Cindy did her own makeup for the photography throughout the book, albeit with Sonia's guidance, but freely admits that when she started to strut the runways, she hadn't "a clue" about what to put on her face. That's only slightly evident in her early work, but then she didn't need to improve on what God gave her. Her lack of knowledge stems from stern parenting. Her father wouldn't allow her to wear makeup. When she finally turned pro, her makeup education was provided by supermodels Iman and Diane Dewitt. They helped her get the basics down. She became more accomplished as time went on by watching other girls do their makeup.

One of the nice touches offered by the book is a simplified version of makeup psychology. The book's authors understand how makeup can be a prickly challenge for some women, especially those who fixate only on physical characteristics they don't like about themselves. Cindy explains how she herself was terribly self-conscious about her trademark mole. Her sisters called her Mole Face when she was growing up and that hurt. To counter negative thoughts, she offers a section on attitude adjustment. It helps set the stage for a positive makeup experience by encouraging readers to find facial attributes they like about themselves, rather than focusing on what they don't like. (More.)