Paula Begoun has been reporting on the beauty industry for more than 25 years. Loved by readers and feared by corporations, she has earned the name of "Cosmetics Cop" for her thorough, authoritative investigations of beauty products and her fierce consumer advocacy. From drugstores and home shopping to department stores and catalogs, Begoun reviews all of the major cosmetic and skin care lines product by product -- more than 30,000 in all. Regardless of the price tags, there are good and bad products in almost every line, and with the turn of a page, readers receive concise reviews and fast answers in this comprehensive, totally revised edition. Begoun covers product websites, efficacy, and whether claims such as youth extension are accurate. Individual chapters are devoted to best products, a cosmetic ingredients dictionary, and animal testing. A user-friendly rating system makes finding items worth trying a snap.
Women spend an extraordinary amount of money on cosmetics--$45 billion a year in the U.S. alone. Now in its fourth edition, Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me strikes fear in cosmetics-counter consultants everywhere. First off, Begoun has deconstructed ingredient lists. Ever wonder what methylparaben, propylparaben, and butylparaben are doing in your mascara? And what is diazolidinyl urea? All four are potential irritants, and the latter is a preservative that can release formaldehyde, a class A carcinogen. Buyer beware.
Begoun also lists which companies are cruelty-free and which continue to conduct animal testing. The majority of the book--and that's nearly 800 pages--is devoted to reviews of thousands of cosmetics, from cleansers, foundations, alpha-hydroxy acids, and moisturizers to lip liners, eye shadows, and concealers, all of which Begoun has personally tested. (There are no hair care products listed, as that warrants another book entirely: Don't Go Shopping for Hair Care Products Without Me.)
She's perfectly frank and tells it like it is. (On Revlon's ColorStay Makeup: "goes far beyond the claim of 'It won't come off on him.' It won't come off when you want it to.") You'll learn how to tell when you're being boondoggled by a salesperson, what's overpriced and overhyped, as well as what's overlooked. More than 200 brands are included, along with a helpful summary at the end that lists the best products for each cosmetic category. It should be noted that not only is Begoun a fine consumer advocate, she's also a self-esteem advocate: she mentions time and again that even the best cosmetics won't necessarily improve your life, and that's a point well taken.
