cover image Leslie Blanchard Guide

Leslie Blanchard Guide

Leslie Blanchard. Dutton Books, $19.95 (199pp) ISBN 978-0-525-24457-8

""Life is too sweet and precious not to enjoy it to the full and to celebrate being the beautiful woman I know you are,'' prompts Blanchard, hair colorist of Barbara Walters and Meryl Streep, to mention two, and former Clairol chief color consultant. Addressing the hair-color market in an affable second person, Blanchard devotes half of his guide to hard-sell consciousness-raising by whetting the appetite with 16 makeover stories. His clients include harried women with ``dishwater'' brown or ``greige'' (gray and beige) hair who metamorphose into ``toffee'' blondes and ``copper'' reds. By the fourth makeover, we can predict that he will highlight the crown, to effect a ``sunny'' look. In part two, the gamut of coloring options are discussed, myths dispelled, common bungles pointed out and tips offered, all of which preclude the needless exasperation that sometimes afflicts the hair-color user. In a buoyant, upbeat voice, Blanchard, with freelance writer Lynch's help, proceeds to market his palette of formulas, as well as self-esteem and successthe dividends of beautiful hair. Illustrations not seen by PW. (February 4)