Cosplay lets you step out of your own skin and into someone else's shoes (or boots, or paws...). This beginner's guide helps you walk that walk with confidence in an awesome costume of your own creation.

True to the cosplay spirit of collaboration, Cosplay Crash Course shares favorite tricks and techniques from some of the community's most imaginative artists. Step by step, you'll learn how to turn ordinary fabrics, inexpensive toys, easy-to-manipulate thermoplastics, wigs and other humble materials into original costumes you'll wear with pride. Whether you're making fabulous feathers, metallic armor, wicked horns, lifelike claws or form-fitting boots, this book puts it all within your reach. You'll even learn awesome hair and makeup effects to complete the look.

Use this inside advice to fast-forward through years of trial and error; learn to select the best fabrics and adhesives and to make practical choices for comfort and wearability. Armed with the know-how in these pages and a spirit of adventure, who will you become?

Everything you need to dress your part!

• 25+ step-by-step projects for creating authentic-looking props, costumes and accessories
• Easy techniques and clever shortcuts from nine international cosplay artists
• How to manipulate wigs, extensions and your own hair to create unique and expressive looks
• Awesome makeup effects, from tattoos and zombie bites to tricks for making faces appear more feminine or masculine
• Bonus tips for striking a pose and snapping dynamic, in-character photos

'From inspiration to sketch, pattern to fabric, the making of a dress has been the structure that has held me, and my passion to dress others is the momentum of my life.' Jenny Packham is one of Britain's leading designers and most in-demand couturiers, known for her exquisite dresses made for brides, celebrities and even royalty. In How to Make a Dress, she explores her creative journey in a brilliant meditation on life and style. Beginning with the search for creative inspiration and taking us into her studio then onto the red carpet and beyond, she asks the questions that have preoccupied us for centuries: What makes the perfect dress? What do our clothes mean to us? And why do we dress the way we do? Whether she is on the trail of Marilyn Monroe in LA, designing a bespoke piece for the red carpet or sketching for a new collection, Jenny documents her pursuit of the eternal truths of style. Decades in the making, How to Make a Dress is an unforgettable book for anyone who has ever loved a piece of clothing.

Denim s sexiness, whether it is being dressed up or dressed down, has made it the ultimate fashion statement as well as the ultimate anti-fashion statement. This book is an ode to the enduring cool of denim and the creative ways it can be worn, showcasing unique and inspirational stylish looks from denim lovers across the United States, the U.K., Europe, Japan, and Australia. Presenting street style at its best, Denim is also a veritable who s who of the denim style world, featuring the personal looks of trendsetters, stylists, vintage dealers, as well as shop owners of renowned favorites such as Lot, Stock and Barrel in Los Angeles and Goodhood in London, and designers from cult brands such as Rollas and Lorod. A tribute to blue jeans and denim style around the world, this stylish volume is full of ideas for how to wear and style your denim, imparting inspiration not only for fashionistas, but for all who love blue jeans.

This fascinating book explores the history of makeup and beauty from lipstick to leg shaving. Madeleine Marsh chronicles the development of cosmetics from a secret shame in the 19th century, to a handbag essential in the 20th. She tells the stories behind famous brands; explores the role of makeup in peace and war - showing how our daily beauty rituals reflect the changing roles of women across the decades. This lavishly illustrated history also provides a guide to collecting vintage compacts and cosmetics - revealing the old makeup that you shouldn't throw away.

In this groundbreaking book, based on the 12-week fitness project , one of the world s largest and most successful public health projects, she will guide you step by step, giving you one simple guideline to follow each week. By the end of three months you will have transformed your habits in twelve crucial ways.The result? You ll find you have lost inches and have better sleep and energy levels, lesser acidity, bloating and sweet cravings and reduced PMS and period pain.

There are times when we all need to take refuge from the demands of everyday life. Retreating from the world for a few precious hours gives us time to soothe and re-energize our over-tired bodies and over-stimulated minds with some much-needed pampering. This book provides all the encouragement you need. Prepare your sanctuary with warm towels, soft lighting and gentle music, and lose yourself in a reverie with your preferred products: rich and creamy herbal soaps, scented bath and body oils, natural hair rinses, and nourishing creams and lotions. In this book the author reveals the therapeutic powers of top-to-toe body care, deep relaxation and quiet contemplation. The suggestions will help you to create a sense of well-being that will remain with you as you emerge to face the world, rested, refreshed and fully restored.

This easy-to-follow guide shows how you can achieve that flawless and pretty look, but stay natural and real at the same time. This book will show you how to: - Look after your skin so that it looks healthy and beautiful - Apply your foundation perfectly to contour your face - Emphasise your eyes for a natural or a smokey evening look - Choose your lip colour and apply your lipstick - Match your make-up to your prom dress or party clothes It also includes make-up tips and must-haves for your handbag. Author Emily says: I have written this book to teach you the art of applying perfect makeup, and to help you create the right look for you, your skin and most importantly your age. Contents: Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. Beautiful Skin; 3. The Perfect Base; 4. Emphasise Your Eyes; 5. Pretty Lips; 6. Play with your Looks; 7. Prom Queen; 8. Party Girl; 9. Pre-teen Princess; 10. Top Ten Tips; 11. 5-minute Looks You'll Love; 12. Top Tips for Summer Skin; 13. Top Tips for Winter Skin... 14. The Beauty of Nature; 15. Aloe Vera - Nature's Gift; 16. Your Questions Answered; 17. Be Inspired; Acknowledgements. Index.

Lasers and Light Therapy is the first of its kind, offering a unique approach into the science and technology of laser and light systems. The reader will be exposed to all aspects of this specialized field whether one is working in a medical spa, day spa, or medical clinic. This book is designed to address areas of hair removal and facial / body rejuvenation from a beginning conceptual level into practical hands-on application. Detailed information of treatment protocols is explored starting with the initial consultation and skin care, to the selection of the appropriate cosmetic device, to the delivery of the laser/light technology. The management of the client's goals and maximization of each treatment's outcome is also emphasized for the reader. As one gains knowledge of this exciting new specialty, the selection and acquisition of the appropriate cosmetic device is also thoroughly examined. Business management and marketing strategies are provided to guide the reader into creating an exciting, revenue generating opportunity.

"The Little Book of Great Dates" will help build romance and fun into any marriage with its creative ideas for a year's worth of weekly affordable dates. This book--a simpler, gift version of Focus on the Family's The Date Night Challenge campaign--will help couples to proactively and intentionally build their relationship, showing how everyday activities can become "dates" that strengthen the marriage relationship. It includes plans for special-occasion dates, such as the couple's anniversaries (first date, engagement, wedding), birthdays, etc. Couples can get to know each other better by sharing fun times and discover dating again in their marriage with this great little book of ideas

An in-depth guide from an international authority on essential oils offers easy-to-follow recipes for diffusers, body scrubs and lotions, massage oils, skincare remedies, beauty treatments and first aid. With knowledge and expertise built on a three generations of specialist aromatherapists, the book is a modern classic in the field, bridging historical traditions in plant medicine with modern science and ecological concerns. Part One introduces the historical background, traditions and uses of essential oils. Part Two forms the largest part of the book at two-thirds, containing recipes, blends and treatments for a variety of concerns, emotional, physical, medical and spiritual. Part Three offers in-depth directories of essential oils, herbs and other plant products, clays, salts and other essential ingredients, along with their properties and benefits.

THE ORIGINAL BESTSELLING BOOK FROM THE DAILY MAIL'S VERY OWN GUT-HEALTH EXPERT **The lifestyle guide for a happy gut that will transform your health and wellbeing** Drawing from the latest research and a decade of experience as a dietitian and consultant at The Gut Health Clinic, Dr Megan Rossi explains how to feed your gut for a happier, healthier you using simple, delicious and gut-boosting recipes. Eat Yourself Healthy is packed with over 50 delicious, easy-to-make meal ideas from delicious breakfast options such as banana, fig and courgette breakfast loaf and chickpea crepes, to mouth-watering dinner recipes including creamy pistachio and spinach pesto pasta and satay tofu skewers. Alongside Dr Rossi's gut-friendly recipes, Eat Yourself Healthy also includes expert advice on how to deal with common complaints such as IBS and bloating, diagnose food intolerances, and manage good gut health with sleep and exercise routines. Supercharge your digestive health and transform your overall wellbeing with this ultimate guide that promises to make you happier and healthier from the inside out. __________________________________________________________________________________ 'Get this book' - Davina McCall 'I've learnt so much from Megan, looking after my gut is now a priority and I feel so good for it' - Ella Mills, author and founder of Deliciously Ella 'Learn to love your gut with this jam-packed book from Dr Megan' - Jamie Oliver 'Say bye bye to bloating, help with the stress of IBS and give a big warm welcome to wellness' Chris Evans

Because of their power to elicit specific responses in the body and psyche, perfumes have, through the ages, occupied an important part in ritual. "The Magical and Ritual Use of Perfumes" shows how scents can become the very "essence of magic," providing direct access to the emotional centers of the brain and memory.

A collection of the lavish and iconic gowns of Christian Dior, from the 1950s and '60s, captured by the legendary photographer Mark Shaw. Iconic photographer Mark Shaw documented the ultra-exclusive Parisian fashion world, focusing on Paris's long-standing top couturier Christian Dior. Shaw's photographs-some of the first fashion photographs ever shot in color-capture the most stunning and extraordinary fashion of the era. This lavish volume embodies the glamour of that time, from rare moments of Christian Dior during fittings to editorial-style photographs of models, socialites, and actresses posing in Dior's ballgowns, day suits, and haute couture collections. Shaw's photojournalistic style changed fashion photography forever: his approach was to photograph wide, giving the subject a sense of context, creating an environment as exquisitely transformative as the subject and garment. With an eye for intimacy and opulence, this book features more than 200 color and black-and-white photographs, many never published before, having only recently been found in a secret vault by his estate. Dior Glamour: 1952-1962 captures the drama and elegance of the period's style and will be treasured by lovers of photography, fashion, style, history, and cultured living.