To Hell in High Heels Paperback – January 1, 2008

So first off, I did like the book. It did repeat alot of known advice but that's because these things are proven to work and I think bears repeating. It's a topic I'm interested in and I think she is an entertaining writer so I would recommend the book. A couple of things though....the writer is MALICIOUS when talking about women that have had what she considers too much work done. Especially during her trip to LA, she seems frequently revolted by the women referring to them as 'freaks'. Secondly, her marriage is unbelievably 1950's. Throughout the book she worries obsessively that her husband will be extremely angry if she does botox or fillers (very temporary procedures with low or no risk!). She worries about this constantly and he is very upset and insults her when she does finally have these done. Give me a break!!! What century do you live in woman? If you want to get a botox to help with wrinkles or see if you like your lips better with a little filler, then do it and screw him! Also telling is that when she got hair extensions, he did like this but only because SHE liked them. Uhhhh, yeah. She also like her lips and wrinkle-free forehead but he seems to not care about that. Maybe this is an English thing but I was surprised by how submissive she was to her husband throughout the book

This book repeats the well-known rules: eat healthy, avoid sugar, exercise, stay true to yourself, don't try to look twenty when you are forty, don't get obsessed about aging, take care of your skin through moisturizing, sunscreen, antioxidants, laugh a lot and enjoy life. Oh, and yes, wear high heels at every opportunity ( very bad advice, I must say). And that's it. Nothing new, nothing useful, a few spa/cream recommendations ( aka advertisements) between the lines, very annoying writing style.

The author wrote about her (quite well-researched) journey to various anti-ageing treatments with her charming wit. An enjoyable read.

Not as good as some of her other books. I couldn't even finish the book. I just don't get the point or what she was really trying to say.

A good read. It was interesting to hear about Helena's experience with France.

:D

Like most women, I am most curious to know the true story of all the cosmetic "wonder claims" from the best anti-wrinkle cream to how Botox "really works" to even plastic surgery without having to actually go through the expensive journey, myself. And really how effective are those natural methods offered that claim I can look younger and firmer without the high tech experience? Helena has courageously and provocatively taken this tour for me and shared her experience in her new book. She has been able to make me laugh while also scaring me a bit on her journey through the fascinating world of anti-ageing. I actually found myself unable to put the book down from time to time in anticipation of whether or not Helena was going to actually go through an invasive procedure or not?! Such a great read! Her ability to share her process as she visits the most expensive and glamorous salons in the world to sharing the more natural processes for looking and staying younger kept me intrigued throughout the whole entire book. I have to confess that I am Carolyn - one the people of whom Helena speaks about in her book that offers a more natural, viable alternative to fighting ageing, but this has not deterred me in any way from wanting to know more. I highly recommend this book to any of us wanting a glimpse of what it's like to explore the full spectrum of possibilities offered, from an insider's journey through the "land of anti-ageing" alternatives.

If you're entering what I call 'the awkward years' (40 plus), this is the book for you. Helena Frith Powell relates her adventures in anti-ageing with great candor and humour. Guaranteed to make you feel better about your neck.

Bought for my mum she loves it

I bought this book because I (still) enjoy dipping into Helen's Two Lipsticks and a Lover. I am a great fan of French-orientated beauty and fashion, and was secretly hoping that To Hell in High Heels would be a continuation of it.This book follows Helen's journey into anti-ageing experiences across Europe, including painful massage, sheep foetal matter, and face creams. I feel it lacked the funny and interested vibe that Two Lipsticks had; probably because it was not as 'personal' a trawl through the author's life (yes, I am rather nosey in this respect!). This book was more of a series of reviews for anti-ageing techniques, and this type of writing sadly discounted the suthor's usual wit so present in her other books. If you are into the French side of women's health and beauty, get Two Lipsticks and a Lover and Parisian Chic by Ines de la Fressange, I found these more personable and informative.

As I read through the first few chapters of this book I became convinced that I had inadvertantly picked up a copy of the Daily Mail's Sunday magazine by mistake. This book is stuffed full of blatant advertising......product after product, beauty spa after beauty spa, cosmetic surgeon after cosmetic surgeon... and so on and so forth! Such advertising loses this book any credibility it might have had. A good piece of journalism could still have been made without naming names. Thank goodness mine was just a second hand copy or I would have felt a real fool for buying it.Come on Helena - 'fess up! What did you really get for such shameless advertising including your own beauty/health website at the last page of the book??

Great book so far. Bought it after buying my tua viso and finding a reference to it.Helen certainly has the same humour as myself and being slightly obsessed with ageing can relate to everything she says .