cover image Lia Schorr's Seasonal Skin Care

Lia Schorr's Seasonal Skin Care

Lia Schorr. Prentice Hall, $0 (219pp) ISBN 978-0-13-535139-0

Reading this book is very much like having a facialone feels comforted, pampered and wholly unconcerned that the author's concoctions are of questionable value. Schorr, an international skin care expert who has also coauthored a skin-care guide for men, organizes her latest around ``the seasons and stages of a woman's life,'' offering numerous tips for dealing with the ups and downs of both the mercury and the aging process. The book doubles as a kind of cookbook, offering some 25 recipesa few sound deliciousfor ``all-natural'' moisturizers, beauty masks and cleansers to whip up in the blender. Yet Schorr's text can be repetitive, as well as gimmicky. The reader is instructed several times on how to steam her face and on the importance of keeping astringent-soaked cotton balls in her purse. Still, the idea that one can stave off the ravages of old age and the environment with the aid of cosmetics and (unsurprisingly) a trusted skin-care specialist is strangely uplifting. One almost hears an angelic chorus in the background of Schorr's words, crooning ``How Lovely to Be a Woman.'' Photos not seen by PW. (Oct.)