Getting the Pretty Back: Friendship, Family, and Finding the Perfect Lipstick

by Molly Ringwald

As the endearing and witty star of the beloved John Hughes “brat pack” classics Sixteen Candles , The Breakfast Club , and Pretty in Pink , Molly Ringwald defined teenage angst, love, and heartbreak. Now a wife and mother of three, and a star on the current hit television drama The Secret Life of the American Teenager , Molly is facing a new angst-inducing time in her life—her fortieth birthday! Encouraging every woman to become “the sexiest, funniest, smartest, well dressed, and most confident woman that you can be,” Molly shares a lifetime of experience in a vibrant, fun, stylish, and sexy collection of intimate stories and candid Getting the Pretty Back , a fully illustrated “girlfriend’s guide” to life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Self Help, Audiobook, Autobiography, Fashion

240 pages, Paperback

First published April 8, 2010

About the author

Molly Kathleen Ringwald is an American actress, singer, dancer and author. Having appeared in the John Hughes films Sixteen Candles (1984), The Breakfast Club (1985), and Pretty in Pink (1986), Ringwald is part of the "Brat Pack" and has been called the greatest teen star of all time. She has also played Anne Juergens in the ABC Family show The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

So unfortunate . . . I really, really wanted to like this book. Like many women in their 30s, I was enamored with Molly Ringwald (in a girl-crush, that's who I want to be sort of way) throughout high school. So when I happened upon this book in my local library, I immediately grabbed it. Though I was hoping for an autobiography, I must say that when I read the flap I was intrigued. Molly Ringwald was going to give me advice. How cool is that? And she's going to help me get my "pretty back" (ok, I never knew I lost my "pretty" but if I needed to retrieve it, I was glad that it was Molly who was going to help me find it).

Then I read the book. Which, as I stated above, was unfortunate. Because I no longer felt like I needed to "get my pretty back". I more or less felt that I needed to get the last 20 or so years of my life back. You see, I haven't ever made a movie; lived in France; fallen in love with a man several years my junior who was dating my friend; and/or had his children. I'm not inclined to throw dinner parties on the rooftop garden of my New York apartment (so creating the perfect cheese plate is a lost art to me) or go on wine buying "binges". I don't care how to tie a Hermes scarf because I can't afford one. Nor do I want to hear someone espousing the benefits of peels and injectable fillers. Perhaps, my life has not been as exciting as I've led myself to believe. Or, perhaps, this book is not as great as the editors copy led me to believe. I honestly didn't know that a book could give me low self-esteem. Though now she is perfectly poised to write a follow up tome on "How to Get the Dignity Back".

To say that this book left me cold would be an understatement. While I'm not apposed to self-help books and am all for personal betterment, this book failed in both categories. The advice was trite and lacking in depth, emotion and, most shockingly, usefulness. It came off as self-indulgent fluff targeted at a select few. (Most likely, those who've never seen the inside of a Target.)

[Melea Rose-Waters · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, in my review of this one, I will include a conversation between me and the husband while I was reading it.

DH (dear husband): Whatcha reading?

Me: Getting the Pretty Back by Molly Ringwald.

DH: What? What's it about?

Me: Molly Ringwald is telling me about how to get the pretty back.

DH: Why would *she* be writing a book on THAT?!

Me: I don't know... and I don't feel prettier having read this.. I just feel... poor.

So if you want to feel poor and unworldly and unworthy, go right out and pick this one up to read.

I guess I learned something...... how to arrange a cheese platter? Yet I can't afford the fancy, stinky cheeses or the fancy, French wines to pair with them... so, why bother. Hmph.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was anticipating a little bit of intelligence, a little bit of a smart girl's guide to feeling pretty on the inside. I was not anticipating an ILLUSTRATED book with thick pages as if it were made for a child and advice on how to look pretty ranging from how to arrange a cheese plate to how the Birkin bag has too much heft to carry around for long. Oh yes, Molly. I'll run out and pick up a Prada bag like you suggest, and, while I'm at it, I'll stop into a vintage store and look for that 1970's Yves Saint Laurent trench you imply every "pretty" girl must have.

Ew.

[Anne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, Molly.

Very trite. Why was I expecting good writing? I am not a Cosmo reader but this seems to fit the bill.

Superficial fluff for the most part (a black blazer dresses up any outfit? Are we stuck in 1991?). When was Molly a style icon anyway? She seemed to be stretching the advice at the end, as though she had to include it. The food and France parts were the most interesting.

Am I the only one who wonders how her friends feel, about having their private exploits dished in public? Doesn't sound very friendly to me.

The illustrations are very annoying and kind of sad. Not for a 40-plus memoir. It all felt a little desperate.

I'm giving my copy away, definitely not a re-read. If you want something to kill a few hours, go for it, but personally I think it was a total waste of money.

[Amber · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh, Molly. I SO should not have read this book because now I'm not sure I still adore you. When I can afford Burberry trench coats and Hermes scarves (two examples from your wardrobe "staples") I will give you a second chance. Until then I will freeze you in time so that you are always my 80s darling.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is like having your girlfriend write all the articles in a Glamour magazine. They are fluffy, quick, and blunt. However, I could see myself having a glass of wine and having a lot in common with Molly (minus the career and famous part). We are the same age. We both had prior miscarriages, we both ended our first marriages at 33, etc. Very bizarre. Anyway, so far, I have cleaned out half my wardrobe and driven it to goodwill. There isn't much left, but at least I'm realistic about it now; sizes, and letting go of the 80's. Who knew I was stuck there? I had no idea.

After finishing the book: I could have read another 1,000 pages. Seriously, she hit everything right on the nose and I love it. There are so many new mom, turned 40 books of crap out there that people just thrown on the mass market to make money. This actually has meat to it.

Most importantly, I respect Molly's parenting style and perseverence to do the right thing and call other kids/parents on things. It drives me nuts when parents threaten kids and then don't fall through. If you do that one more time, we're leaving. Then, when it happens. Leave. Period.

[Amelia the Strange · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adore just about any 80's movie with Molly Ringwald (Pretty in Pink, The Breakfast Club, For Keeps, 16 Candles...) When I picked this book up, I was thinking it would be more of a memoir but it really should be classified as the dread self-help.

Molly gives some good advice, i.e. make time to be with your friends, make time to take care of yourself, figure out what it is you want to be. But I found a lot of her advice to be unattainable to myself. For example, I cannot afford to spend more than ten dollars on a scarf. I also cannot afford to shop organically. (And it's not a matter of want; it's a matter of I just cannot do it.)

Now, if you are a Molly fan like myself I would recommend reading it just to read her own life stories. She is a very funny writer, and she has no problem poking fun at herself, something I found to be very refreshing coming from someone in Hollywood. The illustrations are also very cute.

[Janeece · Rating 1 out of 5]

I listened to this audiobook while at work. I'm a big fan of Molly's 80's movies, as well as her "Secret Life of the American Teenager" role, so I figured I'd like this. Oh man, how I was wrong. Molly has lived a life that has left her so beyond reality that it's hard to listen to a word she says. This book is full of advice that is laughable to the average person. In this book she talks about things like cheese and the correct way to eat cheese as if the majority of Americans are eating cheeses other than cheddar and Velveeta. There is also a chapter on clothing wherein she says something like all women should own a vintage Hermes scarf and a Yves St Lauren rain jacket. AS IF. While I'd love that...I'd venture to say that the majority of American women don't even know what a vintage Yves St. Lauren rain jacket would look like. (Even if they did, they couldn't afford it.)

What I'm saying is that while Molly Ringwald sure knows how to pick a high school crush (Hello Jake Ryan!) she is clueless as to the American woman lives. Her years living in France and being married to a European fella (while also have some $$) have left her totally out of the loop.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Molly Ringwald's autobiography. She focuses on the reader more than herself. I liked that aspect about it. I also enjoy the chick lit feel with fun illustrations and helpful hints. The book is obviously geared for women of my generation (Gen X) and I felt like she was speaking to me. (Sounds cheesy, I know.) But she wrote a good book. Because of her tips on cheese, dinner parties, and wine, I will most likely purchase a copy of this book. The only reason I gave this book four instead of five stars is because I would have liked to have seen more photographs of Molly and her cool vintage outfits from the 1980s and her time spent in France.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid 3. I liked Molly's personal stories more than her wardrobe advice, but she did have some good points/ideas. She seems like she'd be a nice person in real life too. I was hoping for a juicier memoir, more talk of her time making movies & tv but there wasn't much of it. Molly narrates the audio & it was great. And did you know she can sing? Well she can.

[Mary Z · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nothing much here.. she seems like a nice person..

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I have always been a huge fan of Molly Ringwald. It was fun to hear her take on so many issues. She was spot on!

[Dawn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lame, Lame, Lame.

OK, I was as much of a Molly Ringwald fangirl as a young teen as any girl my age, but this is just... such a disappointment. I was rather hoping for a real memoir about her life as an actress, and the fallout of being enshrined forever as the teen redhead in pink.

It's less a memoir and more a series of pretty much random collection of... magazine articles is really the closest thing I can think of. Teen Beat articles on fashion and lipstick colors, only (supposedly) for adult women. I briefly wonder if Ms Ringwald actually wrote this... mostly because I really do hope like hell she's not really this... inane. It feels like something a publicist would write.

Really, the only excuse for something like this would be as a cash grab, and if thats the case, hey, more power to ya. Personally I'd rather see her acting.

[Aviva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part memoir, part Cosmo self help article, I ended up enjoying this book much more than I thought I would early on. My favorite bits tended to be the parts about her life, where I learned fascinating nuggets I never knew about an actress I've long admired. I think she's someone I would enjoy in real life, assuming her book is as honest as it seems. There's no dirt here, just someone who has been successful at living well, especially when it meant taking the path less travelled.

There isn't a lot of depth to the book, but it still manages to be quite pleasant. :)

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hate to admit it, but I really liked this one. The only thing that bothered me is that she doesn't seem to realize that we are not all famous actresses who can afford anything we want. It really makes no difference to me whether Burberry or Prada makes a better trench coat. Mine will be coming from Nordstrom. That said, she makes some great points about remembering who you are when life keeps getting in the way.

[Lee Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was pretty much what I thought it would be: a light and frothy advice book from every quirky Gen X girl's hero, Molly Ringwald. It's full of sensible, if slight, reminders that turning 40 doesn't mean you lose yourself. Is it pretentious? Yes, of course. Our girl is a food and wine snob of the highest order, and her indie music sensibility is firmly intact. But would you want anything less? Her vintage coolness was always aspirational, and this book proves she's still got it.

[Bethany Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love Molly Ringwald then this is a funny read that you will enjoy!
I know that I loved her in The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink, and now I love hearing about her life experiences through the age of 40!
She discusses style, relationships, family, friends, food and so many more topics!

This is a fun read, and I recommend to anyone who loves Molly and is in the same stages in life!

[Jennifer]

I wanted something a lighter after Lawrence in Arabia, but I didn't even make it one disk in. I'm not opposed to wanting to feel pretty, but I'm opposed to feeling pressured to feel pretty (I read somewhere "Pretty isn't the price you pay for being a woman"). And that seemed like where this book was going--feeling pressured to feel pretty and figuring out how to meet that pressure.

Maybe that's not fair to the book, I don't know

[Felicia · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Keep in mind that different occasions merit different outfits and looks."
Alright, I admit that I was lured in by the really cool watercolor illustrations in this book - and the layout of the book. Overall, however, BLECH!! Her useful tips are all pretty high end.

[Livia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molly Ringwald offered some practical and not so relevant to my interest advice in a clear and easy to digest manner.

[Kelsi Blichar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay so umm overall the whole thing was very boring. Like many of the reviews on here state, it reads very much like reading a teen Vogue magazine-from the 80’s anyways.

Molly Ringwald, we can all assume had an interesting life considering her career and fame. Interesting enough for a 200 page book filled with a quarter of pictures.

Ironically, the book starts with Molly talking about how people see her in a time capsule of the young woman she was in the films Pretty In Pink and The Breakfast Club. Of course, the whole book shows you that she IS perpetually stuck in the olden days.

She is completely removed from reality. In more ways than one. Like I said. It seems as if this book was written 30 years ago. Like literally. I don’t think this woman has stepped outside her house since.
And, of course, the fact that she’s famous and rich, she clearly hasn’t realized that most Americans, most of human kind, make millions of dollars less. For example, she has a section on fashion where she claims there are staples every PRETTY girl needs including blazers (Molly, it’s 21st century. Not to mention, she wants you to have them tailored) and trench coats and scarves (but not just any. Top of the line, vintage pieces). Again, we aren’t all made of money. I think it’s pathetic that she is an older woman trying to tell women they need certain clothes to be pretty. AND this is a direct quote “A good rule of thumb is to remember that skinny jeans are better left to skinny people.” Like WHAT.

She even admits that she acts prissy and rude and makes comments about her family’s cheap wine. Cause “I’m such a wine snob haha quirky little me” like no. You’re just a spoiled woman. If you can’t even drink wine from poor people (who are family) … lady.

Not to mention, she claims you should replace your friend with a “gay best friend” because they’ll have the best fashion taste. Nice. We love perpetuating stereotypes.

This whole book reads like visiting your grandma and listening to their backhanded compliments and snide comments about your appearance.

Not to mention the excerpts put in where she describes how to make a good cheese platter or PAGES on a recipe. Like nobody cares. Trust me.

I like Molly Ringwald until I read this book. Now my opinion of her is quite low. No thank you.

[Kimberly Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

Labeling this as "finished' because Goodreads had not created the "gave up" section.

I was so excited to see that Molly had written a book (several years late in realizing that but, still, no judgements), that I had to get it right away. I loved Molly's 80s movies; several of them are still my favorite moves to date (Pretty in Pink). I have read the stories of Demi Moore, Rob Lowe, and Andrew McCarthy from this ear and, for some reason, I thought Molly's book would be like theirs. Stories of their childhoods, growing up in the film industry, maybe some behind the scenes info on their movies. Well, that is not what you are going to get here. Instead of finding out how Molly came to be, in terms of how she got into acting, what it was like being so famous in the 80s, stories from the set, you get a book that looks like a bad comic strip where Molly outlines some of her favorite things, and some things she has learned from people around here. One page is her tips like how you don't wear white pants in the winter. Another page is how to tie a scarf right. She talks about her daughter's love of cats and how, when she was pregnant with her, someone told her that she would lose her "pretty" to her daughter. She talks about cutting her hair very short as an adult, and how she assumed everyone loved it because no one told her otherwise. She talks about how to pack your carryon for flight travel. I am not making this stuff up.

Twelve pages in, I started flipping through looking for something interesting. I don't need to know how to travel by Molly's standards. I don't wear scarves, and I am not going to dye my hair blonde. Honestly, I barely read this book. I flipped through looking for some information on how Molly came to be. Sadly, it was not there.

Next time, I will read the reviews on here before I waste my money.

[Kristy♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Getting the Prettt Back: Friendship, Family, and Finding the Perfect Lipstick by: Molly Ringwald

While still an actress, throw in wife and mother of three. We go through some of Molly's life experiences, as what I've heard this book called as a "girlfriend's guide".

I read this honestly because I randomly seen it on Overdrive and assumed it would be a quick read. I loved all her 80s movies, they're some of my favorites so that had a major role in me reading this.

Some parts was ok, and some parts I was not impressed. When she talks about clothes or what she calls fashion it took everything in me to read on. What bothered me the most is it sounds like she's telling people how they should dress...

Everyone has their own style and personality. She comes out and says "if you have shirts with a name across the front or a quote throw it out." What bothered me even more was she actually said, "Skinny Jeans are for skinny people."

I think people should wear whatever they want! This is the main thing that upset. The rest of the book was alright but I'm giving it a low rating because of the clothes part.

She later brings up eating disorders and how we see so much stuff in media that makes us think we should be a certain size, and how she doesn't agree with it. Where was that attitude at when she voiced her opinions about how people dress?

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

After finishing 32 Candles, I remembered I wanted to pick up a Molly Ringwald memoir but never had. Well, color me both interested and disappointed in this one (just like 32 Candles, coincidentally!). Ringwald has written the most inaccessible advice book ever. It's like Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop in memoir format. 😂
How to age gracefully? Peels, fillers, lasers. How to dress? Burberry, Hermes, Louboutin (but naturally, you should wait for the heels to go on sale because then they're so affordable). How to choose wine? Spend a ridiculous amount of money on the good stuff and rejoice that it's not taken when your home is burglarized. How to entertain? Serve that ridiculously priced wine on your NYC apartment's rooftop, of course.
Despite the above complaints, I did enjoy listening to Ringwald narrate her book. She sings between chapters, and does it well. Despite the rarified air she inhabits and breathes, she does seem to have a good head on her shoulders. She astutely observes other moms' bad habits regarding their children's discipline. She seems to be pretty decent at reading people and why they're nice or mean or something in between. And I did appreciate *some* of her advice (a black blazer CAN be dressed up or down and DOES, in fact, go with everything).
2.5 stars, rounded up because... 16 Candles

[Stacey Adams · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a teenage actress we loved her in Pretty in Pink and the Breakfast Club, now turning 40 Molly Ringwald is indulging in her passions, one of them being writing. In this book she gives advice on motherhood, makeup, friendships, relationships and other life issues we face. She writes with a sense of humor and never a know it all attitude, instead knowing she isn't an expert she gives her take on what she's learned. Her love for her family, her insecurities, her aspirations and dreams come out in these pages. A refreshing look into the life of a woman who hit fame at an early vulnerable age....she seems to have come through just fine. She leads us through her process of keeping true to herself when responsibilities could take it all away and let her become someone else....someone's mother or wife or daughter. She as found the way that works for her to retain her sense of fashion knowing that it has changed but welcoming the change. Never giving in to "letting herself go" holding onto the pretty giving her a sense of well being, security, self esteem and goodness that makes her an even better mother, wife and daughter in the long run. A fun read that makes you open your eyes and question where you stand in this line of thinking.

[Melissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read (and absolutely LOVED) Molly Ringwald's book "When It Happens to You" so I had anticipated "Getting The Pretty Back" would also be fantastic.

Not so much.

This is one of those instances when you're listening to an audiobook and you know pretty (heh ... pun intended, I guess) early on that it's not for you but you feel bad for bailing so early so you check Goodreads to see if others were as lackluster about this as you, and oh, thank GOD, it isn't just me, other people were similarly as put off by this and abandoned it. Yay. Justification, although one doesn't need justification to quit books we don't like, do we?

I only made it as far as Chapter 2, or whenever the advice about the essential wardrobe staples came in -- must run out and get me a Hermes scarf ("or any other brand will do") and a Yves St. Laurent trench coat. I skipped ahead a bit and it seemed like more of the same.

I'm a child of the '80s and grew up with Molly Ringwald's movies. As another reviewer said, this didn't make me want the pretty back: it made me want the last 30 years back instead.

Skip this book and choose "When It Happens to You" instead.

[Ren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm. I listened to the audiobook borrowed from my library so I missed out on the illustrated portions. Maybe those help? I really wanted to like this more than I did. I grew up watching Molly Ringwald in the great teen movies being only a handful of years younger than she. After listening to this, I can't say my fondness for her has grown. Yes, we all grow up and most of what I've seen of her work was from her teenage years, but mostly, her life just isn't that relatable. Let's just say, we work with very different budgets. LOL Rather than being a memoir, this fits better in the self help genre, though again, be sure you have the budget if you want to follow her advice. She does give advice that anyone can follow though too. And she gets a 3 for the simple fact her chapter on parenting made me actually laugh. I don't have kids, but I will say I agree with many of her observations.

So, basically, this is another famous person who published based on her fame. Which is fine. Just not what I was hoping for.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Molly Ringwald writes a series of self-reflective autobiographical essays around the theme of self-served self-empowerment summed-up in the title "getting the pretty back". The audiobook is read by the author. Readers seeking a conventional memoir might be frustrated by the book's structure which is arranged thematically and not chronologically. Readers seeking a conventional self-help book might be frustrated by the significant amount of autobiographical content, because those stories encourage unequal comparison with the author's exceptional life--leaving many readers feeling alienated from atypical expectations and opportunities in life. Still, readers seeking candid anecdotes about being a daughter, being a friend, and being a mother, as well as fashion and cooking advice, from the perspective of a U.S. Generation X celebrity, should be entertained.

[Elizabeth Meadows · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, people have been very hard on this book, so I wasn't expecting much. I picked it up at a library book sale because I occasionally read celebrity memoirs about people that I relate to in some way. Since Molly and I are similar in age (I'm a bit older) and she starred in so many of the iconic movies of my youth, I thought it would be in interesting book to read. I have to say that I did rather enjoy it. Of course I can't relate to her jet-setting celebrity life style, but this book was still a light and fun look at adulting. Did I learn much usable information that is relevant to me? Only a little. But I mainly read for entertainment and Molly Ringwald has been talented in providing entertainment for several decades. Therefore, I have no complaints!
Also, this book contains many very excellent, whimsical illustrations scattered throughout the book done by Ruben Toledo.

[Kayla · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is going to sound harsher than I intend, but I'm in a mood. I love memoirs. I love memoirs read by the author, and this was a 2 for 1 audible book. So listened. She lost me when she was talking about having the perfect Hermes scarf. Neither I, nor the women I know, are Hermes scarf people. And she went on and on about motherhood! I am not a mother. I've never wanted kids. I would rather set myself on fire than have kids. I don't want to read about having kids and being a mother. And my own mother (whom I love dearly) is dead, so I don't want to read memories with your mother.

It's a wonder I made it through the audiobook, but I've been driving a lot in the past two days, and it was something to listen to other than the damn Taylor Swift CD that's been in my car forever. Anyway, some other women may get more out of this book, but it was not for me.