The Ultimate Glow Up Guide: A Guide to Self Growth, Self Care, and Becoming the Best Version of You

by Elicia Goguen

Find a deep understanding of how to have a glow up and what that truly means for women. Empowerment books like this are hard to find—become the best version of yourself today.

How to have a glow up—made easy. Author Elicia Goguen, creator of The Glow Up Secrets YouTube channel, shares her personal glow-up journey and how to have a glow up yourself, giving tips on changing thoughts of self-hate or sabotage into self improvement for real women. No more indulging in body shaming or unhealthy diet culture while focusing on your outer appearance with this women’s empowerment book. Glow up from within. This shadow work book guides women back to their unique selves, healing their inner child along the way. Break unhealthy habits and relationships by connecting with your authentic self. Women can glow up with this self growth book for lasting change. It’s your time to start creating your story from a place of self acceptance and self love. In The Ultimate Glow Up Guide , If you liked books for women and empowerment books such as Badass Affirmations , Help Me, I'm Stuck , or How to Do the Work , you will love The Ultimate Glow Up Guide !

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Audiobook

238 pages, Paperback

Published January 30, 2024

Reviews

[Polina · Rating 5 out of 5]

in response to another comment, because I couldn’t actually reply to it. (only mutuals can).

We all have certain books we do not like. I myself enjoy critiquing books, and stating my opinion. But insulting the author is a line I will never cross. Sure, you can critique the book and call it bland and uninteresting, that’s your opinion. But the author is an actual human being, with emotions. I’ve watched Elicia’s content for a long time and she has really helped me on my journey. Listening to her videos, you can tell how mature and connected to herself she is. She can show her body, what’s wrong with that? The commenter has said that all she does is “show her body for vanity and validation”. The aforementioned body photos are her in leggings and a crop top. Take that as you will, but I just needed to put this out here because I think it’s wrong to judge a human being for how they dress and present themselves, and use that in their argument.

[Isabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not much different from most "empower who you are now to get where you want to be" books (hence the 3 stars), but is still an enjoyable short listen. The author's shared experiences and tips are geared toward very young adults and are relatively good. The book does not warrant the intense negative reviews it has received, which seem exaggerated when you consider what it actually offers.

Ignore the haters, Elicia. Keep writing.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced listener's copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.

[CAROLYN Wyman · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book The Ultimate Glow Up Guide by Elicia Goguen is a self help book designed to help you view yourself and things that occur in your life in a different way. I have never read a self help book. so this was definitely different for me. The book goes through many different topics and the authors methods for dealing with and working through various circumstances. I did enjoy the point made about Fight or Flight and the way our cortisol levels directly correlate to stressful times in our lives The author uses Glow Up as the way they view themselves and how they positively change perception, or in other words "glowing Up"
Overall I enjoyed the book. She also gave different techniques that she uses to change her perspective. I also liked the way she suggests changing your surroundings to make a positive change i your life. Negativity breeds negative feelings and hampers our own personal well being, Being with people that bring you up, instead of down, is paramount to healthy living. It was more of a 3 1/2 but I rounded up.

[Niharika · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, I was provided with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So I think this is the first ever self help book I have listened to and I hate to say this but I just could not connect with this book. The author does bring up good points on dealing with inner critique, body image but I was not blown away nor did I feel I was reading something new. Maybe since I was not dealing with such issues I could not connect as much. I just found it bland. The narrator was pretty good though.

[Rebecca Feurig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very happy that I picked this book up! I think it offers truly personal insights into sustainable personal transformation. With authenticity and depth, it talks about the psychological ROOTS (which most people don't talk about) of growth, providing not only surface-level tips but also sincere exercises for inner development. It guides readers to confront insecurities, redefine goals, and develop a growth mindset. I also really enjoyed the self-reflection exercises which I'll definitely be going back to. Overall this book is not just about superficial change but about embracing one's true potential, making it a must read for anyone committed to genuine, lasting transformation. Thank you Elicia for writing this book.

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 - am I having a pre 30 life crisis? Maybe. Did this help? I think I’d love to delve into this more without being pigeoned into the childhood trauma narrative that I just don’t have but every growth book wants to convince me of

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to thank NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to listen to this audiobook for free for an honest review.

I think for what this book is, it’s good. There is nothing in the book that make you go “wow” but I still think it’s enjoyable.

I think this book is best for people that really relate to the author. This book is going to be for people that struggle with confidence. I think if you ever struggled with body image issues this would be interesting as well.

Overall I think it’s a good and quick read. If you want a book with some good advice but doesn’t make you think so hard I think this is perfect.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve been getting into more non-fiction books this year, and I thought this would be a good one to add to my repertoire. Unfortunately, this book didn’t do much for me. It didn’t offer anything new to the table and I’m going to be honest, this felt more like a memoir rather than a “step by step” guide on how to glow up. I didn’t go into this book thinking it was a memoir, so I was a little caught off guard by that. I don’t hate this book by any means, I just had different expectations going in.

All in all, this was a good listen and I would recommend it as a good starter to reading non-fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced listener’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for an audio arc of The Ultimate Glow Up Guide by Elicia Goguen. This book, read by Angela Juarez, it’s a book about being the best version of you. It’s a women empowerment book and unfortunately I didn’t learn anything new or different, but it’s always a good reminder to be the best you, you can be.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was provided an ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This initially appealed to me because as a middle aged mom of two, self-care is something that always falls to the wayside. I'm not typically one who turns to self-help books but this was a short audiobook and sounded promising. Who doesn't want an empowering book about how to stick to the plan and become the best version of yourself? I've really struggled to get back in the routines I had pre-pandemic and I can contribute all of those things to stress as the author points out. Unfortunately the focus of this book is mainly how to deal with negative self image, unhealthy relationships with food, and delving into potential trauma in your early life that may have caused those things to develop.

This has some nice tips about facing the the reasons you may want a glow up or issues you may have with your own body image. She makes some good points about stress and developing self soothing activities and how to develop good behaviors and identify potential unhealthy behaviors. She gives journaling activities to help with your journey. I'm not a journal person, so I'm not sure how helpful those are. She points out that you should seek a glow up for the right reasons not because you are trying to please someone else or conform to unattainable social media standards, and on that we agree. I'm looking to restart my exercise routine and eat better to be healthier so I can walk my dog when spring comes and keep up with my kids at amusement parks on vacations.

Overall, I think this book may helpful to younger readers. I think for me, this isn't what I was looking for to empower me to restart my self-care journey. My reasons aren't the same as the author's nor are my experiences. I don't have a negative self image or an unhealthy relationship with food. The author does make some good points and I do have some takeaways, however I think I am not the target audience for this particular book.

[Sonja Gurvich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personally, I really enjoyed the book because it was a fresh take on self-development.
Not being new to self-development literature, I found this book to be very relatable and filled with practical tips that one can actually immediately execute on and that for a change, look at holistic self-development and what growth can actually look like.

The book starts with explaining the background and beginnings of the author. Even though we don't all come from the same background and not all like-minded, I believe many of us are like-hearted and in one way or another, Im sure all of us have felt a similar way making it very relatable.

While some may have argued that the language used was quite simple, I was actually relieved to read a self-development book that does not overcomplicate ideas that may not be simple to begin with. If I am struggling with something, I want someone I can relate to and that gives advice in a manner that explains complex ideas in a simple way, which I think Goguen did very well. On top of that, I think it was loveable to actually hear stories one that some may consider "minor" such as falling off keeping promises to oneself such as "eating candy" because its not an issue I would consider big enough to talk about with someone else, but actually has so many underlying issues behind it that reflect in so many areas of life such as the way you treat yourself in general.

In conclusion, even if you don't get anything out of the practical tips (which I think were very valuable, especially the way they were structured), the bare minimum you will get out of this book is the knowing that a) you are not alone and b) wherever you are, if you commit to yourself, it is absolutely possible and you will be that much closer to building yourself a life you love.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Read for Young Women

I’ve been watching Elicia’s content on YouTube for a couple of years and I remember buying this book when it released last year. I didn’t read it at first from being busy. At the end of this year, I got injured and was set back significantly from a lot of activities. I started watching her content more consistently and that lead me to open the book that’s been sitting in my kindle for almost a year. Elicia shares her personal struggles as a young child and teenager and how she grew to become the amazing person she is. I wish this book existed when I was a teenager as I endured very simply challenges myself - growing up in an unstable family & struggling with low confidence. This book taught me acceptance, no matter what challenges may come. Elicia has great book recommendations and promotes healthy habits that can help you shift your mindset to becoming a more confident person and accepting the life you have.

There are journal prompts within the book as well that would be great for anyone - especially young teenagers.

Only downfall was some pages were black and white which at times made it a little distracting but it wasn’t every page.

I hope to see more books in the future!!

[Bria Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished this book yesterday and I absolutely loved it. I was already a subscriber of Elicia's on YouTube and her podcast has helped me so much. When I saw that she was coming out with a book I was so excited. I think this book was really helpful to me because I personally felt connected with what she was talking about having gone through some of the same things. The journal prompts were really helpful after reading each chapter to help you immediately start the process of applying the advice she was giving. I honestly think this can be a foundational book that can be a steppingstone into your self-development journey if you're just starting out but also if you have already been on it and have been feeling a bit lost (that was me).

I will definitely be using these prompts for numerous topics on things I want to deep dive into with myself. Having this book and her podcast is the best duo in my opinion because once you finish the book you can continue to get deeper insight by watching her weekly YT videos and Podcast Episodes!

I'm so happy to have this in my collection, Thank you Elicia <3

[missbemba · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I picked up The Ultimate Glow-Up Guide by Elicia Goguen and… it was okay. Super quick to read, but honestly I expected a little more from it, especially for a book about glowing up.

What I did like was how personal it felt — Elicia shares her own experience, why she decided to glow up, and the techniques that helped her. I also really appreciated the journal prompts; they made me reflect on why we self-sabotage and how to actually understand our feelings better.

But here’s the thing: I wanted her to go further. A lot of the techniques were repeated, and after a while it felt a bit boring. I was hoping for deeper tips, practical tricks, something that felt like real, actionable advice. Instead, it ended up being more like a reminder that glowing up is mostly about doing it healthily and understanding your “why.”

Since I’ve been on my own glow-up journey, a lot of what she said resonated with me — I’ve done the mental work, the introspection, I know why I tend to self-sabotage or resist change. But still, I closed the book wishing she’d given more concrete tools.

So yeah… good as a motivational nudge, but not groundbreaking 🤷‍♀️.

[Coleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mix of memoir and self-help. The author takes us through her personal journey from insecure teenager into self-actualized woman in the hopes of inspiring others to do the same using anecdotes from her life experiences. I was especially intrigued by her experience with psychosomatic pain.

I could relate to many core aspects of the authors personal experiences moving from high school into adulthood. She describes unhealthy habits, self-soothing tendencies—similar to coping mechanisms, developed in childhood as a result of various insecurities and circumstances. Offering advice on how to overcome them through awareness, self-acceptance, nervous system regulation, shadow work, etc.

While the writing style and sentence structure were at times rough and unpolished, I felt it didn’t take away from the valuable lessons and insights shared. I'd recommend this book to young people interested in learning to love and accept themselves.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has helped me realize than I have experiences in my life that I have tucked deep to get over. Instead I need to deal with it, sit with it, and not allow it to create any bad things inside of my personality. I’m still on a journey but this book is very helpful! Recommended!

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Felicity Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my fav podcasters so naturally enjoyed this book very much.

[Desirie Vargas · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 Stars, okay but not great

The book was a good read, but not one of my favorites. The overall lessons are Silk with reading the book.

[Eliza Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook- I thought this could be a little longer! I had so many moments while listening where I felt that I was reading my own journal from when I was younger. I related to it so much. I definitely agreed with a lot of the advice given!

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book!!! I’ve been listening to Elicia’s podcast since she first launched it and have been following her on social media for years now and I think she is one of the best content creators, especially for young girls and women.

She’s extremely open about what she’s been through and how she’s healed through it. She’s wise beyond her years and has read a lot of books about healing, as well as trying different forms of therapy herself.

In a social media world that’s often very toxic for young people, she is a breath of fresh air and a role model. Her message of self-confidence and “glowing up,” not just physically but emotionally/mentally is something that I hope reaches more young girls.

What I really enjoyed about her book is that she provides actual advice and guidance that’s backed by real psychologists, not just a bunch of affirmations and manifesting — which is the majority of what’s on socials these days.

I highly recommend this book to young girls, and even to more mature women (I’m in my mid-30s!). And also make sure to listen to Elicia’s podcast.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

“glow up” in this book is less about physical appearance and more about becoming a more positive person, believing in yourself and viewing yourself as less of a constant project but as someone who simply exists and that that in itself is enough. simple read, have read better books with a similar concept but this would definitely be good for teen girls/ someone just getting into this space.

[Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely book about Elicia’s journey with self-development and amazing journal prompts that I will certainly be referring back too!