The Black Book of Hollywood Beauty Secrets

by Kym Douglas, Cindy Pearlman

“We just asked the movie stars how they did it. What did they use? How often? Where did they get it? How can we do it, too? And they told us. We couldn’t believe it either.” Kym Douglas, host of the upcoming Lifetime makeover show Queen and the image consultant on The View, and celebrity journalist Cindy Pearlman had always wanted to know how the A-list stars looked so, well, A-list. It turns out that even the most carefully guarded stars were more than happy to dish. Collected here, in their own words, celebrities and their beauty gurus reveal their tricks of the trade.

How do they reduce puffiness, lose five pounds in a week, put shine in their hair, buff their skin, and vacuum their pores without spending a fortune? Find out from Jennifer Aniston, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lindsay Lohan, Beyonce Knowles, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Hurley, Charlize Theron, and many, many more!

Kym Douglas is the creator and host of the upcoming Lifetime Television makeover show, Queen, airing in October and the image consultant on The View. She appears regularly on Soap Talk, Good Day Live, Before & After’noon, and Your Weekend with Jim Brickman.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, How To, Education

224 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2006

About the author

Kymberly Douglas is an American television personality, actress, and blogger. She is best known for her guest starring roles in L. A. Law (1991), In Living Color (1993), Retired at 35 (2011), The Bold and the Beautiful (2017), and The Young and the Restless (2023). From 1985 until his death in 2021, she was married to The Young and the Restless actor Jerry Douglas. As a blogger, she has been quoted as a beauty and lifestyle expert by several publications and has been open about her struggles with breast cancer.

Reviews

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Taken in small doses, this jam-packed inside look at the surprising beauty rituals of A-list stars serves as a funny, fascinating wake-up call to the harsh reality of celebrity self-maintenance. Image consultant Douglas and freelance writer Pearlman reveal the staggering lengths to which some stars go, including everything from pre-Oscar night colonics to the anatomically incorrect deployment of lip plumpers. While there is a great deal of sensible advice included, there's also some deliciously bizarre rituals on display, such as Kate Beckinsale's three-baths-a-day regimen and Cindy Crawford's secret to beautiful skin, a regular dose of "leftover milk from her kids' bottles and equal parts mineral water," applied with a spray bottle. The best element of this insider's guide is the winning tone of self-described "former dorks" Douglas and Pearlman, who keep things light, dishy and fun.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Suesaroo · Rating 4 out of 5]

more interesting that I expected. tons of "do-it-yourself" things. The conclusion - moisturize.

Most interesting tip - exfoliate with sugar.

[Natalia Stornello · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and finished it in one sitting! Even though it’s kind of outdated (published in 2006), a lot of the tips are super relevant for today. I would like to find a book similar that’s more modern with the popular celebrities of today, just to compare and see how beauty tips have changed over the last 20 years.

[Katharine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved the little interview with Jane Russell, they should have asked more actresses from the Golden Age of Hollywood for their thoughts and opinions.

And screw Lisa Rinna--I'm having more than three M&Ms at a time.

[Emily Mellow · Rating 1 out of 5]

Trash.
I didn't find anything of value, and it was written in a real Hollywood gossip style that I didn't care for.
It's probably pretty outdated, and I really wouldn't trust the advice.

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Considering I'm someone who loves makeup, I can honestly say this book can give you many tips. I think if you're new to makeup, you could actually learn a lot from this book. There are interviews and tips from Celebs, people who actually are pressure to look beautiful ALL the time. I also enjoyed that the celebs interviews gave specific products, the black eyeliner from the .99 cent store doesn't have the quality as one from Chanel. So saying I use a black eye liner doesn't help...I wanna know what eyeliner!! lol. I recommend this book, I might give my copy to my Ma.

[Karly H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kym Douglas has the best tips in ALL of her books! I highly recommend her as an author as they are all easy reads and great to pick up whenever you need a new tip to try out! I've also read Bliss Happens, her latest, which has some easy at-home tips which are really fun to do with friends or family to get some bonding in!

[Trish · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was not very good. There were some tips that were good, but overall not very helpful. There was one tip from a stripper that she was thin due to her jelly bean diet. Wow! Great advice for the average woman.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wouldn't say this book is going to make the list of all time favorites...but, it's a good fast read and I've learned a few beauty "secrets" that I'm looking to try out.

[Lorna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really great and inexpensive ideas that the celebrities use...many beauty items are in your own kitchen. I liked it. It's an easy read and entertaining.

[Jennifer Perkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were lots of fun tips in here...
http://naughtysecretaryclub.blogspot....

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun & cute... just what I need mid semester when i have forgotten what it feels like to wear makeup.

[Jenny Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't say I learned much, but I learned a little. Sometimes that's all you can ask for.

[Lorraine Daley · Rating 3 out of 5]

some very good tips.

[Regina Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lol, I think its pretty funny.

[Rebecca Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

some interesting tips. some really good recipes, particularly the delicious and low cal banana french toast!!

[Hayleigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can't say I've used any of the tips or tricks in my own personal regime.... But interesting read none the less.

[Paula Bothwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some interesting ideas here, to say the least. It was a fun and silly read. Some sections were very salty and skip-worthy.