One Woman 100 Faces

Beyoncé hails Francesca Tolot as the “most extraordinary make-up artist of our time,” and this provocative, phantasmagoric collection of images from Francesca and her husband Alberto’s decades-long collaboration with model-muse Mitzi Martin is a testament to such praise. The Italian-born Francesca has worked with Elizabeth Taylor, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Beyoncé herself, to name a few; in addition to the faces of Oscar-winning actresses, you’ve seen her creations featured in fashion advertisements, commercials, and award shows. Francesca’s medium extends far beyond eyeliner and lipstick, including clay, paper, sheet music, lace, feathers, and gems. Alberto, for his part, reliably produces stunning photographs of Martin wearing his wife’s creations. The collection begins with brief pages of text: Beyoncé’s foreword, an introduction to the Tolot-Martin collaboration, an insightful interview with Tolot herself, and words from Martin, the woman of 100 faces herself. The rest of the book boldly unveils the face as a canvas for art and a theater of the imagination. Its stylish, bold images will not only impress readers, but may also cause them to reconsider ideals of fashion and beauty. [em](Sept.) [/em]