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A Pretty Great Life: Life Lessons and Beauty Secrets from a Hollywood Makeup Artist
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work as a makeup artist in Hollywood? A Pretty Great Life combines insider beauty tips with fascinating backstories directly from a Hollywood makeup artist. Carolyn Simon has been helping celebrities and clients get camera-ready for more than twenty years. Now she is sharing her secrets with you! From humble beginnings, she considers herself a regular girl living the Hollywood dream. Her day-in-the-life personal experiences offer readers educational, amusing, and inspirational lessons. They answer basic questions from why black is the favorite color in the industry to more complex queries such as how best to contour different skin tones. And along the way, juicy industry secrets are revealed. Carolyn shares her recommendations for choosing products and helps to demystify the current beauty trends. Her career advice, while targeting beauty industry students and professionals, is perfect for anyone who wants to work smarter and look better. Great tips for individuals just starting out, changing careers, or even working the gig economy. Follow along and discover a pretty great life for you!
100 pages, Paperback
Published February 2, 2022
4 people are currently reading
35 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 6, 2022
As someone who has reinvented her life more than a few times, I have found inspiration in Carolyn's words and book. A "pretty great" amount, actually!
As someone who runs a writers critique group, I get to see the early drafts and give feedback, which is a fun process that makes us all better writers. That was how I met Carolyn and got to know more about this book from its inception.
To steal a phrase from an old theatrical review, "I laughed, I cried, it became a part of me." This book not only shares good beauty advice but also reminds us to be better people, which is why I recommend it.
As someone who runs a writers critique group, I get to see the early drafts and give feedback, which is a fun process that makes us all better writers. That was how I met Carolyn and got to know more about this book from its inception.
To steal a phrase from an old theatrical review, "I laughed, I cried, it became a part of me." This book not only shares good beauty advice but also reminds us to be better people, which is why I recommend it.
October 26, 2025
...I read chapter after chapter to immerse myself in the world of a makeup artist and enjoyed many entertaining moments and interesting insights along the way. This profession shaped the personality of the likeable Carolyn Simon and contradicts the prejudice that the world of glamour is all about advancing one's own career at any cost...the little insights into life at the end of each chapter make you think...an entertaining little book!
March 1, 2022
Uplifting and well written, this was a very enjoyable read. Words of wisdom that can be applied to your everyday life - words to live by.
March 18, 2022
Heartfelt and incredibly informative. Carolyn shares her wisdom, her work ethic, and her passion for her craft. Made me want to book an immediate makeover!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews