The Goddess Guide? Not So Good.

"What makes a woman a 'goddess?'" asks the press release that accompanied "The Goddess Guide" by Gisele Scanlon (HarperCollins; $20). "She must know where to find the absolute best vintage clothes...and know why the soles of Christian Louboutin heels are always brilliant red. She must know where to find the top perfumes in Paris, and the best Hollywood smile make-over while in New York. She must know how to decorate a room flawlessly, the secret to having perfectly toned arms and where to buy the fluffiest duvet at a moment's notice."

Aside from the fluffiest duvet part (we didn't realize our sisters in style were obsessed with finding downy bedding at the drop of a hat), we were intrigued by the premise of this fashionable how-to, not least of all because Scanlon's advice came wrapped in such a beautiful little package.

A Dublin-based writer and illustrator for Irish Tatler and The Irish Independent, Scanlon's jewel box of a book boasts an eye-popping hot pink cover beneath a flocked velvet overlay, and opens to reveal a series of fanciful photos, illustrations and super cool mixed-media collages that are definitely a treat for the senses (well, the visual sense, anyway).

Scanlon is as talented a writer as she is an artist, and she does offer up some juicy tidbits and profiles, whether it's interesting and irreverent Q&As with Philip Treacy, Christian Louboutin, Alice Temperley, Dolce & Gabbana, Tracey Emin, Laura Mercier, Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog (we kid you not), or user-friendly advice on making up on the go (your face that is, not post-quarrel), cashmere care, how to choose the right jeans/coat/lingerie/handbag/perfume, etc., and how to brew a great cuppa, among other things, each section sprinkled liberally with good advice and clever Goddess Tips. And it's all presented in a lively, conversational style that's a lot of fun to read - Scanlon's got that "just us girls" thing down pat, despite the rarefied circles in which she travels.

She lost us, however, whenever she left the safe haven of fashion and ventured farther afield, as in the section on travel (these pieces aren't bad, but having nothing to do with style, they feel out-of-place in a book called "Goddess Guide," and made us wonder if the author needed to write about her travels in order to use her adventures as a tax write-off). The clubbing section also had us scratching our heads (do fabulous fashionistas really need tips on how to get past the doorman at Bungalow 8?), as did the section on cooking, with tips on boiling the perfect egg, making mashed potatoes, cleaning fish (!) and grilling a steak. Again, not sure what this has to do with being a Goddess. Ditto the countless Hints from Heloise-type suggestions on entertaining, cleaning, and other housekeeping matters, which reminded us of advice our grandma (who was a goddess of the domestic sort) might have dispensed c. 1963.

And Scanlon's use of the word Bling to title a jewelry section made us groan (bling?! who says that anymore?), as did a shot of the author in a plaid Burberry scarf (did she not get the memo that Burberry plaid is now the symbol of Chavs everywhere?). In fact, there are photos of Scanlon sprinkled liberally throughout "Goddess Guide," which also felt a bit odd - is she a respected fashion journalist or a wannabe celebrity? - including some inexplicable shots of her at the dentist getting veneers. (Gisele. Honey? No one but no one thinks that seeing you in the dentist's chair holding your gummy molds aloft is glamorous or Goddess-like, nor do they want to read about your teeth trials in detail. It's just gross.)

Why Scanlon's editor at HarperCollins allowed this section to make the cut is beyond us - and, in fact, "Goddess Guide" is so chock-full of info and suggestions (with upwards of 16 tips on some pages), that the whole thing could have benefitted from a good pruning. There's just too much here, and only half of it feels relevant to the overall theme.

The bottom line: "The Goddess Guide" is beautiful to look at, but to read? Not so much.

Photos © The Fashion Informer

Comments

[Brooke]

Your whole article is focusing on how the TITLE relates to the book. What about the book itself. I found it very useful. It gave me many beneficial websites. I personally loved the book.