Editorial Review

Healthy, vibrant skin depends more on what you put Read more

Reviews (114)

Book makes sense.
Although I did not find any evident to prove any of Dr. Perricone's finding regarding this program.I found that most of which made a lot of sense.The idea behind imflamation causing most of skin problems and his ideas about how to reduce it made too much sense to not try it.So I'm trying it.I don't have the worst skin nor the best skin.It's too oily but breaks outs are very rare except on my back which happens more often than I prefer.My complexion is not even and line are starting to develop.So far, I've been on the program for a week and my skin is less oily and lines are slightly less visible.There is some weight loss as well but that's not what I'm looking for.[..]

His skin products don't work. His diet isn't new (and imperfect)

Science-based diet that really changes your appearance
I caught The Perricone Prescription video one afternoon on a public television station.After 5 minutes, I had grabbed a pen and was scribbling furiously.All of the skin, energy level and bodyissues he was describing were me!I ran out to the local supplement shop and bought some of the supplements he recommended and started taking them.I saw an almost immediate dramatic improvement in my skin, memory and energy levels just based upon a few notes on supplements from the program.I put the book on my wish list and FINALLY got it a year later.
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Subjects:  1. Beauty & Grooming - General    2. Beauty & Grooming - Skin    3. Beauty, Personal    4. Care    5. Care and hygiene    6. Consumer Health    7. Dermatology    8. Face    9. Health & Fitness    10. Health/Fitness    11. Nutrition    12. Personal appearance    13. Health & Fitness / Beauty & Grooming   

Reviews (1)

Natural Beauty Cheap!
This book is great- I've tried a bunch of the recipes and they were actually pretty easy to make and worked well, unlike another book I have on making your own lotions and shampoos. I've tried the Lavender-Rosemary Deoderant and the Silky Smooth Liquid Soap that we use in our office. I've also recommend making these things with children- they make great presents. One of the unique things in this book is the Picnic Cleanser which works really well when travelling. The mouthwashes work great too! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beauty & Grooming - General    2. Beauty, Personal    3. Diet / Health / Fitness    4. Engineering - Chemical & Biochemical    5. Fashion & Grooming    6. Health & Fitness    7. Health & Fitness / Beauty & Grooming    8. Health/Fitness    9. Herbal cosmetics    10. Beauty & Grooming    11. Cosmetics    12. Personal appearance & beauty care    13. Women   

Reviews (4)

Not from scratch
The title suggests from scratch but as everyone has said so far, lotion recipes suggest you do additives to a lotion base. Nice recipes though.

sparce info on the basic recipes
I bought this book hoping to learn how to make basic skin care products, only to discover that the vast majority of recipes call for a "lotion base" or the like. The book does not give instructions on how to make a "lotion base" and the list of suppliers was pretty grim.
Good book on wanting to learn about cosmetics
Found this book on amazon.Nice information on what goes into cosmetics.However, does not necessarily give information for from-scratch lotions.Did find a nice natural lotion base to use at this site:
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Subjects:  1. Beauty & Grooming - General    2. Beauty, Personal    3. Fashion & Grooming    4. Health & Fitness    5. Health and hygiene    6. Health/Fitness    7. Herbal cosmetics    8. Women    9. Cosmetics, make-up & skin care   

Reviews (14)

Dissapointment
I purchased this book and am dissapointed. It is beautiful, has wonderful color photos, but there is nothing in it that you can't find on the internet. In fact, my internet resources described hot process soap making better than this book did.
To the Reviewer April 3, 2004
I want to thank you for a wonderful review. My list was down for a time, but is up again and wish to invite you to join.
Great reference source
Many recipes and pictures to see your finished product.A must for beginners. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Crafts & Hobbies    2. Crafts / Hobbies    3. Folkcrafts    4. General    5. Hobbies/Crafts    6. Soap    7. Cosmetics, make-up & skin care    8. Handicrafts   

Reviews (36)

Informational but Biased
Ms. Begoun should be commended for her massive research but I found her information biased, and her opinions flip-flop from chapter to chapter.I did not understand her vicious attack on companies that produce natural and organic products, especially one particular organic company so I did a little more digging. She has her own haircare line which is full of all the things she says are bad for your hair. Her book seems to seeks to discredit any companies that make great products that do not use the chemicals she uses.
NO INFORMATION FOR BLACK WOMEN, RACIST
This book is not for people of color.Paula Begoun only devotes 10 pages to information regarding black hair, and actually has the audicity to say, "Suffice it to say that the natural state of black hair is currently not an acceptable fashion statement for women of color."IS SHE CRAZY??? This statement is extremely offensive. (Would anyone ever say almond shaped eyes are unacceptable on asian people?)This is a part of our genetics and our looks. Does Paula notice all of the models, actresses, singers and even politicians who are black (women) who wear their hair natural???Even white people and asian people try to braid/lock their hair to look like ours!!If she thinks natural black hair is unacceptable, then she should not write books abour hair care, and go live by herself on an island (which is obviously where she has been).Paula sweetie, stop sniffing hair care products...

..OR - how to see through the marketing hype and be an informed consumer!
Paula Begoun is the Ralph Nader of the cosmetics world. There's a reason why cosmetic giants pay big bucks to get our attention.Basically, the gist of the book is:
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Subjects:  1. Beauty & Grooming - General    2. Beauty & Grooming - Hair    3. Brand name products    4. Care and hygiene    5. Consumer Buying Guides    6. Consumer Health    7. Cosmetology    8. Hair    9. Hair preparations    10. Health & Fitness    11. Health/Fitness    12. United States   

Subjects:  1. Beauty & Grooming - General    2. Careers - General    3. Cosmetology    4. Dermabrasion    5. Dermatology    6. Face    7. Industries - Service Industries    8. Medical    9. Medical / Nursing    10. Skin    11. Surgery    12. Business & Economics / Industries / Service Industries   

Reviews (5)

boooooring...
I read this book and wondered how lame must someones' life be if they need a book to tell them to watch movies, look around their neighborhood to get ideas, oh and then start a creative file with catalogue pages and so on.
The Best Book on Style and Design - Bar None!!!
What a great resource for style and design ideas. I buy almost every book I can find on design, entertaining, fashion, etc., but there's never been one that has given me this much confidence to tackle those projects I have been putting off. Susie's style diva quiz (which I found on her website - free!) really helped me discover my style personality and helped me realize that my eclectic taste was okay. What encouragement. I especially love the "Diva Drills" at the end of each chapter. Very meaty and substantive!

totally useless!
I bought this book in the hope of getting some good advice on things like how to decorate my home for the holidays, how to set a table, how to make a nice centerpiece...
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Subjects:  1. Beauty & Grooming - Fashion    2. Beauty & Grooming - General    3. Consumer Health    4. Creativity    5. Design    6. Fashion    7. Handbooks, manuals, etc    8. Interior decoration    9. Motivational & Inspirational    10. Self-Help   

Reviews (14)

It does work
I found that the book helped break down something so complicated. When you think about all that is out there regarding skin. Q10 this and peptide that. I did not want to do botox or anything like that. I needed something that was clear.While I am not following the diet I have found great results.My skin is smoother, I don't look my age and I love it!It was really an easy commitment to make.

Don't waste your money
This is basically a commercial pitch for Dr. Murad's spas and products. Unless you are planning on buying his regime, he gives very, very scant information about how you could accomplish the program using other, less expensive products.
this is a good book - no subliminal marketing in my opinion
Wow.I have to say that after reading a couple of the other reviews on this book, I see that a few people missed the big picture.As a skin care professional myself, I completely understand why Dr. Murad would make the product recommendations he did in his book - it is because his are really the only formulas available right now that are 'complete' formulas to achieving healthy skin.People nowadays have a plethora of products to choose from...the challenge is, how do they choose the right products for their skin problem.Dr. Murad's approach is logical and medically sound.With the information he provides in his book, consumers will hopefully be able to make a more informed decision when it comes to choosing products for their skin.So, I am giving this book 5 stars. (I stumbled upon this book at my local library.) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beauty & Grooming - General    2. Beauty & Grooming - Skin    3. Beauty, Personal    4. Care and hygiene    5. Consumer Health    6. Health & Fitness    7. Health/Fitness    8. Prevention    9. Skin    10. Wrinkles    11. Health & Fitness / Beauty & Grooming   

Reviews (3)

Definitely a must read for those considering plastic surgery
I was extremely impressed by the amount of useful information available in this book. Unlike some less-valuble sources, it was not an advertisement for any beauty product line, but rather a comprehensive guide to non-surgical cosmetic enhancement. Itcontains valuable information for anyone exploring the vast array of non-surgical cosmetic options available today.

A Great Guide for the Curious!
I always said that I'd NEVER get plastic surgery, but since time has marched on and wrinkles have sprung up, I've started looking for ways to beat them without going under the knife (or getting creepy Botox injections). worthless
He discloses nothing new nor useful.
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Subjects:  1. Beauty & Grooming - Skin    2. Beauty, Personal    3. Care and hygiene    4. Cosmetic Techniques    5. Diet / Health / Fitness    6. Health/Fitness    7. Popular Works    8. Skin    9. Health & Fitness / Beauty & Grooming   

Reviews (22)

Curly Hair Relief
Ouidad understands curly hair as she, her siblings, and parents, all have differeing types of curly hair. How nice it is to have a stylist who created a product and a cutting method because she, herself, needed it -- as opposed to a marketer who is simply trying to make more sales. This book, partnered with the web site, is worth the money if you are trying to conquer and show off your beautiful curls.

Better than Curly Girl
This book may not be as colorful as Curly Girl, but it offers better, more practical advice that really does help. Never shampooing and constantly rubbing conditioner into the scalp without rinsing thoroughly (as recommended in Curly Girl) is just unhealthy, and conditioner will not "clean" the scalp or the hair. There are only a few flaws in Ouidad's book, including a recommendation for those with kinky curls to wash once a week (that's not enough-wait no more than 4 days for optimum scalp and hair health) andadvising people to stay away from "harsh" claryfing shampoos (there are many gentle ones, such as Suave Daily Clarifying, White Rain Extra Body, and Tressemme Deep Cleansing, and sometimes you need to get conditioner and styling product buildup out of your hair). The book also makes it seem as if salon products are better than drugstore products (not true). But the book is VERY helpful and inspiring for curly-haired people. You'll really learn to love and take care of your curls.

Get CURLY GIRL book instead
Sorry but this book was like watching an informercial for Ouidad products.Don't waste your money on the book or the "miracle product."Buying a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner which contains the right proteins, emollients, humectants etc.and alcohol-free clear hair gel from your local discount store will do the trick.HINT: Look for products in the ethnic hair care section of your store, product with a big price tag that promises your hair a miracle! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beauty & Grooming - General    2. Beauty & Grooming - Hair    3. Care and hygiene    4. Consumer Health    5. Hair    6. Health & Fitness    7. Health/Fitness    8. Health & Fitness / Beauty & Grooming    9. Personal appearance & beauty care   

Editorial Review

"Boxers or Briefs?" has become a political litmus test for presidential candidates, but what does the answer really tell us? Quite a lot, argue Elaine Benson and John Esten in Read more

Reviews (5)

BEST BOOK EVER
I thought when I read Don Quixote by Cervantes that I'd read the best book ever written.Then I happened upon Tolstoy's War and Peace, and I thought no reading experience could ever compare.THEN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I FOUND IT: Elaine Benson's matchless "Unmentionables: a Brief History of Underwear."The pun in the title was divine!I thought the book could never live up to its wonderfully witty title! BUT, GENTLE AUDIENCE, IT DID.And more.The title is the least enjoyable part of the book!It is terrific!Witty and informative!Truly a masterpiece to rank with the great books of the millenium.

unmentionables
fabulous overview of the history of undergarments, both male and female.delightful photographs and artwork, as well as readability.i am happy to have purchased this book

Not worth its salt
This book told me nothing I didn't already know.Wow, they wore CORSETS in the 19th century!Gosh, what a revelation! Actually, there was a good deal of information packed into the 72 pages, except most of it wasinformation I already knew from my experience as a seamstress andhistorical connesieur. The pictures, while interesting, were uninspiringand singularly unhelpful, although that was a function of layout more thanvisual choice:all of the pictures are grouped at the ends of the chaptersinstead of scattered throughout the text (preferably next to theirdescriptions).In other cases, there aren't even appropriate pictures forvisualization purposes.For instance, Benson talks about variousundergarments such as farthingales and bustles and paniers, but there areno pictures of even the full outfit to give you an idea of what might beworn underneath.Benson talks fancy and seems to be excellent at tellingyou that she doesn't know a heck of a lot more than you do -- except thatshe's the expert. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beauty & Grooming - General    2. History    3. History - General History    4. Photo Essays    5. Social aspects    6. Underwear    7. World    8. History / General   

Subjects:  1. Beauty & Grooming - Fashion    2. Beauty & Grooming - General    3. Clothing and dress    4. Fashion    5. Fashion & Grooming    6. General    7. Health & Fitness    8. Health/Fitness    9. Women's clothing    10. Self-Help / General   

Reviews (4)

Best Of This Type Hat Book
This coffee table size and style book reviews its subject by hat style. Big photographs and good illustrations take the reader through a brief history of tophats, boaters, bowlers, ballcaps (the only style that America can lay claim to creating), fezzes, etc. This book is more scholarly than I assumed upon my first impression.I come back to it regularly for information.

A coffee table history of hats
There aren't many books about hats, which gives this one an edge.Most of the text in the book deals with history of hats.The history starts to get detailed around 1800.So only about half of what you find in this book applies to hats you might find in a thrift store.In the margins are small period advertisements for hats and depictions of hats from cartoons and simple drawings.Scattered throughout are full page color plates with photos of hats.Half of the text pages are printed on green paper, so the illustrations there would be green and white.It bothers me a little.
Hats from every angle - in texts and pictures (GREAT!!!)
For me, this is the most comprehensive book on the subject that is available - and that includes several out-of-print-books as well. The pictures are great, often full-page, mostly in colour. The texts cover every angle of hat history, style, trade, designers, and everything else you can think of. The pictures cover all kinds of hat styles, usually putting traditional or classic shapes in contrast with modern versions or interpretations, there are also pictures of hats by a lot of great designers with a short synopsis on their work and simply wonderful hats. The book is a rare treat for the eyes and a great source of information. Be warned, however, that the subjects are treated usually rather briefly, and not in detail. Turn to other books concentrating on single aspects for that - for an overview, you can't do better than this. I want to point out, however, that the book does NOT deal with the do-it-yourself-creation of hats, and anyone looking for information on hatmaking or millinery instruction has to turn elsewhere. Still, if you're interested in hats and / or millinery, you don't want to miss this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. Beauty & Grooming - General    3. Fashion    4. General    5. Hats    6. Headgear    7. History    8. History: American    9. Fashion design    10. Non-Classifiable   

Editorial Review

Robyn Cosio experiences creative giddiness every time she meets a newclient's eyebrows. "What other calling allows you to give women an instant'facelift' that will elevate their spirits as well as widen and enlarge theireyes?" the author and renowned make-up artist asks in

Reviews (6)

Gorgeous and Fascinating
Wonderful and fascinating book -- and yes, it explains how to get classically gorgeous eyebrows, very easily.No more paisley or punctuation on your forehead. The eyebrow
This book doesn't give much support or detail of how you can obtain a beautiful eyebrow, although all the photographs are very nice and all.Not enough information to obtain best brow formula, choosing the right shape for your face.Very disappointed.

Very Helpful
Finally a book that addresses the male eyebrow! The writing is great fun, and the photos are terrific. A really neat new book and something I can'twait to buy for all my gay male friends! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beauty & Grooming - Cosmetics    2. Beauty & Grooming - General    3. Beauty & Grooming - Skin    4. Beauty, Personal    5. Consumer Health    6. Diet / Health / Fitness    7. Eyebrows    8. Health & Fitness    9. Health/Fitness    10. Personal grooming   

Reviews (3)

Trade in that caked-on face for a Fresh look
My daughter asked me to buy this book yesterday at B& Noble. I liked it...enough to send to my nieces (in middle school & high school). Finally, there's somebody else out there that validates what I've been saying all along--Stop with the racoon eyes and the 'hard' look. It's a good book...wish the author would follow up with something like this for the 45+ crowd. Just a suggestion.

BEST BOOK EVER!!
- This book is AMAZING. Being a teen myself, I really
The perfect book for girls of ALL ages
I picked up this book for my niece at a local book store and paid quite a bit more for it than what Amazon is selling it for. The book itself is worth much more than even its list price. Loads of great photos and tons of inspirational and informational content. My niece hasn't put the book down, and I'm sure that I'll be buying her another copy come Christmas. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beauty & Grooming - General    2. Beauty, Personal    3. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    4. Cosmetics    5. Fashion & Grooming    6. Health & Daily Living - Personal Hygiene    7. Health Sciences (Young Adult)    8. Health and hygiene    9. Juvenile Nonfiction    10. Juvenile literature    11. Teenage girls    12. Health & Fitness / Beauty & Grooming   

Subjects:  1. Beauty & Grooming - General    2. Chemistry - General    3. Health & Fitness    4. Health/Fitness    5. Miscellanea    6. Perfumes    7. Science   

Reviews (5)

Excellent, easy ready and unintimidating
I believe this book is a wonderful gift to bestow amongst your female friends who are interested in living the fitness lifestyle.While Ms. Lydon will break out into medical jargon and get very technical, she also capsizes into bullet format after each detailed section a set of 'cliff notes' for review and easier understanding.
Great book!
I was familiar with Dr Lydon's work as a columnist for Oxygen magazine, & was impressed enough with her writing to purchase this book. This book Rocks!
Christine gives guidance and advice for people to live longer lives by being healthier using very nutritional alternatives to high fat/carb diets while incorporating exercise routines to fit all levels of ability and time restrictions.Read more

Subjects:  1. Beauty & Grooming - General    2. Diet    3. Fashion & Grooming    4. Health & Fitness / Exercise    5. Health & Fitness / Nutrition    6. Health and hygiene    7. Health/Fitness    8. Healthy Living    9. Nutrition    10. Popular Works    11. Women    12. Women's Health - General    13. Exercise    14. Fitness & diet    15. Health & Fitness    16. Movement    17. Women's health   

Reviews (5)

The best book on the market for how to dress in 2006.
The book is probably the best book on the market for how to dress in 2006.I purchased this book to compete with the younger business crowd in interviews.I find it exceptional on style representation of how men dress.It does not emphasis the uniform of an office.It lacks empahsis on the male tendancey to expect everyone to show involvement by dressing alike.I call this the socially conditioning of men to follow a uniform dress code.I suspect this comes from all the socializing in sports acitivites.It is both a signals of member of your team and the oposing team.How you dress in work especially corporate America has major implications on how you are viewed in your work place.I suggest adjusting your style to each circumstance:work, play, social life to give the best impression

Gives A Good Framework
I liked this book because it gave a good strategy for identifying what elements you already own, prior to buying new clothes.

Very basic advice
If you know nothing about dressing yourself, this book is targeted at you. There's some good advice here, but some questionable advice as well, and some of the advice is already dated -- the monochrome tie/shirt combo went out with Regis' millionaire show. A much better book is Flusser's "Dressing the Man." And if you want a really good book on elegant living, try Bernhard Roetzel's "Gentleman's Guide to Grooming and Style." ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beauty & Grooming - Fashion    2. Beauty & Grooming - General    3. Consumer Health    4. Diet / Health / Fitness    5. Grooming for men    6. Health & Fitness    7. Health/Fitness    8. Men's clothing    9. Health & Fitness / Beauty & Grooming   

Subjects:  1. Beauty & Grooming - Cosmetics    2. Consumer Health    3. Education    4. Testing & Measurement    5. Business & Economics / Industries / Service Industries   

Reviews (11)

"Soaps, Shampoos, Perfumes & Splashes You Can Make At Home"
This beautiful, slim book is split into two parts: sure are a lot of soap books
This is just another book that was written to cash in on the current DIY craze in toiletries and bath products.The author is not much of a soapmaker, and I ended up selling my copy to a used bookstore within 6 months of ordering it.The book is beautiful to behold, while being a pain to actually use due to the format and size, but is essentially useless next to the few books that actually impart info which empowers crafters to make ingredients decisions because they've learned something.Read Cavitch if you want to learn something. Not for a Beginner...
This was my first book that I bought on soap making and I really wished I had read the reviews first, before I purchased this book. I should have known something was not right when she didn't have any pictures of her finished soaps with her recipes. Could it be because they don't come out right, so she has none to show? I have attemtped to make two of her recipes so far. The Cinnamon Ginger,pg. 71; which came out a dark, ugly, smelley, mess. My second attempt was her Soothing Honey Vanilla Soap, pg. 73. What a fiasco that turned out to be.She neglects to tell you that when you add the 6 ounces of melted beeswax to the oils that are at 100F degrees(as instructed by her Basic Vegetable Soap), the beeswax will immediately solidify again and float on top. So, now I had to re-melt everything to a temperature around 150F to get the Beeswax to stay melted and blend into the oils. And of course, my Lye was already at 100F, waiting to be added to the oils. I see now why she has the section of water baths to regulate your Lye/Oil tempertures. You are going to need them.Anyhow, in order for the beeswax to stay liquid, I had to keep the temperature around 150F.And now I wasn't sure which temperature my lye should be. She also neglected to warn you that honey can cause your batch to separate, that happened to me also, when I added the warmed honey. I have serious doubts that my soap will turn out ok, it is in the mold now, but it did not look good when I poured it. And, I also just found out, after reading on the Internet, that you should not add more than 1.5% beeswax to a batch, otherwise you will have problems keeping the batch at a liquid state. The other reason is because of Beewax's hardening properties. Since it makes a soap hard, too much is not good, not unless you have a jack-hammer to slice it:). Well, her recipe called for 6oz of Beeswax, which is more than 13%, I am afraid I will end up with a brick in the morning. Again, this is the type of information she neglects to explain to you. Another important note is the use of Essential Oils in her reipes, e.g., again, her Soothing Vanilla Soap says to use 2 oz of Vanilla Essential Oil. I am not sure who her supplier is, but I couldn't find pure Vanilla Essential Oil for under $194.00, for 2 ozs, and that was for Vanilla Absolute. I am so glad now, that I used Fragrance Oil instead. I don't have 200.00 to throw away, while I try to figure her recipes out. Again, this is book is truly lacking in information. I am sure an experienced soaper would have known these things, but than, I think an experienced soaper would have read this recipe,laughed and tossed it aside. And yes, how much lye do you need for the Lemon Lime Coconut Hair Bar on pg. 91, anyway? That's right, somehow the editor neglected to add it. Hopefully, once I become more experienced, I can use some of her recipes, but for now, I think I will stay with the Internet, so I can learn.Buyers beware, is all I have left to say about this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Aromatherapy    2. Beauty & Grooming - General    3. Crafts / Hobbies    4. Health & Fitness    5. Health/Fitness    6. Perfumes    7. Potpourri    8. Soap    9. Crafts & Hobbies / Potpourri    10. Handicrafts    11. Hobbies, Quizzes & Games    12. Personal appearance & beauty care