A Review on Besties

This is the work of Solenn Heusaff and Georgina Wilson.

I bought this copy of mine during the first few days of vacation from law school. Somehow, I see this book as a fulfillment of their dream/s to help others on how to feel with themselves, on how to be stylish and to tell people about their relationship to each other as best friends.

Just a note, I was not really aware that they are going to have a book. I just saw snaps of friends about their copies and also tweets. I then got curious and bought a copy for myself and read it. (Of course, I read it after finals because I would go crazy if I read it alongside my law books.)

The Review

Insecurities

Other chapters talk about: fashion, beauty, diet & food, fitness, finance, travel, love, sex and madness, friendship. 

Fashion

I would have to say that I am a shirt-jeans/leggings-shoes type of person. I do dress-up sometimes but sometimes I dress to impress which I realized is very wrong! You should never dress based on what people will think but you should dress because you are comfortable wearing that and you would love to see yourself wearing that. But I’ve learned that sometimes, I have been overdressed or underdressed on certain occasions.

And here’s their checklist that everyone should have taken care of before going out (from the book):

• Camel toes
• Wedgies
• Love handles caused by pants that don’t fit anymore
• Butt cheeks hanging out of our shorts
• Visible bras

EVERY GIRL MUST HAVE:

• Black crew neck sweater (● What I have is navy blue and white ✌)
• Black sunnies (✔)
• Printed blazer (● I used to have but I seem to have lost it somewhere)
• Black trousers (✔)
• LBD (✔)
• A-line skirt (✔)
• White t-shirt (✔)
• Perfect fitting jeans (✔)
• Black pumps (● Mine’s brown because they did not have black when I bought it)
• Go-to ballet flats (✔)
• Black blazer (● Since it’s not plain, it’s pinstriped blazer ✌)
• Bottom up shirt (✔)

Legend: ✔ – I have this in my closet ● – I don’t have this in my closet 

Beauty

I was not really fond of dolling up until college. I got to know people who are really kikay and I learned a lot from them! From curling up my hair to putting eyeliner and mascara. Usually I would just put eyeliner and mascara and I’m already good to go up until that I read this part. I learned that I was doing it wrong (not entirely wrong but yeah). I saw the preface of the chapter and it showed them having before and after shots, having bare face and ones with make-up. Anyway, this chapter is basically Solenn’s expertise since she’s a professional make-up artist. After reading this, I have to say that I really learned a lot and my skills were so noob!

I just hope I could see her in person and have lessons with me. Oh well, as if it would happen. Hahaha!

And they listed,

THREE ESSENTIAL LOOKS

•  The Night Look
• For Students and The Working Woman (which is the most applicable to me)
• The No-Make-Up Look (which I practically do most of the time)

Diet & Food

This would be quite hard since I practically love food. Nevertheless, celebrities always make it look easy to be sexy or fit or thin. However, they cited Erwan Heusaff’s The Fat Kid Inside with regards to Life Diet Rules. I would deeply thank them for sharing their experiences in the various diets they went through!

Fitness

Finance

Travel

BESTIE TRAVEL RULES

Sometimes I would get sad because people will not talk to me just because I believe in something  that is not parallel with theirs. I had arguments with relatives because their standing is just totally away from what I really believe in.

In the book, they wrote something called The Trouble with Maria Clara which I most certainly believe, is very rampant here in the Philippines. Most are not open-minded to things and do not think like modern citizens. Having traditions will never go away but letting fear of breaking the tradition rule your being may not be as healthy as you think it would be.

Solenn: Yeah, I think dress for yourself, not for other people. If you’re dressed sexy because it’s what you want to wear and you’re not doing that just because you want guys to like you, I think it’s okay. But if you’re dressed like that even if you feel uncomfortable and you feel bad about yourself, and all because you want guys to like you? That’s not okay.

Being in a relationship could be hard for others yet it still depends on the two persons in that relationship. Breaking up and making up will always be part of a relationship but sometimes break-ups take its toll on a person and it maybe quite devastating. They shared how they moved on, met new people in their lives and I think it is really great! Sharing your experiences on these matters would really inspire and help them cope up with whatever they’re going through.

Sex and sensibility is something that would be absorbed in many ways if you are here. People would think differently but in other countries that are quite liberated on the matter would just not care about it. And sex is usually connected to rape or harassment and I guess females would be the ones likely to experience it. It is a rare thing for males to file a case of rape or harassment against females and I guess it would be unfair too.

“I still think that it’s hard for girls to exercise that kind of freedom here ’cause they’re always going to be judged or shamed for making their own choices. When a man sleeps around, he’s admired for it. When a girl does it, it becomes taboo.“ 

Friendship

People had met friends in far diverse ways. Honestly, I have trust issues when it comes to friends. Others would say I am friendly but deep inside, I have these classifications for those people that I meet or get acquainted with. Of course, I don’t announce it to the world about the classification but briefly:

• Those that are really genuine
• Those that are there because you have something they need
• Those that you never talk to often but are  there when you need them (unexpectedly there)

From experience, that’s how things are for me. Although that is not the full list! I admire how George and Solenn made their friendship so strong despite of the busy schedule. Since there are those people who you would be friends for a few times then if you got busy you would never get the chance to talk again.

“You know you’ve landed a real friend when you can get them through difficult things with them. Friendships can be convenient and fun, but you should also be able to speak out and say how you feel. The right ones are there to help you get through the obstacles.“

But, after reading the It Girl Friendship Quiz, this is my favorite part:
Who deserves to be the fattest?
Georgina: Anne. She eats whatever she wants and she’s still so thin.
Solenn: We all have to work super hard to get fit, while Anne will go out and eat so much and complain she’s gained so much weight, but you can hardly tell. Then she works out for three days and she’s back to normal. With abs!

I have those friend/s too! So much relate!

Some points to remember:

• Price is reasonable.
• Written by two lovely ladies currently in the spotlight
• It is a very good and relatable read!
• It made me realize things.
• The photos, artworks, covers were great.
• The quality of the paper was great.
• I had a hard time in making the book to stay open.

“You could always be yourself whenever you have a best friend beside you and you get to do crazy things together.”