Book Review: Gorgeous For Good by Sophie Uliano

As an avid beauty fanatic, I get super excited whenever I learn some new tips and tricks of the trade. I’m always keeping up with new beauty book releases and reading up on the latest cruelty-free makeup and skincare findings. Recently I picked up Gorgeous For Good by Sophie Uliano and decided to give it a read. The main focus of Gorgeous For Good is based on enhancing our inner and outer beauty. Uliano works from the inside out, giving readers tips on toxic cosmetics and how to avoid them, skincare secrets, diet tips and healthy recipes, exercise, and even personal spiritual enlightenment!

I’m a true believer that beauty starts from the inside and Uliano explains just that through her extensive research on the correlation between food, exercise, mediation, and beauty. For channeling your inner beauty, she recommends sticking to a diet composed of mainly plant-based foods that are minimally processed and as fresh as possible. Gluten, animal products, and alcohol are completely off the table in her eating plan. Although she believes that plant-based foods are best for your body, this may be a drastic change for some people so she gently encourages taking small steps to further improve on eating habits. She included examples nutritious foods to eat and lots of information on how specific foods, nutrients, and supplements can benefit your health and therefore beauty. Personally, I love all of the recipes from the book that I’ve tried so far – the Gorgeously Green Queen Smoothie is amazing and so healthy! I can feel my inner glow coming out as I sip it! 😉

Uliano included some great ways to fit exercise into your beauty routine. I truly believe that “loving your body” is an important concept to grasp and a great way to do this is by taking positive steps towards your personal fitness goals. Uliano lists heart strength, bone and muscle strength, flexibility, and balance as the four most important physical strengths to have as a woman. I couldn’t agree more! As a figure skater, I’ve been working on these physical aspects my entire life. Without these strengths, I feel like I would have less confidence in myself and the power I hold inside of me. Confidence is beauty, ladies!

Self-realization is another important part of inner beauty that Uliano channels in Gorgeous For Good. Leading a stress-free life is so beneficial to the mind, body, and soul – all of which affect our beauty. Uliano talks about some amazing meditation breathing techniques, yoga postures, and even a way to encourage positive thinking with affirmations and intentions. When I tried the self-realization techniques from the book, I felt enlightened and immediately less stressed. They’re definitely becoming a part of my daily routine.

As you can see, the nutrients we eat, the strength our body holds, and self-relization are all important factors of beauty. That being said, I’m not going to be giving up my favorite cruelty-free makeup and skincare products anytime soon – as Uliano states in the book:

“Ironically, feeling like a beautiful person within makes me want to take care of the “outside” even more – probably because I feel that I deserve to use gorgeous products”

In Gorgeous For Good, Uliano doesn’t discourage the use of conventional cruelty-free cosmetics by any means – but she does have tons of DIY skincare recipes as well as several chapters dedicated to informing readers of the toxic ingredients in most commercial cosmetic and skincare lines as well as how to avoid them. There’s an extensive list of “toxic ingredients” to look out for in your cosmetics and avoid as much as possible. On the flip side, Uliano also included a list of nourishing and beneficial ingredients to look for as well. I found these lists super helpful – they provide an easily accessible and attainable way to realize what you’re putting on your body and how it’s going to affect you in the long run. Luckily, most cruelty-free beauty companies are aware of those harmful ingredients and obstain from using them. (Yay!)

After obtaining all of this amazing knowledge on inner and outer beauty, there’s a 30-day plan at the end of the book to guide readers toward staying gorgeous for good. Uliano’s 30-day plan includes daily meal suggestions, beauty routines, fitness routines, and even some necessary “Me Time”. This would be a wonderful start for anyone who’s looking to lead a more natural, green, and cruelty-free lifestyle!

Overall, the book is extremely informative without being pushy about adopting one belief or another. I love the way that Uliano encourages the ideas she believes to be healthy and beneficial to both inner and outer beauty without acting like it’s the end of the world if you don’t want to give up your favorite talc-ridden bronzer. (Just use it sparingly on special occasions!) Another wonderful aspect is the variety of the book. From food to mediation to exercise to cosmetics – you’ll get all of the information you need about beauty. Even if you don’t want to go completely natural with your beauty routine or eat entirely plant-based foods, I think this is a great read to gain knowledge about green beauty, self-realization techniques, beauty-enhancing nutrients, and functional movements. For all you ladies looking for an interesting read and reliable source on inner and outer beauty, I highly recommend Gorgeous For Good  by Sophie Uliano!