve rounded up the best beauty industry book releases this year to give you the inspiration hit you need in 2022. Plus, they’ll look fab on your coffee table.
2022’s best beauty industry-focused book releases:
1. How to Listen so Men will Talk: Four Steps to Get Men Talking about their Mental Health
Did you know that suicide remains the most common cause of death for men aged 20–49 in the UK? It’s a scary stat, which is why mental health is at the forefront of the conversation at the moment. Tom Chapman, creator of mental health training Barber Talk and founder of the Lions Barber Collective and the Collective Pride Awards, has created a book to help beauty therapists to get their male clients to open up about their mental health.
In this book Chapman lays the foundation for how we, as a community, can improve our approach to men’s mental health, from building the confidence required to start these conversations, to the skills needed to better our listening and our knowledge of the available mental health resources.
It also discusses how to recognise the signs and ask good questions, explaining that we can all make a difference.
Price: £10.99 paperback
2. Lash Lessons: The Best Mistakes I Made in my Eyelash Extension Career
If you’re a lash artist looking for inspiration, or a newbie to the sector wanting advice on how to specialise in a certain treatment, then this is the book for you. Lash tech Zoe Nichols is a successful mobile beauty business owner and lash trainer, and in this book, she shares her 14 years’ industry experience, covering practical tips on how to succeed in the world of eyelash extensions.
Key business topics covered include how to become big as a freelance lash artist, how to make a genuine difference to your clients, how to learn and grow from your mistakes, how to become the best in your craft, and much more.
She also reveals how you can team up with a big brand as Nichols is the head trainer for Novalash, teaching classic and volume lash techniques both nationally and overseas.
Price: £17.82 paperback; £9.99 e-book
3. The Glow Plan: Face Massage for Happy, Healthy Skin in Four Weeks
In aesthetician Abigail James’s second book, The Glow Plan, she reveals how you can achieve healthier, firmer, and radiant skin, as well as optimise your mental health, all through a programme of restorative mindfulness and self-care practices.
It’s a plan dedicated to addressing what your mind and body need to feel radiant, vibrant, and youthful at every age.
James reveals how to get your skin glowing by following a four-week facial massage programme, using yoga and breathing techniques, which targets specific problem areas such as the neck, jawline, droopy eyelids and more.
It also addresses other aspects that play into your physical and mental wellbeing, such as sleep, diet, gut health, exercise and hormones.
Price: £14.99 for paperback
4. Freelancer – Become your own Boss within the Hair and Beauty Industry
For those looking to become their own boss, this book will guide beauty therapists and hairdressers on how to make the transition from employed salon life to running their own freelance business.
Written by Clarisse Fornelli (aka April.C), an experienced stylist and freelancer, she answers some of the most frequently asked questions about launching a freelance business and lays out the key steps you need to take to do it and become successful.
The book also addresses the fact that freelancing isn’t for everyone, so it will help the reader decide if it's the right career move to make, helping to set realistic expectations about what being your own boss means.
For example, it addresses some of the key feelings that those going it alone can experience, such as fear, loneliness and uncertainty, but also addresses the pros of such a move too.
Price: £15.72 paperback
5. True Colours: Hair Colouring for the Curious and Cautious
British cosmetics retailer Lush has released a new book which delves into the scientific research and statistics about chemical hair dyes from the past 40 years, from its origins in the ancient world to where it is now.
It is written by Milly Ahlquist and Lush co-founder Mark Constantine, updating Constantine’s original Herbal Hair Colouring Book (which was first published in 1978), and it explores what hair dye is, what it does, and the power it holds over us.
The book also includes the story of henna hair colour within Lush, including practical tips on henna application from Constantine, who is a trichologist.
Price: from £25 hardback
Which beauty book launches are you loving this year and why? Tell us below.