Grace Helbig and I have a lot in common. First and foremost, we share an obsession with the internet and have a compulsion to participate in online communities, no matter how futile.
In addition to that, both Grace and I stumbled into femininity with all of the elegance of an angry seal, and our teenage-era battles with mirrors & self-image have forced us to try to be funny to compensate. Believe me, I honestly feel that I have no business telling you or anyone else anything about fashion and yet – here I am. And here is Grace, whose real-life fashion book specifically discourages wearing Fall Out Boy posters to work.
My, how far we’ve come/what are we doing, exactly?
Grace Helbig wrote and just last week released Grace & Style: The Art of Pretending You Have It which is her second book following Grace’s Guide: The Art of Pretending to Be a Grownup which everyone liked a lot. You can see she’s kind of found her niche.
This book is a tome to honest confusion in the face of fashion & personal style. It’s a weird world out there, and you can choose to care about what other people think of you… or not. But the road between trying to fit yourself into a mold and letting yourself break the mold is long and full of rough lessons. Grace delves into her history of self-perception and how selectively giving a fuck has lead her to where she is today: mildly giving fucks. Sometimes.
For those of you who don’t recognize this nearly-household name, Grace Helbig is a YouTube hilari-lady who has surpassed “vlogger” and become a content creator to end all content creators!
…Untrue, actually. Instead of trying to end content creators in the name of competition, she’s actually extremely supportive of up-and-coming talent through her channel videos and podcast, Not Too Deep which is very cute and focuses on my favorite thing: useless information about people I think I’ve heard of.
Some ways I am definitely not similar to Grace Helbig include but are not limited to: her tall, blonde-ish, German features versus my severe Irish-Cajun RBF, my inability to look great on camera versus her extensive knowledge of flattering camera angles and full-coverage, matte foundations, and lastly, my complete idiocy when confronted with the idea of crafting versus her amazing ability to whip up a customized tissue box cover with “I’m Fine” written on it in cute letters.
On the off chance you aren’t obsessed with YouTube comedians, you may not know that Grace was actually in a film! Yes, a film! A very cute movie called Camp Takota about being a camp counselor as an “adult” and not having any of your shit together. Naturally, her two BFFs were also there, Hannah Hart of My Drunk Kitchen and Mamrie Hart of You Deserve a Drink. You should see it! It’s cute!
Back to the book. There are all kinds of fun sections featuring your favorite flavor of self-deprecating and simultaneous self-appreciating humor that only Grace Helbig can deliver, and when hilarious jokes are cozied up with adorably awkward fashion photography, it can only improve the experience.
There’s quite a bit of correspondence in the book, noteworthy mentions include an ongoing log of diary entries from Grace Helbig’s sweatpants and a touching but stern memo to high heels. I also loved the complex flowchart that aims to help you answer the question: “Do I really need this [shirt, pair of shoes, set of knives, luxurious bath towel]?” Spoiler alert: if you’re honest with yourself, the answer is usually no.
The chapter(s) on Grace’s favorite beauty products is actually really helpful, given that she’s in front of a high-def camera almost every day, but also because she takes makeup about as seriously as anyone else who calls applying foundation “smashing it into your skin.” So, not. It’s nice.
In fact, that’s what makes Grace Helbig’s book about fashion – a topic that has broken many, many a teenager’s dreams of social celebrity and glowing self-image – so excellent: Throughout the entire book, she reminds you that none of this means anything. Seriously. No matter what kind of mascara you buy or how many sweatshirts you wear to formal events, none of this really matters. It’s just fun, so never forget to have fun with it, and never sacrifice your happiness for the approval of other people.
Also knowing how to “frame your meat mask” (aka pick the best sunglasses for your face shape) is also extremely helpful. And fun! But ultimately, meaningless. Helpful and fun but meaningless, that’s a really excellent way to sum up this style guide, so I’m gonna leave it at that. ????
Where to get Grace Helbig’s Great New Book
- Paperback, $11.62
- Kindle, $11.99
Grace & Style on iTunes
- iBook, $11.99
- iTunes Audio, $14.95
Grace & Style at Barnes & Noble
- Paperback, $12.62
- Nook, $11.99
More info at GraceStyleBook.com!