This book is about you - how to be the best you, the authentic you, the happy you. Touching on topics such as body image, color, make-up, clothing and hair, the fifteen chapters in this book encourage individuality and authenticity. The author wants us to feel good in our body and be happy in life.

Combining what she learned as a painter with her work as a personal image consultant, Growing More Beautiful is a book that not only motivates expression but it makes you understand yourself a little better. The author provides several personal stories to illustrate her own philosophies about appearance and individuality, and she shares several suggestions on how to express your own personal style. She explains the importance of color, style and fit, and demonstrates how to create a positive body image and an ageless spirit.

The beautiful paintings and photographs inside this book are meant to connect us with sources of inspiration and the activities and tips are meant to help us uncover our personal style. Entitled Try This, the activities make us think about our wants and needs and our likes and dislikes. The tips included in sections such as frequently asked questions about make-up and color analysis, and the paragraph devoted to top ten tips for buying a bathing suit, provide useful answers.

Alongside the paintings and photographs in are quotes from the author: “Let something surprising catch your eye, follow your excitement wherever it leads,” or “The perfect piece of jewelry that is right for you looks good with a ball gown or with jeans.” Insights from women are included in many chapters as well. In the chapter on understanding form, Yvonne writes, “Even though I am 5 feet 9 inches tall, my legs are relatively short, especially from the knee to the ankle. Regular length skirts make me look dowdy, but I have found that petite skirts make my legs appear longer.” In the chapter on planning your wardrobe, Daria writes, “I regularly shop the department store sale racks, but I only buy something if I have something to go with it, or I can find something just right at the same time. I’ve learned that odd pieces are no bargain.”

Growing More Beautiful can be enjoyed by women of all ages. There is plenty to learn and much to appreciate in this book.

Author and artist Jennifer Robin is the owner of an image consulting firm. A graduate from USC-David, her first book, Clothe Your Spirit: Dressing for Self Expression, was published in 1988. She lives in California.