Deidre Hall's How Does She Do It? (ePub)

Deidre Hall, best known for her continuing 32-year stint as Dr. Marlena Evans on NBC's Days of Our Lives, is frequently pointed out in the press as one of the most elegant women in television. She's also very well known among her personal friends as a kitchen beautician, having gained a lifetime of knowledge about hairstyling and makeup, along with all the other tricks of the trade that have helped cement her place among the most celebrated beauties in the business.

Now, she's joined pal and co-author Lynne Parmiter Bowman to publish Deidre Hall's How Does She Do It? A Beauty Book. "This book was very much a collaborative effort," explains Hall, "and reflects the way we operate. It's a conversation, of the kind that takes place in kitchens, bathrooms, dressing rooms, beauty salons and under trees in lots of different languages all over the world. As women, we're hard-wired to turn to our friends - usually female - to help us figure out what works and what doesn't."

Bowman and Hall start with "What Beauty Is and Why It Matters," moving right on through how to get the sleep you need, how to stand, how to move, makeup, getting dressed, skincare, haircare and styling, hands and feet. There are frank and comprehensive discussions of permanent makeup, hair removal, plastic surgery and cosmetic dentistry, weight loss, and even great notes on fragrance.

The two women aren't shy about wandering into what they call "cringe-inducing" territory on some issues, nor do they hold back on matters of opinion. For example, this note on "tramp-stamps:" "We would like to suggest in our deeply caring, perhaps conservative, mom-like way, that the money spent on that pink dolphin with a daisy in its mouth on your bicep would have gone a long way toward buying some incredible wardrobe pieces that would still be as thrilling ten years from now. Even something really racy and baaaaad, like, say, a killer bustier, will hold up for decades if it's a quality piece, and will make you feel just as kick-ass every time you pull it out as it did the moment you first saw it."

Among their shopping tips, they include "Never shop for clothes or accessories with a child, a dog, or a heterosexual man," along with "Know which stores or brands offer clothing whose 'fit model' is a match for you." Their hope, obviously, is you'll enjoy the 144- page ride, then toss it into your bag to have handy when you're trying to figure out which sunscreen or shapewear to buy.