Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me

Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me
by Paula Begoun

Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me
List Price: $27.95
Our Price: $9.98
You Save: $17.97 (64%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.41 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions


or

Book Summary Information

Author: Paula Begoun
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2003-01
ISBN: 1877988308
Number of pages: 1362
Publisher: Beginning Press

Book Reviews of Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me

Book Review: Good book
Summary: 4 Stars

This book was very helpful for deciding what new products to try. But I feel you should take her critiques with a grain of salt. If your already using a product and you find it works for you I don't see why you should discontinue the use just because she dislikes the product. Overall it was very informational and I feel I am that much more aware of what I put on my skin.

Summary of Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me

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

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.

Cosmetics Books

Book Subjects
Most talked about in Cosmetics Books
Woman's Face (Chic Simple): Skin Care and Makeup (Chic Simple) (Chic Simple) ImageWoman's Face (Chic Simple): Skin Care and Makeup (Chic Simple) (Chic Simple)
by Kim Johnson Gross
Knopf; Published: 1997-07-26; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $4.28
Price in other shops: $30.00
Milady's Guide to Owning and Operating a Nail Salon ImageMilady's Guide to Owning and Operating a Nail Salon
by Joanne L. Wiggins
Milady; Published: 1993-12-23; Paperback; Book
Best price: $34.23
Price in other shops: $47.95
Milady's Nail Structure and Product Chemistry ImageMilady's Nail Structure and Product Chemistry
by Douglas Schoon
Milady; Published: 1996-03-21; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.92
Price in other shops: $47.95
Get a Whiff of This: Perfumes (fragrances) -- the Invisible Chemical Poisons ImageGet a Whiff of This: Perfumes (fragrances) -- the Invisible Chemical Poisons
by Connie Pitts
1st Books Library; Published: 2003-10-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.79
Price in other shops: $14.50
Patrick Cameron: Dressing Long Hair Book 2 (Hairdressing and Beauty Industry Authority/Thomson Learning) ImagePatrick Cameron: Dressing Long Hair Book 2 (Hairdressing and Beauty Industry Authority/ Thomson Learning)
by Patrick Cameron
Cengage Learning; Published: 1999-10-18; Spiral-bound; Book
Best price: $49.42
Price in other shops: $64.95
The Encyclopedia of Nails (Hairdressing & Beauty Industry Authority) ImageThe Encyclopedia of Nails (Hairdressing & Beauty Industry Authority)
by Jacqui Jefford, Anne Swain
Cengage Learning; Published: 2002-04-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.00
Price in other shops: $69.95
Nail Structure and Product Chemistry ImageNail Structure and Product Chemistry
by Douglas Schoon
Milady; Published: 2005-02-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.47
Price in other shops: $44.95
The Beauty Prescription ImageThe Beauty Prescription
by Debra Luftman, Eva Ritvo
McGraw-Hill; Published: 2008-06-26; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $13.78
Price in other shops: $24.95
Kevyn Aucoin a beautiful life: The Success, Struggles, and Beauty Secrets of a Legendary Makeup Artist ImageKevyn Aucoin a beautiful life: The Success, Struggles, and Beauty Secrets of a Legendary Makeup Artist
by Kerry Diamond
Atria; Published: 2004-10-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.88
Price in other shops: $17.95
Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry ImageNot Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry
by Stacy Malkan
New Society Publishers; Published: 2007-11-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.56
Price in other shops: $15.95
Similar Books and other products
Fast Beauty: 1,000 Quick Fixes ImageFast Beauty: 1,000 Quick Fixes
by Rona Berg
Workman Publishing Company; Published: 2005-07-18; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.74
Price in other shops: $12.95
Makeup Makeovers: Expert Secrets for Stunning Transformations ImageMakeup Makeovers: Expert Secrets for Stunning Transformations
by Robert Jones
Fair Winds Press; Published: 2005-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $14.18
Price in other shops: $21.95
Skin Care and Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary (Milady's Skin Care and Cosmetics Ingredients Dictionary) ImageSkin Care and Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary (Milady's Skin Care and Cosmetics Ingredients Dictionary)
by Natalia Michalun, Varinia Michalun
Milady; Published: 2000-12-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $19.00
Price in other shops: $37.95
The Beauty Buyble: The Best Beauty Products of 2007 ImageThe Beauty Buyble: The Best Beauty Products of 2007
by Paula Conway, Maureen Regan
Collins Living; Published: 2006-10-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.05
Price in other shops: $19.95
How Not to Look Old: Fast and Effortless Ways to Look 10 Years Younger, 10 Pounds Lighter, 10 Times Better ImageHow Not to Look Old: Fast and Effortless Ways to Look 10 Years Younger, 10 Pounds Lighter, 10 Times Better
by Charla Krupp
Springboard Press; Published: 2008-01-02; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $14.39
Price in other shops: $25.99
A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients: Complete Information About the Harmful and Desirable Ingredients Found in Cosmetics and Cosmeceuticals ImageA Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients: Complete Information About the Harmful and Desirable Ingredients Found in Cosmetics and Cosmeceuticals
by Ruth Winter
Three Rivers Press; Published: 2005-03-22; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.46
Price in other shops: $16.95
YOU: Being Beautiful: The Owner's Manual to Inner and Outer Beauty ImageYOU: Being Beautiful: The Owner's Manual to Inner and Outer Beauty
by Michael F. Roizen, Mehmet C. Oz
Free Press; Published: 2008-11-11; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $14.23
Price in other shops: $26.99
The Beauty Bible: The Ultimate Guide to Smart Beauty ImageThe Beauty Bible: The Ultimate Guide to Smart Beauty
by Paula Begoun
Beginning Press; Published: 2002-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.95
Price in other shops: $18.95
Don't Go Shopping for Hair-Care Products Without Me: Over 4,000 Products Reviewed, Plus the Latest Hair-Care Information ImageDon't Go Shopping for Hair-Care Products Without Me: Over 4,000 Products Reviewed, Plus the Latest Hair-Care Information
by Paula Begoun
Beginning Press; Published: 2004-08-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $24.99