I do a lot of media interviews, newspapers, radio, TV talk shows, that kind of thing. I’ve been doing these for years. I love the attention it gives my books. Of late I’ve been getting a lot of requests for talking about recession-proof makeup. I don’t mind because in essence it’s what I always talk about: not wasting money on skin care and makeup. Just because you have a job or don’t need to worry about money, in any economy, doesn’t mean you should buy products that don’t work or are poorly packaged so they can’t work. There is nothing beautiful about wasting money.

One producer I’ve worked with for years called me awhile ago to shoot a series of pieces on this topic. She wanted to know how to do “beauty” cheaper without sacrificing anything. Of course I would never recommend anything else. The hitch was she wanted me to only recommend products under ten dollars. I thought that’s fairly easy, but when I suggested two products that cost $12 for 10 ounces that were brilliantly formulated and didn’t sacrifice one penny of performance, she said it wouldn’t fit into the piece because it didn’t cost under $10 or less.

I said you’ve got to be kidding, both these products price out per ounce to be less then any of the other products that had a $10 price tag. One of the hand creams was $8.99 for 4 ounces, another was $4 for 0.5 ounces. When you do the math, how does that make sense? She held firm, her executive producer had the title for the series and wouldn’t budge.

I almost felt like canceling. It seemed so stupid and blatantly cheated the viewer from getting the best information. When I calmed down I decided to do it anyway. They would just get someone else for the series, probably from Sephora or Saks or a fashion magazine who were either paid to represent the products they recommended or had no idea what they were recommending. At least I could recommend products that would exceed expectations. I did the shoot, biting my tongue the whole time.

The following blog entry was submitted by Elizabeth C. from Chillicothe, Ohio. Elizabeth is a Paula’s Choice customer and fan of Paula’s work. As the presidential election draws closer, Paula and her team thought that Elizabeth’s musing were timely and amusing!

I will apologize for this short zinger right up front, it is just a late night rant. While the entire world frets about financial and credit crises, someone must be alert to the more mundane items. I don’t know who will win this election, and for purposes of this discussion don’t very much care who deserves to run the country. I am however irritated when I catch video or photos of the inimitably handsome Barack Obama and less handsome but still dapper John McCain during the more important of their myriad press encounters. McCain appears so pink you’d think he’s got sunburn and the foundation coverage so heavy his eyes, brows, and lips seem to actually LOSE definition. Obama’s natural skin color is a beautiful cool-toned deep African shade of mahogany that is gorgeous on its own, regardless of the owner’s political credentials, yet every time a big press event arises he is coated down in streaky layers of over-yellowed BRONZE that I find distracting and offensive. In both cases these men look worse for having consulted a make-up specialist. What’s up with all this? I have even seen Bill Clinton recently looking like he also was visited by an intoxicated Pancake Fairy, with suboptimal results. Can’t we get men’s make-up right? It appears I was not the only one to notice these cosmetic blunders, because after watching snippets of the last presidential debate, I had these observations concerning the candidate’s appearance:

The TV set was built to create a more intimate feel, I saw more angular shadows in general, but did not feel either candidate was sitting ‘in the dark’ a great deal. Bill Moyers appeared not to have been as lucky for either facial enhancement, camera angles or lighting. Didn’t see streaks or obvious jaw-line cut-offs with foundation, didn’t catch any shiny foreheads or scalps. McCain struggles with facial lymphedema and he could have used more contouring, his brows begged for better definition which would go a long way toward de-emphasizing the lymphedema below. Likewise a pale lip liner even without filling in would have been helpful. Once again Obama’s naturally dark lips appear to have been muted with pancake or lip color, which just doesn’t do a thing for him. A little espresso lipstick would be more like it, as far as I’m concerned. All three esteemed gentlemen suffered with overly pale eyelids which was unattractive, but won’t change my voting preference.

Happy Election!

If you have a blog entry you would like to see published on the Beauty Bunch, please submit it for consideration to: deborah@paulaschoice.com.

As you can imagine, Paula and I do a lot of reading about the goings-on in the cosmetics industry. Not a lot of what occurs genuinely surprises us, but sometimes an article comes along that just makes us shake our heads and let out a “they’ve-got-to-be-kidding” chuckle. Here’s the latest antic that reminded us that there is no end in sight to how much cosmetic companies think consumers are willing to pay for skin-care products with a premium positioning (meaning really, really expensive products!):

Shiseido is aiming to become the top Asian cosmetic company in the next three years. Their sales by 2011 are expected to top $8 billion, with almost half of that revenue coming from outside the United States market (Shiseido has more clout overseas, though there is very little about their skin-care that’s worth the hype or money). One of the ways in which the company decided to streamline their product range is to go from offering consumers 27 sub-brands to 21. That isn’t my definition of streamlining, but on some level 21 is better then 27. You’d think Shiseido would instead be more interested in creating some truly unique, beneficial formulas rather than doing what they usually do which is recycling the same base formula into various lines such as Bio-Performance, Benefiance, and The Skincare. But I digress. What really takes the cake (actually, the whole bakery) is the company decision to add a high-end line to their already overpriced Cle de Peau brand. Yes, cosmetics fans, you read that correctly. Shiseido-owned Cle de Peau, which sells moisturizers for $500, cleansers for $60+ and toners for $80+, is crafting an even higher-end line of products to complement their existing, wildly overpriced collection.

Can you imagine the discussion between a loyal Cle de Peau customer and the line representative? It might go something like this:

Customer to Cle de Peau salesperson: So the $500 moisturizer I’ve been using isn’t as good as your new Cle de Peau Ultra Extreme Moisture, which costs $1,200 for the same size?
Cle de Peau salesperson: I wouldn’t describe it that way; They are two very different products with completely different functions.
Customer:  But the ingredient lists are nearly identical. They’re both moisturizers making anti-wrinkle, skin-firming, and lifting claims. So why does one cost over  twice as much as the other?
Cle de Peau salesperson: The extra cost means fewer wrinkles and our studies show that using Ultra Extreme Moisture eliminates the need for a face-lift! It’s all because of our rare seaweed, which many deep-sea divers gave their lives for off the coast of Japan’s most fertile sea. You won’t find it in any other product; this cream must be applied at night only, when skin is most receptive to rejuvenation and repair.
Customer: OK, but if that’s true, why are the ingredient lists so similar?
Cle de Peau salesperson: It’s not the ingredients themselves but they way they are blended that counts most.
Customer: So my $500 Cle de Peau moisturizer doesn’t have the same “blend” as the more expensive moisturizer?
Cle de Peau salesperson: Correct. And the Ultra Extreme Moisture has the rare Japanese seaweed. Think of all those deceased divers who left behind wives and children! At least they’ll get a lifetime supply of this cream and won’t ever have to worry about wrinkles…and a portion of the proceeds from this moisturizer goes to support the Miracle Cosmetic Divers Association, too.

OK, the conversation wouldn’t be quite that dramatic but come on! Are women really going to go for the concept of one of the priciest skin-care lines offering a collection of even more expensive products? You know Cle de Peau’s idea of ‘high-end’ means whatever they produce is going to carry record-breaking prices. If they succeed with this, other lines may follow suit! We might see such new items as:

Estee Lauder Re-Nutriv Ultimate Premium Luxuriant Plus Cream
Lancome Absolue Anti-Gravity Monumental Lifting with alpha-omega peptides
Chanel Ultraluxe Dermal Densifying Wrinkle Obliterator

You think I’m kidding? Well, if this Cle de Peau high end concept helps Shiseido achieve their three year financial goals, you can bet the only ones with smiles on their faces will be the cosmetic industry executives! Consumers looking for the fountain of youth in a jar will merely come up dry.

I’m a big fan of HBO’s former sitcom Sex & the City, but not because of the title or the thrill of watching urban women get through daily travails in fabulous shoes. Resisting the show during its original run on cable, I became immersed in the show upon receiving the DVD box set of the entire series. Contrary to what I had imagined the show would be like, it was instead a witty, often hilarious, and, at its core, an interesting perspective on relationships between women and, of course, lots of men.

Aside from the permutations on romance, I’m mentioning this show in particular because it is a great example of how makeup, even everyday, casual makeup, is used to convey character. You may be used to thinking of makeup and character as it pertains to theatrical shows (where would the dramatic tension of Wicked be if Elphaba wasn’t green?) but it’s at work on television too, and often works in subtle ways to convey not only what is going on in a character’s life but what they’re feeling.

Getting back to Sex & the City, you have four distinctive lead characters: Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda. Carrie, the narrator and central character, has a typically casual makeup style to complement her casual, tousled curly hair. Interestingly, when it’s time to dress up and Carrie’s hair often becomes sleek and straight, her makeup almost always becomes stronger and more sophisticated—kind of like what a lot of women do in real life. Carrie is also striving to discover her identity and be taken seriously, especially when in emotional turmoil. It is notable that in these scenes, she typically is seen wearing minimal makeup, perhaps so she appears more vulnerable or earnest.

Samantha, the go-getter, man-crazy owner of her own public relations firm has the most trend-driven makeup. She’s the one who often matches her lipstick to her outfit, and maintains a full makeup with equal emphasis on eyes and lips. Even during off work, casual scenes, Samantha has the most makeup on, but it rarely looks overdone. She’s a great example of how attitude can help women carry off any amount of makeup, but even more so when it is properly and proportionately applied! The only time we really see Samantha without her usual makeup is during her brief battle with breast cancer.

Charlotte is the blue-blooded uptight socialite whose wardrobe consists of lots of classic, preppy, Ralph Lauren-style outfits or soft flowing, modest dresses. Her makeup remains consistent throughout the run of the show, tending toward an understated classic look that doesn’t appear effortless but doesn’t seem labor-intensive, either. Hers is the makeup that seems approachable but also a bit too perfect. You get the impression that a slight smudge of lipstick or flaking mascara would ruin her day because it’s a flaw in her otherwise perfect projection of herself.

Miranda is the most professional among the foursome, and works in a law firm. Her clothing began as very masculine, but eventually softened to flattering work attire that was feminine but still conservative and professional. Her makeup remains the simplest of all the characters; you get the sense that she is the type of woman who doesn’t have the time or desire to bother with it, at least not if it takes more than five minutes. Miranda’s bare minimum approach often leaves her looking mousy compared to her friends, but her sarcasm and red-to-strawberry blonde hair compensate; there are lots of ways to make a statement than by relying on makeup or clothing.

I’ll cap this off by stating that, whether we realize it or not, the makeup our favorite television characters wear directly and indirectly influences how we feel about them and how we compare them to ourselves. There’s are many reasons why Sex & the City caught on and resonated with so many women. Image was a big one; the fact that three of the four actresses have promoted appearance-enhancing product, from skin care to makeup to undergarments, testifies to this—and was helped along by character-enhancing makeup.

Last year when I was on a media tour in Australia I was being interviewed by a radio reporter who clearly did not think makeup or skin care was of any importance. If anything, she opined it oppressed women and set unrealistic standards of appearance that disempowered them. While I can hold my own in most any interview situation (I’ve done thousands of them over the years) I’m not a sociologist and prefer not being in the role of social commentator. My work is primarily about whether or not products can live up to their claims and are they worth the money or are there less expensive alternatives. It’s not that I don’t have opinions (clearly I am one extremely opionated woman), it’s just that while getting off my topic can be challenging I don’t think it’s all that interesting for the women listening to the discussion; they want to know if Lauder’s new product is good for them. But back to the point I was making about this interview…

I agreed with this reporter that overdoing anything can be a problem, but I insisted it was about perspective and that the goal of being attractive is powerful in any culture for both men and women. I tried to explain that she was mixing up her understandable disgust of the over-eroticized, misogynistic depiction of women in Western culture versus what it means to look beautiful and appealing without looking like a “hooker”. She seemed to tolerate that point, but then the discussion went off into the direction of fighting wrinkles and we went back to a discussion of social standards. I said there was nothing sexy about growing old. She really didn’t like that comment and responded by saying that in some cultures older women are revered. I said I didn’t want to be revered, I wanted a date for Saturday night. Sometimes it really is just about being attractive and looking young and, hopefully, more desirable. I’m fairly certain this reporter is not going to have me back on her radio show anytime soon, but I am also fairly certain I’ll look a heck of a lot better than her in 20 years!

Ever since I can remember I’ve had a problem with lipstick bleeding into the lines around my mouth. I have always hated that flaw. I could never wear the glossy, slick, ultra-creamy lipsticks and lip glosses that make your mouth look sensual and full, that fetching come hither look that everyone else was able to wear. On me they just ran into the vertical lines around the border of my mouth creating a smeared, unattractive mess.

Yes, I tried all the tricks in the book, lip liner, blotting lipstick, using a matte foundation over my lips, keeping moisturizer away from the skin around my mouth, and applying products designed for keeping lipsticks from bleeding, which all helped a little, but little is the operative word, at the end of the day, or even by mid-morning it was all in vain. So for years I’ve had to seek out the most ultra-matte lipsticks possible. I should mention that even this wasn’t fail safe, because eventually, by the end of the day, my matte lipstick would betray me and end up exactly where I didn’t want it! Back then, this problem of bleeding lipstick was rare for a woman my age (I was only 16!) but it is anything but rare for women with sun damage who are over the age of 40 or 50.

Yet somehow this problem doesn’t change a woman’s desire to wear slick, greasy lip glosses and lipsticks that slide and glide in to lines around her mouth. I see this on women all the time and it is even detectable on female actresses of a certain age especially on High Definition TV (of course you would never see this in a fashion magazine because photo-retouching would never allow such a flaw). Yes, glossy lips look great especially compared to the effect of matte lipstick, there is no doubt about that. The sensual glossy appearance is hot, which explains why gloss is one of the best selling items at the cosmetic counters. But using a makeup style that ends up looking like you missed your mouth is as bad as stuffing your bra with Kleenex to look more endowed, only to have the Kleenex spill out on to your cleavage or under your arms is not pretty.

Having said all this, let me tell you about a “gloss” I recently found that surprised even me. While it still bleeds eventually, it does so minimally. I could hardly believe it. I tested it several times and several different colors just to be sure it wasn’t a fluke (sometimes a really pale gloss bleeds but you don’t see it as well). That wasn’t the case, it minimally bled into the lines around my mouth! Hallelujah! The brand is Illumminare and the gloss name All Day Mineral Lip Color. They do have a regular gloss and that one bleeds in a heart beat but the All Day one, it will barely make it pass your lips. It is worth checking out. One more thing, this All Day Mineral Lip Color does not last all day in the least, what a joke, and what is even funnier is that there is nothing about this that would be considered “mineral”, you might as well call my computer mineral by those standards.