Rating: 
Summary: Bring this book to the cosemetics counter
Review: This is my favorite cosemetic book. The purchase price of this book will be saved the next time you head out to buy cosemetics. This book gives no nonsense reviews of products that include skin care as well as make up. I love the way she lets you know where to spend your money, and best of all where to save your money. Very comprehensive, and you are bound to get good use of this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Lots of useful information, with a few weaknesses
Review: This book is the only attempt I know of to rate all the makeup and cosmetics products out there on an objective, factual, comparison basis. Before I found this book, all I had to go on were advertising claims which are just about useless, claims made by commissioned salespeople which are even more useless, and my own very limited understanding of what the ingredient list meant. Since I certainly don't have the money or the time to try out product after product and test them all myself, I feel that her ratings are a good place for me to start. EVERY product that I have tried that she recommends I have really liked. After reading her book, I also have a better understanding of what various cosmetics ingredients (such as stearic acid and tea lauryl sulfate and butylparaben) do and don't do. Although I don't think she is 100% objective, she is a better source of information than advertising and magazine articles (which are written to please the advertisers).Personally, I thought that she showed great restraint in hawking her own line in this book. The references to her own line are very infrequent, and she gives recommendations for MANY products from other lines with as much enthusiasm as for her own line. You will like this book if you are: * a bargain hunter * skeptical about advertising claims but want to find the best products * have oily or acne-prone skin (Because this is her skin type, I think there is a little more emphasis on this skin type in the book than on others.) You will not like this book if you are already brand-loyal to a particular line already, because she has negative things to say about every line. You will also not like this book if you are the type that wants to go to some kind of a beauty expert, and be told exactly which products to buy. Her list of recommended products is too extensive for that. You also will not like this book if you are already buying expensive cosmetics and believe that you are getting better products than women who buy less expensive cosmetics. A theme of the book is that many of the low and moderate priced products are equal quality to the expensive ones.
Rating:
Summary: A must-have reference for anyone who buys cosmetics
Review: This book has saved me a lot of money. I don't always agree with Begoun's assessment of a particular product (although I think she is usually right on the mark). But overall, Begoun has changed the way I shop for cosmetics. I used to be intimidated by the salespeople at fancy department store counters. Not any more! I now approach the cosmetics counter with confidence, armed with some knowledge and a healthy does of scepticism. Some reviewers have complained of Begoun having her own line. Granted, it is a bit problematic for a reviewer to have her own line of products. But she does not shamelessly hawk her own line, and recommends all kinds of other brands that her own products are competing against. All things being equal, I would rather support a woman entrepreneur than a huge company. But her stuff is not only equal to but even better than many of the big names. Her product line really _is_ impressive: this is department store quality at drugstore prices (no, I don't work for her!). I have been using her skin care line for a few months, and with great results: I will not go back to overpriced products with inflated claims.
Rating:
Summary: For what it is, a very good book
Review: The best thing about this book, obviously, is the fact that Paula at least tries to objectively rate cosmetics and skin care products. Some may feel that a less than perfect amount of objectivity is shown, but I feel that she does the best job possible. To an extent, you have to know your own skin and coloring for this to work (for example, I know that every foundation except Ivory in the Jane line is too dark for me!) Of course, the very fact that this book is pretty objective about an industry like this one does bring up some thoughts. What on earth are we doing spending forty-five million dollars PER YEAR on this? How many battered women's shelters could that fund? How many abused children could it help? Do you honestly think men would ever be hypnotized into spending their money this way??? But then, there's the fact that some women have jobs where they MUST wear makeup. A lot of us are just too used to it to change our ways now. And yes, it can even be fun. I certainly still wear makeup sometimes. And it's not as if the forty-five million dollars are probably going to go to better causes anyway. Paula's books are not political or consciousness-raising by any stretch of the imagination, but if they got me thinking, maybe they did the same for others. At least, they may help us not to spend more money than we need to!
Rating: 
Summary: A skin care specialist's point of view!
Review: As a skin care specialst, this book is upsetting and frustrating. Paula, "puts down" many product lines and ingredients that are actually good for the skin, however she does have a couple of good points, and I agree when she says you don't have to spend a fortune to look great.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting but irritating
Review: This is an excellent book for anyone interested in getting the most bank out of their cosmetic buck - however, like many of the readers below I wondered what does Paula like? I totally agree with and understand Paula's anger at cosmetic marketers who promise miracles and creams that reverse aging. Nothing does that. Thanks to Paula, I'm now a real sceptic about marketing claims. Given the cut-throat competition in the industry, , I doubt the hype will disappear. And I totally agree with Paula that sunscreen is the most important anti-aging product you can use. However, alcohol and witch hazel are not always irritating to everyone and Paula does not discuss how various companies process the ingredients that go into their products, and this does make a difference. Also, I've tried inexpensive brands of make-up but they contain less pigment and don't last a day. Cheap blushers turn orange on me over the course of a day and you couldn't get me to use Maybelline mascara for a zillion bucks because it makes my eyelashes fall out. As for natural ingredients, I never had a problem with the Aveda line. I realize botanicals are being over-hyped but does that mean they don't work? Obviously, Paula thinks they don't but I'm not sure on what she bases this opinion. And for the record, I've read reviews of Paula's line and they were less than glowing. I am also confused by her reviews of L'Oreal and Lancome - she says L'Oreal is similar to Lancome but gives frowns to most of their products while giving smiley faces to similar Lancome products. I also disagree that eye creams and standard moisturizers do the same - most moisturizes are not emollient enough to protect the delicate eye area. And no, I don't work for the cosmetic industry. I've been using cosmetics as long as Begoun, though, and know what works for me. This book is a good place to go for basic information on ingredients and a list of good, inexpensive cosmetics. Start with the less expensive brands Paula recommends and if they work for you don't waste money on the high priced items. Be skeptical of industry claims. Know what ingredients are harsh for your skin and avoid those. Don't feel guilty if you like the smell and feel of a high priced item that Paula hates (I love Estee Lauder's ReNutrive throat cream - so what if it's just another moisturizer? I feel like the Queen of Sheba when I put it on). And use sunscreen.
Rating: 
Summary: Please go to the cosmetic counter WITHOUT this book!
Review: I was extremely interested in this book because I work in the beauty industry and thought it would be a valuable resource. I was, however, extremely disappointed to find out that it was full of misinformation about products, especially what they were to be used for. This is more of a fifth grade slam book for the beauty industry than a resource for women interested in beauty. If I could give it no stars, I would.
Rating:
Summary: Great Advice for Skincare, Good Basic Advice for Cosmetics
Review: After reading and enjoying Begoun's other book (Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me) I finally got around to checking out The Beauty Bible. As a cosmetics editor, I found most of the information on choosing and applying cosmetics to be a compilation of the best beauty tips I've come across over the years on the web, in magazines, other books, etc. While I disagree with a few of her tidbits (for example, she says not to 'blush' your chin and cheeks and I find that a little well-placed blusher adds a nice glow), she does have good advice for teens wanting to start wearing makeup and for shaping eyebrows, among other topics. I also find the color photos of her step-by-step makeup application more than a little scary-looking; I'm not sure if it's the lighting or what, but she looks much better on the book's cover. I found the chapters on skincare to be the most helpful, since I've learned that it's easier to learn makeup application than to learn how to take care of your skin correctly, and because skin care products seems to be the area in which most women fall for false claims and spend too much money. Her advice on BHAs and cleansers (combined with her recommendations in 'Don't Go') have resulted in improved skin for myself and my husband. I do think she needs to revise the section on skin types, as I don't fit into any of the categories she mentioned (her definition of combination skin is the typical 'oily t-zone, dry cheeks and jaw'; I have an oily jawline and cheeks and dry skin everywhere else).
Rating:
Summary: Queen of cosmetics questions
Review: You MUST read this book if you care about your skin! As reviewers say, Paula has it all from "acne to wrinkles." In this book, she goes from A to Z through the expensive department store and brand name products to drugstore products -- to her own concoctions -- and tells readers what is great or not-so-great about products on today's cosmetics market. She has great plans for skin care for everybody's skin, including the fact that we all should wear sunscreen every day, and exactly what ingredients must be in the sunscreen to work right against wrinkles. Sunscreen, she reminds all readers, is the ONLY answer to prevent wrinkles on the market. She describes how AHAs can help reduce lines somewhat, as can prescription-only Retin-A, but nothing can fully remove a wrinkle once it's there. For acne sufferers, great news! Cure and prevention is there, and at low cost! I couldn't believe how much this helped my skin. In my early thirties, I still often suffer with breakouts. My skin is so smooth after listening to her advice, which you won't hear from a dermatologist -- she and I can promise you that! Now the worries about wrinkles start to come in -- but Paula even has that covered with her news that exposure to the sun causes them, and sunscreen can help prevent. For those who want to be tan, regardless of the dangers of exposure to the sun and future wrinkles? She explains which sunless tanners on the market work the best and how to apply them. I've been using sunless tanners for years, and most people don't know it. Also, in a segment on "E" with David Hasselhoff of Baywatch, he said all the gorgeous tans people admire on the show's bods are from sunless tanners. Paula has thought of it all, where skin is concerned, especially the wallet. The end of her book describes which products are the best for the money. She is a star at her craft and is gaining no profit from any of these companies. In fact, she regularly irritates them! Best of all, the book describes how to get a monthly newsletter and gives an email address where readers can ask their own questions. Answers to my questions usually came within a few days. Yea for Paula!
Rating:
Summary: Finally, some good advice!
Review: Paula Begoun is the only REAL beauty expert around. She approaches her work with the devotion and rigor of a true scholar in the cosmetics field. After reading her book and using her products, my skin looks fabulous. Friends and strangers both comment on its glowing condition. I felt both relieved and foolish after finding this gem of a book--relieved because I now had the information needed to take charge of my own beauty routine, and foolish when I thought of the thousands of dollars I had spent at Nordsrom, Sephora, Saks and dermatologists offices with little to show for my wasted money! Paula has simplified my life and my morning routine. Finally, a beauty writer who actually evaluates cosmetics systematically and scientifically. Intelligent readers will appreciate the validity and reliability of her research. Paul is simply the most informed and unbiased of any beauty author. This book empowers individuals. P.S. Any comsetics devotee should really check out her line of brushes. They are better than Trish or Shu Uemura any day!
|
