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| Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me | 
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (based on 343 reviews)
Sales Rank: 309566
Category: Book
Author: Paula Begoun
Publisher: Beginning Press
Studio: Beginning Press
Manufacturer: Beginning Press
Label: Beginning Press
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Edition: 6th
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 1362
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.8
Dimensions (in): 9 x 6.5 x 6.1
ISBN: 1877988308
Dewey Decimal Number: 646.72
EAN: 9781877988301
ASIN: 1877988308
Publication Date: January 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
When women seek reliable information about the relative value and performance of specific beauty products, they consult Paula Begoun. From drug stores and home shopping to department stores and catalogs, Paula Begoun reviews all of the major cosmetic and skin care lines ? more than 25,000 including 75 new product lines in this edition. The comprehensive beauty bible from ?the Ralph Nader of Rouge? ? The Detroit News ?Paula is nationally recognized ... She takes the cosmetics companies to task for their puffed-up claims and misleading information.? ? The Miami Herald
Amazon.com Review
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.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 338 more reviews...
 Helpful and Informative Skin Care Advice June 27, 2009
I have bought the last two editions of Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me. I have found them very helpful in sifting through the hype regarding makeup and skin care products. Her makeup preferences do come through in her reviews, however. Her aversion to shimmer/sparkle and preference for matte lipstick are evident, so you have to overlook those comments if you don't share her taste. (I sort of like shimmer and sparkle myself.)
As far as my experience goes, I've found her skin care advice to be spot on. I can see where some devotees to pricier dept store lines might get defensive; she makes it very clear that you can buy products with equal or superior quality at the drugstore. If you are looking for justification for spending a large amount of money on cosmetics, you won't find that justification in this book.
As others have mentioned, she does rate her own line highly. She even mentions in the intro to the section on her line that she can't be completely objective. I have used (and still use) some of her skin care products and have had good results with them.
In all, I don't agree with every makeup review she writes, and I don't think she expects me to. For example, she is critical of mineral makeup, which I love, but I buy what works for me. I do agree with her skin care advice, and I particularly like the ingredients dictionary found in the back of the book.
Finally, on a personal note: I DID go to the cosmetics counter (actually the drugstore)without her a few days ago, and I regretted it. Rather, my husband did. I bought a skin care product for him from a line that is usually highly recommended. The product irritated his skin...badly. Lo and behold, when I looked up the product in DGTTCCWM, there in print, was Paula's frowny face and negative review, mainly because the product contains a few harsh, irritating ingredients. I learned my lesson. :-)
Money well spent May 31, 2009
Really useful and the only book of it's kind, really. Well worth the price.
 Faulty comments May 14, 2009
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
Although Paula has done some good research, she puts some random comments into her reviews that are untrue.
For example, it is clear that she does not like The Body Shop's shimmer cubes. She says that if you drop it it will easily break and that the product tends to flake.
I have dropped the tester in the store. This means that it was open and i dropped the whole thing from the shelf, which was about 5 feet. The make-up did NOT crack. It even popped out of the container and the container's container (so there was cube of pure make-up) on the floor and did NOT crack.
Furthermore, I have dry skin on my eyelids that flake. I use the shimmer cubes to STOP them from flaking. So I don't know where she gets the "each shade is grainy and the shine tends to flake." Or if she meant "fade" instead of "flake" then she should take course in English.
Overall, I think it's important to not take everything she says seriously.
So happy with my new book May 1, 2009
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I love this book. It is full of knowledge. Talks about ALL cosmetics. It is very informative and worth every penny.
Save money on cosmetics April 20, 2009
Very informative book. Compares and reviews almost every brand of cosmetics, from inexpensive to very expensive. Will no longer purchase my expensive makeup which received poor reviews and head to the drugstore!
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