I want to thank all of you who responded to my request to help me figure out exactly how to describe my skin care and makeup company, Paula’s Choice, to other people who don’t know my products, books, or bulletins.

All of your comments were thoughtful, insightful, flattering, humbling, and truthful. Most of all they stimulated a meaningful contemplation of what my business is all about.

My marketing team and I have spent quite a bit of time discussing what you have contributed. It has brought a keen understanding of how those of you who shop Paula’s Choice, read my books, or use Beautypedia.com experience what we have created.

After reading all of your absorbing and fascinating comments, I think I can sum up my company and life’s work like this:

Paula’s Choice is a specialized range of skin care and makeup products I formulated after 32 years of research and writing 18 books analyzing the facts about skin care and makeup products.

Because my only mission is to help you find the best products to take care of your skin I am the only cosmetics company in the world that recommends products other than my own.

Come visit us at PaulasChoice.com and find out what you are missing!

I was sitting on an airplane (once again) when the woman next to me asked what I do for a living. Somewhat evasively I told her I owned an Internet company. I rarely start off saying I own a cosmetics company because inevitably the questions that follow leave me feeling awkward and sounding juvenile. It’s not that I’m not proud of what I do; rather, I don’t know how to succinctly, logically, or with any panache explain what Paula’s Choice products are all about. That could be about to change with your help, so please read on!

It’s silly for me to not just say from the get-go that I own a cosmetics company because, as usual, this woman asked, “What kind of Internet company do you own?” I gulped and responded that I own a cosmetics company. She said, “Oh really, what kind of cosmetics?” I said, “A skin-care and makeup company.” She asked, “Whose products do you sell?” I answered, “I sell my own products, the formulas I developed.” Then, in understandably typical fashion she asked, “What kind of products are they?”, and that’s when I get stumped.

When a woman asks me what makes Paula’s Choice special or what kind of products I sell I know what she really wants me to say. I’m supposed to respond by saying my products are all natural, or organic, or herbal, or plant-based, or contain essential oils, or contain vitamins, or some miracle ingredient from some exotic locale that only I know about, and of course the products get rid of wrinkles, stop aging, work like Botox, or cure blackheads, or oily skin and on and on. Of course, I can’t say any of that. Aside from being completely useless, simplified, inane descriptions, none of those tidbits other cosmetic companies spew like a bad case of food poisoning have any basis in creating a superior or even decent skin-care routine.

So because I can’t use the same misleading information every woman is waiting to hear, I just sit there and say something like, “Well, they’re my formulations based on what the research says is good for skin.” That goes over like a lead balloon. Even I think it sounds dull and uninteresting.

Then it dawned on me in a recent meeting with my customer service team that no one in my company, not even me, can explain or has a concise understanding of what makes Paula’s Choice products unique, and they are absolutely unique. In fact, the more I thought about it, the more I realized they’re unparalleled in the world of skin care. I can say that confidently because I’ve reviewed thousands upon thousands of products, more than enough to know what’s brilliant and what’s terrible for skin. During that meeting the most outstanding thing happened: I finally grasped how to view and relate what my products are all about. Here it is:

Paula’s Choice is a range of skin-care products that work together synergistically in comprehensive skin-care systems to address a wide range of concerns including wrinkles, acne, oily skin, dry skin, rosacea, and sensitive skin. All of our formulations are state-of-the-art, based on published scientific research, designed to give skin exactly what it needs to be as beautiful and healthy as it can be.

Does that make sense? What do you think? If you were sitting next to me on a plane and I explained my products in this manner, would that make sense to you?

Let me know, I really want to grasp this. It’s about time, don’t you think?

Right around this time of year, reporters start asking me what is the “next big thing” launching in the cosmetics world or what the upcoming trends are. The question in and of itself is frustrating because by now you would think reporters, of all people, would know that the cosmetics industry creates lots of “next big things” to provide press releases to the media so they will write about their products. It all sounds exciting and new (especially if the product contains a rare plant from some remote part of the world) but almost always the information is contrived or without any validity. Of course, after a few months the “next big thing” eventually fades into oblivion making room for the newer “next big thing”, and the cycle goes on and on.

There can only be so many big things, but we seem to have an insatiable appetite for something new when it comes to beauty products. Overblown claims and faux science is almost always what the next big thing ends up being; a big deal over nothing.

So in the spirit of warning you about the next big things you will start hearing about in the media here are few of the things you may encounter:

More and more organic products will be launched—especially ones designed to feel like you are mixing the product up in your own kitchen. There will be kits you put together like a fresh salad every day.

Because of some minor research showing that aroma not only effects mood, sexuality, and even eating behavior, you will see products with a variety of new products both skin care and “perfume” making claims about enhancing and influencing behavior.

Makeup is a spontaneous purchase most women find fun so products that duplicate that expectation (like the vibrating mascaras, eyebrow makeover kits, false eyelashes studded with rhinestones) and similar impulse buy items will be on the shelves. Look for products that have interesting layers of sparkles that cling better to skin without flaking on clothes and mascaras that do the same.

The economy is still suffering so the “Beauty on a Budget” concept will continue. Companies will be launching more products at lower price points but with the same exaggerated claims as the more expensive products they sell. Makeup kits that put together an entire outfit for the face in convenient packaging will also be available at really good price points.

Organic and natural products with heart-tugging stories will pour onto the market. Mother’s making products for their daughters, daughters making products for their mother, survivors of cancer making products for others with their health concern, etc. Don’t count on those lines providing anything new in terms of formulary, this is all about marketing a really good story and making healthy consumers afraid of benign ingredients while promoting questionable natural ones.

In terms of ingredients, because of the research showing that diet (antioxidants, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids) can improve skin texture, collagen production, and encourage more normal cell development, products claiming to mimic a healthy diet will be launched (and if they are well formulated will be good for skin, but regrettably claims in the cosmetics industry rarely match claims).

You’ll see all of this and more as you venture out to shop for cosmetics in 2010. What you can count on as always is there will still be plenty of poor products, plenty of fantasy claims to endure and overcome, and plenty of opportunities become an even savvier cosmetics consumer—one who can separate hype from fact and is all the more beautiful because of it!

F rom the time I was a teen I have found it hard to believe the marketing claims that cosmetics companies make about their products. With all the outlandish claims about making your pores disappear, wrinkles vanish, blemishes be gone, lift this, plump that, it’s difficult to discern fact from fiction. So my solution before I began working for Paula was to take the easy route and not believe any of it. That doesn’t mean I never purchased any of these products- I still did, but did I truly think they would live up to their claims? Not really. Still I had to try.

And try I did! Of course there were times that I was pleasantly surprised by a great cosmetic product that lived up to its claims or was at least well formulated no matter what the claim. But most of the time, I was left with an empty wallet and heart filled with disappointment because of another blasé mascara, foundation, lipstick, or acne treatment.

Eventually I decided to quit playing cosmetic Russian roulette and actually put some effort into finding good products ahead of time. I know for many women like myself, it’s easy to think that we don’t have time for the research process or it is altogether overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If you arm yourself with the right tools and lay down a little ground work in the beginning you can save yourself tons of time, heart ache, and money.

 Here’s how I did it:

Step One: Brush Up on the Latest Research
Find out what ingredients and treatments really work. For instance, I used to think that antioxidants applied topically to the skin were little more than another marketing gimmick. Boy how wrong was I? Paula’s The Original Beauty Bible is a great one-stop shop to read up on the latest and greatest and with the internet at your fingertips the resources are endless. (Just make sure you’re getting them from a reliable source.) If you really want to get in depth information you can also subscribe to a peer reviewed cosmetic journal.

Step Two: Get Familiar with Your Skin
It seems pretty self explanatory, but take a moment to identify whether your skin is normal, oily, dry, combination, acne-prone, sensitive, etc. From there you can make an educated decision on factors best suited for your skin like what textures work best on your skin, how emollient a product should be, and what ingredients will target your skin type concerns. For example, I have oily, blemish prone skin and prefer liquid and gel textures when it comes to my skin care. With foundations I look for something light weight with a matte finish, and I avoid cream blushes and shadows as they tend to not work well with my skin.

Step Three: Make a Game Plan
If you have a particular product in mind, why not look into what Paula’s team has to say about it. Beautypedia.com and Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, 8th Edition are an unparalleled resources as they offer an extensive database of candid and objective cosmetic reviews, as well as alerts on overpriced items. This step can help you save yourself from throwing money down the drain on ineffective, poorly formulated products.

Step Four: Play with Samples
If you are shopping in a department store with testers, try before you buy.* This is the best way to see how a particular shade looks on your skin and how it feels. Pay attention to how long it takes for the product to set, how intense the color is, how well it blends, if it flakes or smudges, the list goes on and on. It never hurts to ask if the salesperson can provide an individual sample in which case you can safely take it home and try it out. The same applies if you are shopping online. Look for samples on the company’s website or contact customer service to see if they can offer a complimentary trial product.

 *For hygiene purposes, do not apply the product on the actual areas you will be using it (eyelids, lips, face). Instead test it on the back of your hand, and when possible wipe the top layer of the product with a clean tissue before applying. Never user a tester product over broken or infected skin. Use a hand sanitizer when finished.

Now you’re on the road to becoming a savvy cosmetic consumer. Happy shopping!

J ust seconds ago I finished approving the last round of edits for what will be Paula’s next book, Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, 8th Edition. The book is huge! Even with our decision to only include lines readers ask us about most often (over 120 brands) the book still ended up being over 1,200 pages. I almost hurt my arm carrying the manuscript back to the designer’s office (and a special thanks to our graphic designer for making these books look so good).

Just last week Paula took me and our team out for a beautiful celebratory dinner at one of Seattle’s finest restaurants. It was a special evening, and the culmination of months of demanding, exacting work. It really does take a village to publish a book that candidly reviews thousands upon thousands of skin care and makeup products!

My team and I have spent the last couple of months making sure the book is as current as possible before it goes to print. Talk about anxiety! Thanks to lots of Starbucks drinks and healthy doses of humor we have made it to the end of another edition of Paula’s most popular book. Just like for the 7th Edition, we have Beautypedia to fall back on. Beautypedia serves as an extension of Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, and includes reviews of over 130 more brands we couldn’t fit into the book. Believe me, it eases our anxiety about sending the book to the printer and finding out, mere days later, that a major line is launching a new anti-wrinkle cream or another brand is completely redoing its makeup. When we were only writing books, such announcements left us crestfallen. With Beautypedia, we can make these changes as they occur, so the book, as it exists on Beautypedia, won’t be out-of-date.

With every new book one of our laments is that we always get feedback from readers asking us about the brands didn’t include. Although such feedback is welcome, we all feel disappointed since we endeavor to include a mix of well-known brands along with niche lines that have gained in prominence or popularity. As much as we try to hit a bull’s eye that will please everyone, we know that some readers will be upset that their favorite brand (or one they’re curious about) isn’t in the book. All I can do, besides apologize and let them know we track requests for all brands readers ask us about, is steer them toward all of the brilliant products we recommend in the latest book and on Beautypedia.com. I can say with 100% confidence that there is nothing in any line we didn’t review that could possibly surpass the best of what’s in the book and on Beautypedia.com. That may be hard to believe, we all want to believe there is an ultimate best or miracle lurking about somewhere, but after working with Paula on six books, countless newsletters, Beautypedia, and thousands of pages of content, heck, even I’d bet on that claim, and I’m not much of a gambler!

OK, I know this was a bit of a pat-ourselves-on-the-back blog entry, but I hope when the book is available (December) that you’ll agree it was a job well done. I’m thrilled with the team effort and thankful to Paula for the opportunity she’s given us to help educate consumers about the fascinating, sometimes brilliant, and often utterly maddening cosmetics industry!

I just got off the phone with a reporter. I could scream. It was a completely bizarre conversation that went something like this.

Reporter: What skin care products are worth splurging on?

Me: None. Save your money, there isn’t an expensive skin care product that can’t be replaced by an inexpensive option.

Reporter: But aren’t there advances in skin care that are worth spending your money on like Estee Lauder using situins.

Me: Sirtuins are a group of enzymes that protect cells. Lauder is using an ingredient they are calling resveratrate in their Re-Nutriv Ultimate Youth Crème. It is similar to resveratrol, an antioxidant from grapes. That’s nice but there are lots of great antioxidants, this isn’t the miracle one. And does that mean all the other Lauder anti-aging products (think Clinique, Aveda, Prescriptives, La Mer etc.) should be dumped? And by the way, did you notice the product comes in a jar and that antioxidants don’t stay stable in jar packaging?

Reporter: Oh right, jars. But I’ve talked to the President of Lauder and they are reformulating all their products.

Me: I don’t believe that for a second, but assuming that’s true shouldn’t they write a press release saying this is the best of our products forget the others? Or at least alert their loyal customers that, oops, they goofed but this time they’re really going to get it right and tell you the truth?

We had a few more back and forths that didn’t make any sense either but this was the kicker:

Reporter: Nothing really works right so it doesn’t matter?

Me: That’s not true at all. There is a ton of research showing there are wonderful, potent, powerfully effective ingredients that can benefit skin. What’s true is that there just isn’t a magic bullet. There isn’t one ingredient that is the final miracle for skin.

Reporter: There is no research showing that to be true.

Me: Of course there is, just check the National Institute for Health’s database of over 5,000 science journals.

Reporter: I don’t believe research done by the cosmetic companies.

Me: There are mostly studies done outside of the cosmetic industry, but even if the studies are from the industry as long as the studies are published and you can evaluate how they were done and the results, you can make an informed decision.

Reporter: Those studies are always biased.

Me: Then ignore the studies from cosmetics companies and just focus on the ones that are from independent sources.

Reporter: They’re all biased except the ones from Universities.

Me: But cosmetic companies often pay institutions for their studies. But this is all off topic… you were asking about products that are worth splurging on and I’m saying there aren’t any so I’m probably not the best person for your story.

Reporter: But what about sirtuins and clock genes?

Me: Well I could quote you the research as it relates to the cosmetic industry but you just said you don’t believe any unbiased research exists, you don’t trust the research from cosmetic companies but you believe the press releases you get from cosmetics companies? I’m confused.

There was a bit more, but you get the gist of it. And these are the people writing stories about skin care “breakthroughs” that my readers find and then ask me about. Sigh. I really did try to help this reporter but somehow I think I only made matters worse by stating the facts!

Every day, I call cosmetic company after cosmetic company (either their marketing departments or customer service call centers), send e-mails to the same, and visit cosmetic counters in stores in order to gather product information for the product reviews that will eventually show up on Beautypedia.com. I do this day after day, (it is a full time job), despite the frustration because I really do love my job, even though getting information from a cosmetics company is harder than squeezing water from a rock.

It’s a sad fact, but more than half of the e-mails I send asking for information about a company’s products (often the same as any consumer might), never gets a reply. Even fewer phone calls are ever returned. If I were a customer, I would have long since thrown in the towel on trying to contact these companies, and I surely would never purchase any products from companies who seem to place such little value in their customers. Understanding that strong customer service breeds brand loyalty, and with such a competitive market to boot, it makes sense that the smaller brands tend to reply more often, because to them each and every customer counts. It’s ironic that even with a smaller brand’s limited staff they are still able to excel at customer service, while the large companies are definitely remain the worst offenders – and with their deep pockets and overpriced products, there’s just no excuse!

Here’s a classic example: Christian Dior. In the past two weeks, I have made no less than 50 calls to 1-800-929-DIOR – a number which, incidentally, is not available anywhere on their website, and was given to me by the extremely helpful customer service staff at Nordstrom, because Dior’s old customer service number on file here at Beautypedia is out of service, with no forwarding number either! Each time I call Dior, I’m greeted by a fancy French-accented voice that instructs me to press #1 for “Product or Consumer Information.” From there, the phone rings twice before a voice tells me that no one can take my call. Then, a dial tone. No option to leave a message, no operator to re-direct my call. This happens no matter what time of day it is, on any day of the week. If it weren’t my job to be so tenacious, I would’ve given up on Dior long, long ago.

At this point, contacting Dior directly has become somewhat of an office joke. For about a week straight, I would call three or four times per day on speakerphone just for amusement. As a result, we’ve become strangely endeared to the voice on the other end (I’ve named her Frenchy), and each time I am transferred to “Product or Consumer Information,” I wait, brows raised in mock anticipation, until the inevitable “We’re sorry…” and then the dial tone that follows. In the meantime, I’ve taken to calling Dior counters for the information I need, but because department stores have to stagger their schedules, the counters are rarely staffed with anyone who knows anything about Dior. Case in point: It took no less than 14 calls to Dior counters across the country before I found one staffed with an actual Dior representative. When I asked her my product question, she replied: “I’m sorry, I’ve only been with Dior for 2 days, but I worked for Chanel for years, do you have any questions about that brand?” I must admit, I was tempted to give her my answer in dial tone, but I knew she wasn’t to blame. It’s all just typical of an industry that doesn’t really want to answer customer questions unless they have your cash in hand first – and probably not even then!

“This moisturizer is perfect for someone with oily or combination skin because it is oil-free.”

I can’t tell you the number of products touting this claim when they indeed do contain oils, or waxes that feel oily, or other ingredients that can clog pores. They may not be oils you recognize, like plant oils or mineral oils, but they are nonetheless in there, with names you may not have heard. Regardless, hearing that a product is oil-free still gives you no information about what it may or may not do to the skin. What is most confusing is that ingredients known for causing breakouts may not leave a greasy feel on the skin. Surprisingly, one of the greasiest ingredients, mineral oil, has been shown in study after study to not cause breakouts, although it can still feel greasy. Go figure. The fewer skin-care products a woman with oily or blemish-prone skin uses, the better off her skin will be.

I had an interesting discussion with a producer of an infomercial last week. Because of confidentiality I can’t tell you which one, but it really doesn’t matter because they are all the same and they all lie through their teeth the same. This producer knew that the script she was going to be videotaping was mostly misleading or untrue. Don’t get me wrong, she was very nice and she appreciated my research and critique of the topic, but of course there was nothing she could do about it. And nothing I could do either.

There are things I put up with in the world of beauty that just drive me crazy, and I mean a lot of things. Of course I put up with it because what else can I do? I can’t struggle with everyone I encounter (well I could, but there just isn’t enough time!).

One of the more irksome moments outside of the industry is the number of women I encounter who love bragging that the skin-care products they use that are all natural. Once they tell me what products they are using I know there is no way in hell what they are putting on their face is all natural or even part natural, except for the 70% to 80% water content the product contains. There just isn’t time to explain why what they believe isn’t true.

Or women who insist that they simply love the $$$$ anti-wrinkle product they are using. I bite my tongue because what I want to say that I can’t say is, you’ve got to be kidding. Can you really be that clueless? And of course the answer is yes, lots of women are that clueless. There is no way that product is worth the price (and it’s often in a jar package which makes it practically useless). No one should love anything that costs that much money when it’s just a moisturizer and often it isn’t even a well-formulated one at that. What does it take for women to realize that expensive doesn’t mean better in the cosmetic industry? There just isn’t time to explain this to the women I meet who don’t know my work.

What most women don’t realize is how everyone in the beauty business knows how the marketing and advertising for cosmetics is all BS. They all talk about it. They all know it. They shrug their shoulders and say, well it’s a living. Or they laugh about it. Either way, they meet women every day that are being suckered into products that can’t possibly perform as the claims on the label assert.

See what I mean about frustrating?

“A famous scientist [doctor, chemist, pharmacist, dermatologist, or whatever—I've heard it all] created this formula and it is only now available to the public.”

Lots of doctors and chemists are involved in creating all kinds of products in the world of cosmetics, but all cosmetics contain standard cosmetic ingredients. They can’t contain anything else, as drugs do, or they would be regulated quite differently.

My favorite example of this type of claim is Estee Lauder Creme de la Mer. Quite a story accompanies this very costly little cream! It was created by Max Huber, a NASA aerospace physicist, supposedly to take care of burns he received in an accident. He sold and marketed this product himself. After his death, his daughter continued selling the cream until recently, when Estee Lauder purchased the rights to manufacture and distribute it.

The reality is that this very basic, and I mean really basic, cream doesn’t contain anything particularly extraordinary or unique, unless you want to believe that seaweed extract (sort of like seaweed tea) can somehow be worth this much money, or that it can in some way heal burns and scars. According to Susan Brawley, professor of plant biology at the University of Maine, “seaweed extract isn’t a rare, exotic, or expensive ingredient. Seaweed extract is readily available and used in everything from cosmetics to food products and medical applications.” Creme de la Mer contains mostly seaweed extract, mineral oil, petrolatum (similar to Vaseline), glycerin, waxlike thickening agents, plant oils, plant seeds, minerals, vitamins, more thickeners, and preservatives. How expensive can it be to stick some seaweed and vitamins in a cosmetic? According to the cosmetics chemists I’ve interviewed, it costs pennies, not hundreds of dollars.

Moreover, several additional products with formulas that are unrelated to the first now accompany Creme de la Mer’s original miracle product. If the first one was so spectacular why did it need company, and why did the subsequent products have completely different formulations? I guess the original wasn’t quite the miracle formula they thought it was.