Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter without Me: 5th Edition [Paperback]

However, for the rest of us who need guidance in choosing what is best for our skin and make-up routines, this book is a godsend. She rates products on the ingredients they contain, their effect on the skin, and how well they work. She never claims that all products purchased in a drugstore are as good as those purchased at expensive prices in department stores. She freely acknowledges some poor products that are inexpensive do exist. And she also acknowledges that some poor products which are expensive also exist. In other words, the price of the cosmetic has nothing to do with its effectiveness, safety, or application.

What this book really does is give facts to help the consumer separate fact from fiction. One time when I was shopping for a toner, the cosmetics woman at the department store told me that the alcohol contained in her product was "cosmetic" alcohol - not the alcohol that would dry the skin. Sounded good to me....until I thought about it. Paula cuts through the sales talk to which too many of us have ignorantly submitted and taken as gospel.

The book breaks through the "natural" myth, as well. Of course, we all want as natural as products as possible. What the natural companies don't often tell us, however, is that besides all those wonderful-sounding names are some very basic (harmless) chemicals that actually perform the task of the product. I personally like Aveda's hair products, but it isn't the natural products that are cleaning my hair - it's the chemicals. Paula helps us differentiate between what chemicals are harmful and which ones are beneficial. It often has little to do with brand name. Some products in a certain line are highly rated, and some are not recommended.

The piece of advice that I garnered from the book, for which I shall forever be indebted, is the use of BHA (beta hydroxy acid) on my face. It has given my skin a brand-new look and made my skin healthier and better-looking than when I was a teenager back in the 1980s! I'd tried different ways of exfoliating but her recommendations of BHA for skin that is blemish prone and of the exact percentage (1% for me) was probably the best skin care advice I've ever received. I was nearly ready for a (completely unnecessary!) chemical peel costing an obscene amount of money and committing unknown damage to my skin when I learned about BHAs from Paula's book.

It's true that Paula does have a line of both cosmetics and make-up. However, for anyone who's read her books, she does not push them at all. She speaks generally about ingredients and about what to avoid and what to seek. Her products are simply listed with the other 200+ brands! I do admit that I love her products because I know I can count on them not to contain perfumes, dyes, and other extraneous items that are used to sell most cosmetics. As someone with extremely sensitive skin, her skin care products are magnificent.

I think the biggest boon to Paula's credibility is that she is not immune to changing her mind or advice, based on new research. She demonstrates a true ability to learn and grow with the rest of us. Too many "beauty" books contain a lot of fluff and little substance to really help the reader. This book contains a lot of raw facts and arms the reader with an arsenal of knowledge to help her (or him!) make the best choices she can for herself. Whether or not many people will admit it, a lot of cosmetics and skin care companies have been forced to revise their products in our favor due to the information contained in Paula's books. We owe her a lot.

Paula has covered everything (and I mean everything) from blackheads to spider veins, the ever growing market for wrinkle reducing cream (Paula's take: there's no such thing) and every cosmetic company from A-Z (over 100 in all, including Target's Sonia Kashuk and BeneFit, one of my faves). Beware, though- Paula poo-poos moisturizing; in fact, she claims it's the biggest travesty committed by the cosmetics/skin care conglomerate. She doesn't think much about most company's products (accept her own, of course), especially those sold through 5S skincare, Adrien Arpel (is she still around??), Almay skin care products, and doesn't seem too impressed with Clinique's line of skincare products. Paula is also anti-shiny eyeshadow under any/all circumstances. So as you can see, some of this is her opinion (she hawks her own line of products an awful lot), but most of it gives you useful information to compare products before buying. Definitly a book you'll want to check out before shelling big bucks out at the Estee Lauder counter (BTW, did you know EL owns Clinque and Origins?) There's also a helpful appendix in the back to define all those strange sounding ingredients listed on the labels of over 30,000 products. If nothing else, read the "Best Prodcuts Summary" (located in the back, of course), which breaks products down by best cleansers (for each skin type), makeup removers, toners, exfolients, suncreens, facial masks, self tanners (hallelujah!), concealers, powders, eyeshadows, brow shapers, etc. You name it, it's here.