Don't Go 2 Cosmetics Counter W/Out ME

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Has anyone read the book "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me" by Paula Begoun? Did you find it useful?

Amazon.com

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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I haven't read it but have considered buying it. I'd like to know also if anyone has found it useful.

 
Originally Posted by Californian Has anyone read the book "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me" by Paula Begoun? Did you find it useful?

Amazon.com

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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I personally think Paula is full of hot air..She's a very close minded individual.And a bit of a hypocrite too..All the years she's said..Shimmer is satan and low and behold she's hopped on the Shimmer express and is selling new items on her website.What's even funnier is,In knowing people would start calling her out on her recent decent into shimmer she wrote this letter to her fans saying that she never said ALL shimmer was bad..LOL
 
Originally Posted by allisong I personally think Paula is full of hot air..She's a very close minded individual.And a bit of a hypocrite too..All the years she's said..Shimmer is satan and low and behold she's hopped on the Shimmer express and is selling new items on her website.What's even funnier is,In knowing people would start calling her out on her recent decent into shimmer she wrote this letter to her fans saying that she never said ALL shimmer was bad..LOL Maybe she needs her house T.P'd with shimmering Charmin then? You know what they say, "business is business" ... she's sold her soul to whims of the industry. It's called survival of the shittest. Ooops TYPO> omg scuze me. 'FITTEST' is what I meant.
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Seriously.. I have no idea about her, but I am finding the commentary intriguing. Sometimes the author of the book is just as important (or more) that the book itself.

 
I've been wanting to buy the book just for some of it's info. I actually saw an older edition of it at our library's book sale, but it was a bit too outdated with some products by some lines. Too bad, as it would have been less than a dollar.
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I like some of her stuff - I like the info about ingredients at her site. That's more interesting to me, but I don't really get into her cosmetics persay.
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Her cosmetic ingredients list on her website Cosmeticcop.com is very useful. I have considering buy the book but I am not to sure. I have heard that she is not truely objective with her reveiws because she was fired from one of the cosmetic houses for some reason (this was told to me by our sales rep for Arden ), also she has her own line to flog now. I'm not to sure if she is truely unbaised. Cheers, WarholsMarilyn

 
I'm not a big fan of Paula B. because she's so "This IS The Way It Is" with her opinions. And that's just it: it's her opinion she's selling. And her opinion and my skin have two different points of view, lol! Personally, I'd rather spend my time reading books written by dermatologists.
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Originally Posted by KittySkyfish I'm not a big fan of Paula B. because she's so "This IS The Way It Is" with her opinions. And that's just it: it's her opinion she's selling. And her opinion and my skin have two different points of view, lol! Personally, I'd rather spend my time reading books written by dermatologists.
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Well said!!
 

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