Rating: 
Summary: Scientific? I don't think so.
Review: As others have mentioned, the section on ingredients is the most useful portion of this book. Her reviews, otoh, are completely biased. Paula likes matte finishes and "natural" colors, and she lets you know it. I bought the book on the recommendation of an acquaintance, and at first glance, the heft of this book seemed impressive: over 1000 pages and she gives a nice overview of each brand, which is interesting as well as educational. Two things irritated me: 1) Inconsistency-- some other reviewer had noted this before; how in the intro section, she advocated "always put on sunscreen last" as part of your daily skincare routine, while in other portions, she recommends putting on sunscreen underneath foundation. Okay, this didn't resonate with me at first, until I actually got the book and found the inconsistency on page 337. Hello, blatant contradiction. Now, this wouldn't bother me quite as much, except... 2) This book purports to be "scientific" (i.e. backed up by research) and therefore objective. As far as I can tell, Paula's certainly done her homework on the ingredients listed, no question, but as far as her reviews go, it seems like she takes a few basic sound principles (like, alcohol is drying) and just runs with it, using them to justify her favorites and pan her nonfavs... For example, she pans the whole Shiseido line, and claims that antioxidants (like arbutin) found in their skincare line either don't work or are present in too minute quantities to work... Okay, Shiseido is the largest cosmetics company in Japan and has a fantastic research and development team of scientists... am I supposed to trust Paula's opinions on arbutin ? If you read through her reviews on the line, I think you will get more of the sense that basically, she simply dislikes Shiseido's advertising and image. That's not the only reason I found her book unscientific. Given the format of the book and this (holier-than-thou) tone of objectivity she uses, I expected that products which consistently received low marks would get poor reviews from her... wrong. Okay, if 100 users consistently pan a product for its gloppy consistency, etc... I would expect a tome of this kind to reflect that viewpoint-- I mean, what exactly is the point, otherwise? Bottomline: What this book really is, is one educated woman's opinion of a bunch of products. if you share Paula's tastes and you are interested in matte, creamy makeup in "natural"-looking colors, then go get this book. You will probably find her recommendations useful and her reviews are definitely a good way to find new products to try out. However, don't expect this book to be the "beauty encyclopedia" of products that it purports to be... nor is her research all that relevant when it comes to actual product reviews... they are colored too much by her biases. Actually, I think a more "scientific" way to go about it, is via consensus... if 100 people consistently offer up raves on one product, isn't it likely that you will like it as well? I would rather pick out new products that way rather than trust the judgement of one woman (who gives high marks to Estee Lauder's goopy lip glosses while panning Shiseido's eyeshadows ??)... that makes a lot more sense to me. And for that, thankfully I've found: http://www.makeupalley.com Reviews from your peers on most of the beauty products available out there. And, since it's ongoing, it won't ever become out of date... unlike Paula's tome.
Rating: 
Summary: great book for women
Review: This is a great book which provides a lot of information!
Rating: 
Summary: Paula Begoun AKA Devil's Advocate
Review: There's already about 200+ reviews on *what* is inside this book, so I'm going to give my opinion and my opinion only. First, I like the fact that Ms. Begoun is against animal testing. The thing I didn't like is that she didn't even really seem to like the products that she gave a 'smiley' and a 'checkmark' for. There's those two icons for each product that Ms. Begoun liked a lot, but after the product listed she would usually have some mediocre review about and/or saying "it's as good as anything out there". So, I was left wondering what exactly was the best. In the back of the book there's about three pages of "what's best".. I did like that a lot.
Rating:
Summary: Exceeded My Expectations
Review: I received this book as a gift, and I was impressed with the detail Begoun includes. My favorite part was the introduction and brief essays on skin care, which have proved effective in clearing up my skin within days. Her makeup reviews are harsh, to say the least, but a buyer concerned only with getting the most effective products for the lowest price can count on this as a reliable resource. Personally, I love having cute products and indulging in something because of the packaging and color, so her no-nonsense reviews take away a bit of the fun in shopping for makeup. But for the more sensible of you out there, Begoun presents cosmetic reviews in a straight-forward manner.
Rating:
Summary: Various reviewing criteria totally mishmashed.
Review: The main problem with this book is that Paula uses too many different reviewing criteria per product, and then arrives at one single conclusion based on all of them. To wit: 1) Product efficacy based on ingredient list. Paula goes through the ingredient list and identifies those that are useful, those that may be irritating, those that are useless, etc. Although she does not present this dispassionately, as a more professional reviewer would, this is the most useful part of her critique. 2) Value. Paula rates the value of the product based on 1), above vs. the amount of product and its retail price. 3) Her taste. Veering far off the track of a balanced reviewer, Paul routinely lambasts any cosmetic which does not fit her aesthetic taste. She disdains anything sparkly, shiny, or glittery, and products with those characteristics suffer. So, what do you wind up with in this book? Individual reviews that may be useful if you know how to weed through her biases, but "best of" ranking lists that are utterly worthless because of her confusing her criteria with each other so as to make any rankings meaningless. For instance, she may review a product as chemically sound, but it drops in rank because of being expensive. Another product may be chemically sound and dirt cheap, but does not rank well because it adds shine or sparkle. Her rhetoric abounds, review by review, and she tries to force you to agree with her idea of "appropriate" color palettes, but there is some good general information about cosmetic ingredients. Additionally, as many Amazon reviewers have noted, the fact that she now has her own product line calls her objectivity as a reviewer into serious question.
Rating: 
Summary: Shameless self-promotion in the guise of expertise
Review: I was hoping to garner useful information about selecting skin care product lines, but I soon tired of this book after reading numerous negative critiques. Begoun's negative tone was much too strong and repetitive to take her critiques seriously. It seems that only her line receives 100% high marks. It made me wonder how Begoun was able to evaluate "over 35,000 products," effectively. This book lost all credibility when the author included her own line of skin and hair care products within the book. It was not surprising all of Begoun's products were posted in Paula's Picks as the best products to use. It was shameless self-promotion.
Rating: 
Summary: Understanding the cosmetic world.
Review: When I was a young teen, I had very extreme combination skin. I tried all sorts of products some were expensive some were cheap, some where marketed for teens and others were for young women. I liked products because of the packaging and some because I saw the beautiful model wearing it. One day I went to the library and wondered if there were books on cosmetics, there I found Paula's first book. When the first edition of this book came out I was very interested to see what she had to say about the cosmetics I was using. There is no other book like it out there! No one has dared to compare cosmetics. Who believes magazines!? They are selling advertisments, aren't they!? Sometimes I am interested in a product and I see what she says and from that I decide if I want to spend the money. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. When she came out with her own line, I thought like a lot of other reviewers on amazon have said "Oh no she is biased! And, this is a big advertisement." But, has anyone counted how many products she raves about! She raves about so many products! And, some of them are cheaper then her own line! I have to admit one day I was looking for a good AHA product. There isn't that much information explaining which products have the good concentration. Of course she sells an AHA with the correct concentration. So do several other brands which she even recommends! I went for it and decided to try her version which I love because it is fragance free and color free! That was hard to find. From that experience my skin has improved even more because I look for fragance free and color free products and all of her products are. I still use other lines that I enjoy and she may not agree with but I wouldn't say she is biased especially since she still recommends other products. From her web site, this is how she "rates" a product. It is true that these questions might come out of opinion but then again that is what her book is!:
"Given the ingredient list, can the product do what it promises?
How does the product differ from other products?
If a special ingredient(s) is showcased, how much is actually in the product, and is there independent research verifying the claim?
Does the product contain problematic fragrances (often listed as essential oils), plant extracts, irritants, or other questionable ingredients?
How far-fetched are the product's claims?
Do I feel this product is safe? Are there risks such as allergic reactions or increased sun sensitivity?
Are there similar or identical formulations available that cost less? "
If you haven't read her books I recommend you do. You will be amazed! It really opened my eyes to the world of cosmetics. There are a lot out there and it is nice to have a guide out there.
Rating:
Summary: Paula Begoun really IS a woman's best friend!
Review: Are you constantly shopping for cosmetics at department stores, drug stores, etc.? Do you find yourself spending over fifty dollars on cosmetics a month? Do many of these products not only not live up to their claims, but they also end up wasting your money in the process? If you fit the above description (or even if you just buy and use cosmetics), than this book is a lifesaver. Take it from me, a teenage cosmetics junkie. This best-selling book features reviews of over 35,000 products from over 200 product lines, all reviewed by Paula Begoun. She gives you the scoop on nearly every line and make-up product imaginable- whatever you're looking for, you'll most likely find it in this book. Short and sweet, Paula's reviews feature summaries of each product, ratings, prices, why she liked/disliked the product, and any ingredients/features that can be irritating. Now, I know what you're thinking. "Everyone's skin type and special needs are different. How can one women's opinion help me?" Never fear. Paula does NOT say how the product affected her, she writes about the potential irritants for different skin types- so you won't have to worry about that! In addition, you'll find reviews of baby and men's skin care products, valuable make-up advice and information, a dictionary of cosmetics ingredients, secrets from the cosmetics industry, and so much more. If you decide to invest in this book, you are making a very wise decision. I refer to "Don't Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me" time after time, and it has helped me save soooo much $$$$. And for reviews of hair care products by Paula Begoun, check out "Don't Go Shopping For Hair Care Products Without Me"- basically the same as this book, but with reviews of hair-care products. I hope the book will have helped you as much as it helped me!
Rating:
Summary: Complete bias!
Review: Let me save you some time: Paula has something negative to say about every product on the market except for her own. I find that a lot of her information is suspect and some is just plain incorrect. In my opinion, she has no place critiquing other products while she is trying the schlep her own. If you are interested in the ingredients in products, buy Milady's skin care and cosmetic ingredients dictionary. It is educational, easy to understand, and impartial. It will be a better use of your money.
Rating:
Summary: Her subjective rating system is inconsistent
Review: I have this book in front of me now and I'm frustrated. Her criteria for recommending a product makes no sense. For those of you unfamiliar with her books, she alphabetically lists each product line, with that lines individual products randomly listed after each (frustrating - why not alphabetize). She uses little faces to rate a product. The face is smiling or neutral or frowning, depending on her opinion. If she really likes a product, she adds a check mark to the smiley face. I'm researching concealers by using her "Best Products Summary" in the back of the book. Wouldn't you think a Best Products Summary would be just that? Get ready to thumb through the book multiple times, researching what she recommends because it doesn't always make sense. For instance, here's what she says about a concealer she recommends with a smiley face and a check mark - "It does provide opaque coverage and can be a problem if you want to hide, instead of accentuate, lines under the eyes." What about this product deserves a smiley face and a check mark? In the past, one of her pet peeves is the price of skin care products, yet this time she has lots of them listed with check marks. One of them is $250 an ounce. How can she recommend that? Based on price alone she should give it a neutral face and says it's too expensive. This can be a useful book, but expect to research each smiley face/check marked product to see if you agree. If you read many reviews, you'll notice she contradicts herself constantly.
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