false 281885 4 Women spend an extraordinary amount of money on cosmetics--$45 billion a year in the U.S. alone. Now in its fourth edition, <I>Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me</I> 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. <p> 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.) <p> 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. 1977832 1000 Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me total:119|5:54|4:35|3:21|2:4|1:5| 119 486 152 36 3 1 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Wed Feb 11 18:47:17 -0800 2009 Wed Feb 11 20:25:48 -0800 2009
Once I realized every bottle of g...more...]]> 4 1 false false Sun Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Jun 07 10:40:20 -0700 2008 Sat Jun 07 10:44:41 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Feb 27 12:05:37 -0800 2009 Fri Feb 27 12:08:48 -0800 2009 more...]]> 1 1 false false Wed Apr 02 13:28:31 -0700 2008 Wed Apr 02 13:30:36 -0700 2008 4 0 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Thu Apr 02 13:29:50 -0700 2009 Thu Apr 02 13:33:56 -0700 2009 more...]]> 1 0 false false Sat May 16 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat May 16 13:21:02 -0700 2009 Sat May 16 13:31:10 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Oct 25 21:44:00 -0700 2008 Sat Oct 25 22:04:52 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Jun 06 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Thu Mar 13 09:19:17 -0700 2008 Fri Jun 06 16:52:38 -0700 2008 more...]]> 1 0 false false Mon Oct 12 16:34:53 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 12 16:36:16 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Wed Jan 21 21:20:37 -0800 2009 Wed Jan 21 21:22:46 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Sun Nov 30 07:06:15 -0800 2008 Sun Nov 30 07:07:23 -0800 2008 5 0 false false Fri Aug 29 14:52:45 -0700 2008 Fri Aug 29 14:57:14 -0700 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Feb 07 10:34:52 -0800 2009 Sat Feb 07 14:12:02 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 01 14:35:08 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 01 14:35:54 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2004 Thu Feb 07 18:20:19 -0800 2008 Thu Feb 07 18:23:22 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Mar 29 07:54:26 -0700 2008 Sat Mar 29 07:59:49 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Jul 27 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 21 17:14:51 -0700 2009 Mon Jul 27 05:24:16 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Mar 04 14:49:19 -0800 2008 Tue Mar 04 14:52:39 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed May 13 17:48:20 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 01 06:33:03 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Jan 23 21:32:17 -0800 2009 Wed Mar 11 10:46:07 -0700 2009 more...]]>