I was just beginning to gloat over John Abraham’s bold ad, sticking up for animals when he stumped me with his icky ad for a whitening cream for men! How could you John?!
So it was rather comforting to read a book that trounces such rubbish. If you are planning to buy the latest anti-ageing miracle cream, just remember to read this book first, Blue Eyeshadow Should Absolutely Be Illegal, by Paula Begoun. She has rightly been called the Ralph Nader of Rouge with her controversial, honest and insightful advice on how to shop for beauty products. 

She will convince you why there is no such thing as a wrinkle cream! She will tell you which cosmetic myths you should ignore and how to understand cosmetic advertising, though to me it seems that most of them give themselves away by their corny idiocy. It is hard to imagine a sillier man than the one who trips across an entire building to tell his wife to marry him all over again, and the woman who simpers over this message!

But if you are hooked by ads, read Paula Begoun. She has sold over 300,000 books with her interesting tips. She will teach you how to use low-cost but lovely make up tricks. One of my favourite chapters is: The Truth about Wrinkle Creams. Wrinkles petrify many women and men, since now the ads also target them. Says Paula, “Wrinkles will never just get up and go away by themselves, so don’t get sucked into buying wrinkle creams.” The sellers of these creams — using the world’s prettiest women to con those who are not so pretty to advertise their products — tell us that their moisturisers prevent wrinkling and stimulate cellular renewal. But she says, “Moisturisers have no permanent or long-lasting effect on wrinkles!”

Begoun also tells you how to read the ingredients labels, allergic reactions to watch out for, to lift or not to lift your face, face peels, acne myths, eyeshadow, blush, powdering etc. The book warns you about unsafe beauty treatments. It also tells you to make that inner voice louder and stronger than the fear and longing that ads create.  If we remind ourselves and our little ones how wonderful we all are just the way we are, the world will be a safer and a happier place! How can you afford to miss this book that guides you through the misleading middle men of the Saloon of Beauty and the Beast? You can also get the Paula Begoun’s Cosmetic Update Newsletter. Write to Beginning Press, 5418 South Brandon, Seattle, WA 98118.