Those of you who still have the freedom to make plans on Sunday nights might not know that there’s a full-blown beauty/gender debate unfolding on the fourth season of AMC’s stellar show Mad Men. The television series is set in the ‘60s and centers on the forward-thinking Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce advertising agency. Recently, they landed a big account with Pond’s Cold Cream. While brainstorming for the Pond’s campaign, the marketing team was at a stalemate: Freddy, the sexist but harmless fuddy-duddy, says that if they market Pond’s as a means for women to land a husband, it’ll sell. Peggy, the young proto-feminist copywriter, insists that focusing on Pond’s as part of a woman’s beauty ritual will speak to women who wish to indulge themselves in front of the mirror.

Of course, it’s clear that Peggy has her finger on the pulse of the women’s movement to come, but that doesn’t mean that Freddy’s take on what motivates women to purchase beauty-related products is all that archaic, even by today’s standards. Believe me, I would know. As someone whose job description means being uniquely steeped in beauty product marketing with a critical eye, I can assure you that while the goal may not be to get married, it’s definitely still important to get noticed by men. Don’t believe me? How many beauty products—makeup, skin care, hair care, fragrance—are described as flirty? Sexy? Seductive? A lot. If sex sells anyplace, it’s with beauty products, which are almost exclusively marketed to . . . straight women.

This Pond’s debate on Mad Men got me thinking about what marketing angle sparks my own interest in a beauty product. With everything that Paula has taught me about the beauty industry and as a bona-fide member of The Cosmetics Cop Team, that’s not an easy question to answer. While I can’t say that I shop Dove exclusively, their Campaign for Real Beauty ads have definitely resonated with me. And Dove’s short films like this one that critiques the power that advertising has on women from an early age is compelling. I’m well aware that there’s an inherent hypocrisy to Dove’s marketing angle (particularly the image retouching), but the campaign’s aim seemed true enough to make a lasting impression on me.

What do you think? Are beauty products still aimed at helping a woman find a man or is it about female empowerment? And, for better or worse, which products’ ad campaigns speak to you?

After years of writing books that were actually too cumbersome to tote to the cosmetics counters (though many of you did just that), I am thrilled to announce that we are now completely mobile—and taking our reviews with you won’t be any heavier than your smart phone!  My Cosmetics Cop Team’s reviews of over 45,000 skin-care, makeup, and select hair-care products are now available on the Beautypedia Mobile platform! That means anyone with an iPhone or an Android-equipped smart phone can access our unique, world-renowned database anywhere they take their phone.

Now we can really be with you at the cosmetics counters or salon, spa, drugstore, in-home demonstration, when you are reading a fashion magazine, and when you are watching an infomercial! Regardless of your budget, wasting money is not pretty!

And you do need me and my Cosmetics Cop Team! The cosmetics industry is so universally crazy that women from countries all around the world including Korea, Russia, France, Australia, Thailand, Italy, Singapore, Mexico, Israel, Indonesia, Vietnam, and China use our reviews to save their skin and save their money. 

All around the world, regardless of the beauty culture, women always ask me the exact same questions: what products really work for acne, wrinkles, sensitive skin, rosacea, dry skin, oily skin, blackheads, brown discolorations, scars, dark circles, cellulite, and on and on. My team and I have the answers, and it’s all there for you to access on your smart phone!

Everyone has wasted hundreds of dollars on products with claims that lied about what they can do. Our extensive research, relying on published information and our scrupulous analysis protocols is the only way you can shop safely knowing you are getting the absolute best products available for your skin and hair type.   

My team and I have written 18 books on skin care, makeup, and hair care, and each one has gotten bigger and bigger as more and more brands have hit the market. The most recent edition of Don’t Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me is over 1,000 pages. I know, I know, there is no way you could take that with you, but without the one-of-a-kind information we provide in hand when you were shopping, how could you know what you were really buying and how it compared to thousands of other products making the same claims? You couldn’t, and that is not a good situation for your skin, hair, or budget.

That dilemma is over now as long as you have an iPhone or an Android-equipped phone. My tech team has designed an easy-to-use site that allows anyone to quickly access the Cosmetics Cop Team’s reviews, even when you’re standing in the drugstore or department store wondering which mascara or anti-wrinkle cream is the best.

Are you looking at a new product being promoted at the cosmetic counters? Sign in to Beautypedia Mobile and see what the Cosmetics Cop Team has to say about it before you spend your money and risk disappointment! This is truly smart, portable cosmetics shopping at its best!

If you’re already a Beautypedia subscriber and have created a My Faves list, all of those products will be accessible once you sign in from your smart phone. You can also add and edit the My Faves list anytime, anywhere, right from your smart phone! How cool is that? You can even email the Cosmetics Cop Team from your phone, alerting us about any product on Beautypedia Mobile.

My Cosmetics Cop Team and I know you will find Beautypedia Mobile to be one of the best parts of owning a smart phone. We designed it with you in mind, and its creation was a direct result of subscriber feedback asking for this service.

As always, we welcome your feedback and thank you for relying on us to keep you beautifully informed as you navigate the tricky, often deceptive world of cosmetics!

When I read the story about Lady Gaga tripping and falling down at Heathrow Airport in London wearing her impossibly high black platform boots, I thought, “Well, it had to happen eventually.” Given the danger in wearing shoes like that (and in an airport no less), I wondered how she actually escaped unscathed.

Then, when I was recently in New York shopping at Saks I saw a sea of these excessive skyscraper shoes ranging in price from $300 to $2,000. Not only do you have to destroy your feet to be fashionable you have to pay through the nose for the privilege!

I have always had strong feelings about women who choose to wear towering, stilt-like shoes. Aside from the fact that these styles of shoes cause women to tear ligaments in their calves and knees, hurt their backs, and cause deformed feet, there is just the ridiculous impracticality of it all.

I watch women barely being able to walk in these monolithic, 8-inch soaring things that loosely resemble shoes. Stumbling and teetering as they walk after just a few steps I feel like offering them a chair and saying, “Sit down already, you look great, you are beautifully fashionable without the artifice, now take them off and get real!” 

Of course, you would never catch a man doing anything so awkward and just plain uncomfortable as wearing shoes that made walking an acrobatic act of desperation just for the sake of fashion. And we wonder why women sometimes don’t get a leg up in their career compared to men! 

I know: There are women who insist they love wearing these shoes, and if anything, their feet hurt when they don’t wear them. The reason the shoes may not hurt anymore (we know they hurt like hell in the beginning) is because just like the act of Chinese foot binding, the body and feet adapt to this mangled, distorted way of walking. 

By the way, foot binding was the fashion trend in China for hundreds of years. It was an important ritual for Chinese women to bind the feet of baby girls in such a way as to break their bones and reshape the foot. Feet remained bound in this manner for life so they would eternally look small and curved. 

Interestingly, Chinese women also wore a version of current platform shoes worn today. Can anyone hear the echoes of pain all of those Chinese women endured? It is a past that should have been left in the past and not transported to modern times on the streets of New York and other cities and towns around the world.

Okay, I’m done ranting. I’m going to put my flats on and go to work knowing I can walk down the stairs and not fall, or at least be ready to run from the fallout this blog may cause! So what do you think, ladies? Are the type of shoes Lady Gaga and many other women wear worth the effort, expense, and possible bodily harm? Does fashion have to be painful?

I have always been a huge sucker for reality makeover shows, from TLC’s What Not to Wear and 10 Years Younger to the CW’s latest attempt at a makeover show, Plain Jane. I admit these shows can be cheesy at times, but there’s something fascinating and inspiring about both the physical transformation and the newfound confidence the participants obtain—it’s even brought me to tears on more than one occasion.

So, I got into a little debate with someone the other day who thought it was shallow of me to enjoy these types of shows. Her point was that shows focused solely on how to improve your looks send the wrong message: conform to society’s standard of beauty so that you can find love, a better job, a better life.

Let me start out by clarifying that I absolutely agree that what’s on the inside is what matters most. No amount of makeup, plastic surgery or designer clothes can make up for an “ugly,” mean-spirited personality, and beauty has never made anyone a better person.

But I do think there is something rewarding about taking care of yourself and putting your best face forward. This is clearly demonstrated in makeover shows when you see the participant’s eyes light up and their confidence soar after their transformation is complete. How you achieve that is up to you—whether it means taking care of your skin, wearing makeup, exercising, or anything else that makes you feel good about yourself. The point is: It’s ok to care about YOU.

I know there are plenty of you out there who are thinking, “I don’t need that stuff to feel better about myself.” You know what, good for you! However, if reality shows prove anything, it’s that there are people who, for whatever reason, aren’t giving themselves what they need. If that’s you, I urge you to get out of your beauty rut and take control of how you feel about yourself.

Here are a few tips to jump start your process:

• Don’t think you have time for good skin care? Here’s a guide to beautiful skin in five minutes!
• Have no clue where to start with makeup? Take a trip to your local department store and have several of the makeup artists there show you some techniques and help you pick out flattering colors.
• Are you worried about spending money on beauty products? Visit www.beautypedia.com where you can find cosmetic products in all price categories. Some of the top rated products are under $5!

The rest is up to you! Whether you agree or disagree with my thoughts on makeovers and the shows that focus on them, one thing is undeniable: Taking care of your overall wellbeing is important and sometimes that means making your exterior beauty a priority. Now, let’s hear what you have to say…

“You’re going to be mad when you see me,” my teenager said somewhat sheepishly. She called me on her last day on the East Coast, where she’d spent the summer competing on a swim team and volunteering at a community service camp.

“Oh really?” Thinking she’d gotten a piercing or a tattoo, I braced myself for whatever could come next. “And why’s that?”

She sighed. “My skin is out of control. I didn’t bring any of Paula’s stuff with me and now I look awful.” She went on to explain that with so many activities this summer, she’d completely neglected her skin. School would be starting soon, and I could hear the despair in her voice.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure that with Paula’s products we can get your skin back in shape in no time.” She agreed, but sounded skeptical and defeated.

When she got off the plane, I was thrilled to see her, but I could see why she was so upset about her skin: An inch-wide ring of blackheads and pimples bordered her hairline and jaw, her forehead was an oil slick of blemishes, and her cheeks and nose had layers upon layers of flaky, dry skin. Turns out that not only had she stopped using the Paula’s Choice CLEAR Anti-Acne system, but she’d also failed to wear sunscreen on her face all summer long!

I actually gasped.

No wonder her face was a mess! Having to combat acne is work enough, but giving your skin sun damage to repair on top of it? That’s definitely a losing battle. I tried not to lecture her—in fact, I didn’t need to lecture her. The evidence was right there on her face, and she knew it.

That night, like a magician with a bag of tricks, I pulled out Paula’s Choice Skin Balancing Carbon Mask, Hydralight Moisture-Infusing Lotion and an entire CLEAR system: cleanser, exfoliating toner and topical benzoyl peroxide. We started with the cleanser, then applied the mask to the oily and blemished spots, let it dry, and then rinsed. She immediately felt a difference in her skin. Progress!

We then applied regular strength CLEAR Targeted Acne Relief Toner, followed by the 2.5% benzoyl peroxide Acne Fighting Treatment. (Even though her skin was in critical condition, I didn’t want to risk irritation with the extra-strength versions). After everything had dried, we applied the Hydralight Moisture-Infusing Lotion to her cheeks. She looked in the mirror and a smile broke across her face—an actual smile!

After one week of this routine (with the mask applied every other night and our Skin Balancing Daily Mattifying Lotion with SPF 15 every day) her skin is well on its way to recovery. She had to write down the exact order of her routine, but her diligence has paid off: The blemishes are receding, blackheads are going away, and her dry, flaky skin is all but gone. Her skin isn’t flawless, but it’s getting there, and the boost to her self-esteem is undeniable.

She starts high school in two weeks, and I’m so glad that her skin will be one less thing to worry about!  And, yes, I’ve already put a big bottle of SPF 15 in her backpack.

Last weekend I visited a local cosmetic dermatologist I hadn’t seen before. My goal was to simply have a consultation to discuss my sun damage concerns, but, since time allowed, I went ahead and had a treatment. You might think this was for my face, but, thanks to almost neurotic sunscreen use since I was 14 years old, my face isn’t too sun damaged. My arms are a different story!

Since returning from vacation I’ve been paying more attention to how sun-damaged my arms are looking. The tiny freckles are part of how my skin responds to sun exposure even with high-SPF products (remember, no sunscreen is 100% effective at blocking the sun’s rays) and aren’t cause for concern. What bothers me are the larger, more mottled brown patches that only seem to be getting worse with age. It was time to do something about it!

After ruling out a series of Fraxel Refine treatments (I didn’t want to pony up $2,000 for a series of five, though from what I understand that’s a reasonable price), I decided to have the Vi Peel done. This peel, which was the only one this particular dermatologist offers, is a blend of trichloroacetic acid (TCA), tretinoin, salicylic acid, phenol, and vitamin C. According to the dermatologist, she no longer offers other types of peels because her patients have been thrilled with this one. I didn’t explore whether that’s true or not, but I was eager to see what the Vi peel could do for my sun-abused arms.

Before the peel commenced, I had to read and sign a consent form—standard practice before doctor-performed cosmetic procedures—but that’s where I paused to ask a question before signing on the dotted line.  

What stuck out was the statement that by signing the consent form for the Vi Peel I was waiving my right to request information about the percentage of active ingredients in the peel. Were they serious? I asked the dermatologist about this and she said yes, this form must be signed or they cannot administer the peel. I asked if she would tell me the percentages off the record and her response was that the company that sells the peel (Kalil Medical Products) won’t tell her, either, citing “proprietary information.” Imagine that!

OK, I understand the proprietary portion, but come on! This is a professional peel that’s only sold to and authorized for use by physicians or nurses. Next I asked what they’d do if a patient had an adverse reaction that required medical attention—would the company divulge the percentages then? She wasn’t sure, but suspected they would, and of course she mentioned that none of her patients had experienced a negative reaction to the peel. I didn’t feel pressured to go on, but I was stuck: either I consent or walk away.

Reluctantly, I signed the form. My logic, and mind you my brain was running low on caffeine and it was early in the morning, was that this is being done on my arms, not my face. Given the company-mandated subterfuge at hand, I probably wouldn’t have gone through with the peel if it was being applied to my face.

As for the procedure itself, it was quick and, true to claim, painless. My arms were cleansed, and then the liquid peel was poured onto disposable gauze pads and stroked in a series of three successive layers over each arm, from my wrist to the bicep area. The odor was, well, it didn’t smell good. I can’t imagine having this applied right beneath my nose, and because the peel is left on skin, you smell it for hours afterward.

Once the peel had been applied, I was given detailed post-care instructions and sent home. The peel needs to be left undisturbed for at least four hours after being applied, so I didn’t shower or apply skin-care products to my arms until later that day. Since then, I’ve either been wearing long sleeves (not the best idea at the height of summer) or slathering on sunscreen so as not to undo the eventual results.

I was told that by day three I’d notice peeling as if my skin was recovering from sunburn. So far that hasn’t happened; my skin feels tighter, has a subtle sheen, and looks a bit tan (that’s common). It has also been itchy, but nightly application of Paula’s Choice Slip Into Silk Body Lotion provides welcome relief.

By day seven I’m supposed to see the full effect, meaning signs of sun damage should be noticeably diminished. That’s exactly what I hope to see but whether or not I’ll go back for another Vi Peel remains to be seen. They’re pricey ($250 per treatment) but if the results are impressive enough I could see having it done again. I’ll comment on my progress soon, so be sure to check back! In the meantime, have you had the Vi Peel? Other peels? Did you like the results? Share your experience with us!

Oops, I did it again. Even though I know better—and even though I’ve endured the aftermath the next morning in the mirror too many times before—I still fell asleep in my makeup, again, last night.

I knew I’d regret it, but the choice between getting up to cleanse at the sink or staying in bed (and sometimes the couch) is too overwhelming. At the end of a long day, my body longs to lie down rather than stand at the sink ritually going through my skin-care routine, and flossing and brushing my teeth, and using Latisse and using Minoxidil, and putting body lotion on, and putting a foot exfoliant cream on. Damn I have a long routine!

So I tell myself, “I’ll just lie down for a few minutes and finish the end of CSI or Glee.” Yeah, right. Who do I think I’m fooling? I know the odds are 10 to 1 that I will ever get up to do what my boyfriend affectionately calls “exit procedures.” But I stay lying down, nonetheless, knowing there will be hell to pay in the morning.

Foundation, blush, mascara, eyeliner, and lipstick look like hell the next morning when you’ve slept in it all night. The smeary, flaky mess you see looking back at you in the mirror is a disaster. Speckles of black mascara in and around your eyes, the streak of lipstick across your chin, and dark rings of shadow are a sight to behold. It looks like something out of a bad movie about the drug underworld.

But how bad it looks is only half of the disaster. Swollen, red, irritated eyes with veins bulging are coupled with crusted tears at the corners to create an itchy, sore, and uncomfortable mess. And, if that wasn’t bad enough, your skin is about to punish you for your negligence.

One of the problems with sleeping in foundation, pressed or loose powder (whether they’re labeled mineral or not), and blush (cream or powder) is that they all keep skin cells from sloughing off your face as they should. The combination of makeup and built-up dead skin cells ground into skin immediately clogs pores. For those prone to breakouts, it will trigger a new crop of pimples or blackheads that will appear first thing in the morning or will creep up on you by the end of the day. For those with dry or sun-damaged skin, it will just make your skin look dull and ashy. Yuck.

Though you shouldn’t have done it (and, as evidenced above, I’m just as guilty as many of you), here’s what you can do to minimize the repercussions of falling asleep in your makeup:

• Wash your face twice, and use a soft washcloth to be sure to manually (but gently) exfoliate your skin.
• You must absolutely use an eye makeup remover that has no chance of further irritating your eyes, and get every last trace and fleck of makeup off and out of your eyes. Paula’s Choice Gentle Touch Makeup Remover fits that description.
• Use lubricating eye drops (not Visine-like products) to soothe your eyes (this really helps!). The Refresh brand is excellent!
• Go over your face with a well formulated toner to add antioxidants to your skin and remove last traces of makeup from your face, particularly around the hairline.
• If breakouts or blackheads are a concern, it is essential that you apply one of Paula’s Choice BHA exfoliants (I prefer my Exfoliating 2% BHA Liquid, but you can always check Beautypedia.com for our list of best BHA products from other lines).
• If you can grab a minute, lie down with your head elevated and place an ice pack over your eyes (it will feel great and reduce puffiness and swelling).
• Apply a lightweight moisturizer such as a serum or a gel on your face and, if needed, a more emollient moisturizer around your eyes.
• If you can wear a lighter makeup than you did the day before you fell asleep with your makeup on, that would help a lot.

It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: Do not fall asleep in your makeup again tonight. Taking brilliant care of your skin at night will always reap far better rewards than those five extra minutes you get by lying down before you get your makeup off. I know, better said than done, but my job is to say it. Now if I could only practice what I preach!

As if it isn’t bad enough having to battle wrinkles, but having to also struggle with acne is just depressing and confusing. Women don’t always outgrow acne, and lots of women who never broke out before can start breaking out in their 20s, 30s, 40s, and older; this is particularly true for women going through menopause.

So how in the world do you treat both? It’s actually easier than you think. The issue is that we think dealing with wrinkles is about heavy moisturizers or layers of creams and lotions, but it isn’t in the least. Those types of products don’t fight wrinkles! What fights wrinkles are specific ingredients such as antioxidants (like green tea or vitamin C), cell-communicating ingredients (like niacinamide or vitamin A), and skin-identical substances (like ceramides or lecithin). The texture of the product (cream or gel) is irrelevant.

Think about it like your diet. Salmon is good for you, but whether you eat it chilled, raw, broiled, stir fried, or poached, you are getting the benefit of the food. “Anti-wrinkle” ingredients can be found in a wide range of consistencies.

For someone struggling with blemishes, the ingredients that give lotions and creams their feel and appearance can clog pores so those types of products should be avoided. Gels, liquids, light serums, or watery lotions are unlikely to cause problems for blemish-prone skin. Every ingredient skin needs to fight wrinkles can be found in those types of products if they are well formulated.

To fight mild to moderate acne, the absolute best option is to start with a product containing 1% to 2% salicylic acid. This not only exfoliates the surface—which is one of the absolute best ways to fight wrinkles—it also has the ability to reduce, and in many instances practically eliminate, breakouts.

If you still need help resolving breakouts you should add a benzoyl peroxide-based product with a 2.5% or 5% concentration once a day, preferably at night. Research has clearly shown that benzoyl peroxide can be as effective, if not better than, prescription options to deal with mild to moderate acne.

Of course you still need a sunscreen because up to 70% of the wrinkles and aging you see on your face is a result of sun damage. Although if you are experiencing breakouts, a moisturizer with SPF in a lotion or cream form is likely to make matters worse by clogging pores. What I strongly suggest is wearing a foundation with SPF 15 or greater and a pressed powder with SPF 15 or greater.

You would also want to use a more emollient moisturizer just around the eyes. The eye area rarely, if ever, has a problem with breakouts and because the skin is drier there it helps to use that kind of moisturizer only around that area. But of course, it absolutely does not have to be labeled as an eye cream; any well-formulated lotion or cream will do.

It takes experimenting with effective products to find out what works for you. Here is what I recommend from Paula’s Choice:

Skin Balancing Cleanser (twice a day)
Skin Balancing Toner (once a day, under makeup as your moisturizer)
Skin Balancing Super Antioxidant Concentrate (at night, over dry areas)
2% BHA Liquid (at night, but can be used twice a day)
CLEAR Regular Strength Acne Fighting Treatment (at night)
Moisture Boost Hydrating Treatment Cream (around the eyes twice a day)
Healthy Finish Pressed Powder SPF 15
Barely There Sheer Matte Tint SPF 20

As long as I can remember, my husband kept a tub of St. Ives Apricot Scrub in our shower. Occasionally, I would use the stuff, but I always regretted it immediately. The apricot pits and walnut shells would get trapped in my hair or end up in my ears, and my skin always felt sore and irritated, rather than smooth and soft. Until I started working at Paula’s Choice, I thought that exfoliating was supposed to be painful so I continued scrubbing my skin raw. I soon discovered that none of my assumptions were right!

The years of negative experiences I’d had with exfoliation were written all over my face: dry skin, acne, blackheads, and overall dullness. What I didn’t know was that exfoliation didn’t have to hurt, and that a well formulated exfoliant could very well be the answer to solving the majority of my skin problems. It only took a few minutes of reading the dozens upon dozens of customer testimonials raving about Paula’s Choice 2% Beta Hydroxy Acid Liquid for me to decide to give it a try. Anything was better than that awful scrub!

When I started using a beta hydroxy acid (BHA) exfoliant, I was sure I was doing it all wrong. It all seemed too easy! At night after using a gentle cleanser, I applied a small amount to my face with a cotton ball and that was it. I couldn’t believe it. Nothing burned, and there was no grit—how could this product actually be working without me having to scrub? Skeptical, I went to bed thinking I’d missed something, but when I woke up, my face had an unmistakable glow. Looking in the mirror, I didn’t care how it worked—I was just overjoyed that it did!

As a member of The Cosmetics Cop Team, I now understand the science. Exfoliants that aren’t scrubs usually contain beta hydroxy acid (BHA) or alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), both of which encourage cell turnover without the risk of tearing skin. At this point, it’s impossible for me to go back to my old ways, and my husband’s tub of St. Ives is long gone! I also now know that it’s very difficult to find products that are carefully formulated to actually work like Paula’s exfoliants do. Doing research for Beautypedia, I see promising product after promising product come through our offices, only to discover that the pH is too high to permit exfoliation or that it contains some deal-breaking irritant that will cause more harm than good for your skin. Paula’s Choice customers were right all along: Paula’s exfoliants truly stand alone!

A few months ago, I blogged about the one product I really can’t go without: Paula’s Choice 2% Beta Hydroxy Acid Liquid. And, yes, this is yet another blog singing its praises. I guess even I’m one of those crazed fans, but I can’t help it. I credit that one product with breaking my acne and blackhead cycle, staving off fine lines and wrinkles (even as I turn 34 next month), and giving me the skin I always hoped I could have. My only regret now is that I didn’t start exfoliating the right way sooner!

Adding a BHA exfoliant to my daily skin-care routine was one of the smartest decisions I’ve ever made—period. What about your experiences with exfoliants? Did you notice an about-face after switching from scrubs to an AHA or BHA product? How has your skin changed since you began using an exfoliant?

My August 5 Online Radio Show was all about rosacea and what you can do to treat it. You can listen to the archived version here.

We were delighted to answer many of your questions about rosacea, but we know there were lots of questions that time did not allow us to answer. Here is a link to our complete guide to understanding rosacea which covers everything you need to know to gain control of this frustrating skin disorder.