By Justine Nichol
Grace (noun \ˈgrās\) :
- a way of moving that is smooth and attractive and that is not stiff or awkward
- Grace Helbig; best-selling author straight out of Jersey and into our hearts
Style (noun \ˈstī(-ə)l\) :
- a particular way in which something is done, created, or performed
- “the images and the concepts touted by the fashion industries” – Grace Helbig
Two of the above are actual Merriam-Webster dictionary definitions, the other two – a little dose of reality.
Having launched on February 3, 2016, we couldn’t wait to get our hands on a copy of comedian Grace Helbig’s latest conversation about fashion as an industry and the lifestyle that goes along with it. Grace & Style: The Art of Pretending You Have It is a book whose name says it all – to Helbig, beauty & style is “one of the most hilarious subject matters in our society.”
So why do we think you should read this?
- Grace Helbig is laugh out loud funny
- Laughter is the best medicine
- THAT INTRODUCTION THOUGH
- Helbig’s candidness about her eating disorder
- Inspiration for meaningful conversations
- Helbig’s “Five great tips for avoiding camel toe”
- Seriously though, some great style tips that we can actually use
So who is Grace Helbig and why is she relevant? Self-dubbed as a former socially awkward jock, Grace takes us on a journey from “I-don’t-know-what-to-do-with-my-body-and-my-personality” teenhood through the depths of the modelling industry that chewed her up and spit her out on the other side. Now a successful, red carpet worthy comedian and author, Helbig’s tumultuous journey is summed up concisely in the book’s introduction. Here is a sneak peek:
“This is one part selfish and one part hopefully helpful. Selfish, because one of the ways I got out of the darkest period of my eating disorder was by talking about it; and hopefully helpful, because another way I got out of feeling so alone was by reading a butt-ton of books written by women who had also struggled with their body image. You see, YouTube didn’t exist during that time; instead, I bought books hoping to hear someone else’s story of suffering so I might feel less alone . . . BOOKS, YOU GUYS. So, who knows, my hope is that sharing this pretty sad personal time in my life might allow one singular person to feel less alone. And that’s completely worth it.”
This intro sets the stage for an otherwise lighthearted, easy to read and relatable (life)style guide. Consistently putting beauty & style topics into a new perspective, Helbig leaves us with the healthy reminder that “sometimes you wake up and you just don’t want to face your face. Or your hair. Or your body. Or your closet. Or the day.” And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. We’re all human and we’re all in this together ladies.
For more from Grace, check out her YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/graciehinabox. We of course recommend picking up a copy of her book, find out more at www.simonandschusterpublishing.com/graceandstyle.
photos: @gracehelbig Instagram, Simon and Schuster
