A little blush, some lip color, and eyeshadow can perk up even an exhausted look and fill the wearer with confidence and social energy. Yet, makeup can be a complicated thing. Youtube is filled with Internet celebrities who give expert advice, magazines roll out new style guides practically monthly, and everyone has a different face, meaning something that works for one person might not work so well for the next. To give younger girls an introduction to makeup, as well as a few deeper lessons about true beauty, Decker Sisters presents Pretty Pro: The Exciting Makeover Race Game.
To play, each player picks a character from the four playing pieces: Lauren, Izzy, Lexie, and Zoe. These characters come with profile cards that give a little background to them. These do not have any affect on the gameplay; they just allow players to get a little more into the game by picking their favorites. Each has a favorite color, pet, and hobby. They also give tips, both in fashion (“accessorize with scarves”), beauty (“always wear sunscreen when outside”), and internal beauty, described as a PrettyHeart quality (“always have a positive attitude”).
Pretty Pro is a straightforward game suitable for younger players. On a turn, a player rolls the dice and moves her or his character to a new square on the board. The goal is to land on each square necessary for the six components of a makeover: Lipstick, Blush, Eyeshadow, Brows, Earrings, and the PrettyHeart Tiara, which denotes inner beauty. The board also features stylish cities, where players draw cards. Some are good, such as “You are always kind with your words and never say anything hurtful. Find the PrettyHeart Tiara.” Others are not so good, “You went to bed very late last night. Now you feel grouchy and look tired. Lose your next turn.”
A little strategy comes into play with the Beauty Block and the Facemask card. Players might be unlucky in landing on a Beauty Block square and missing out on something they need or gain the Facemask, which stops players from adding any new makeup. When a player lands on Beauty Block, she or he may move it to a new space, potentially keeping another player from getting the final square needed to win.
Perhaps the best part of Pretty Pro is the coloring sheets. The set comes with colored pencils and a pad for each character, and extras may be printed off the website. Through the game, whenever a player lands on a space she needs, the player may color in the makeup on the character’s face. This is a great introduction into style, seeing what colors work, what is not enough, and what might be too much.
Pretty Pro is a game for two to four players aged six and up. It is a moderately long game, taking twenty to thirty minutes to play, depending on how quick and lucky the players are. With its randomized dice-rolling play and fun coloring sheets, younger players will enjoy it the most as they eagerly assemble the parts of their makeovers.