The Black Book of Hollywood Beauty Secrets [Paperback]

Kym Douglas (Author), Cindy Pearlman (Author)

Book Description

Release date: November 28, 2006

“We just asked the movie stars how they did it. What did they use? How often? Where did they get it? How can we do it, too? And they told us. We couldn’t believe it either.”

Kym Douglas, host of the upcoming Lifetime makeover show Queen and the image consultant on The View, and celebrity journalist Cindy Pearlman had always wanted to know how the A-list stars looked so, well, A-list. It turns out that even the most carefully guarded stars were more than happy to dish. Collected here, in their own words, celebrities and their beauty gurus reveal their tricks of the trade.

How do they reduce puffiness, lose five pounds in a week, put shine in their hair, buff their skin, and vacuum their pores without spending a fortune? Find out from Jennifer Aniston, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Lindsay Lohan, Beyonce Knowles, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Hurley, Charlize Theron, and many, many more!

Kym Douglas is the creator and host of the upcoming Lifetime Television makeover show, Queen, airing in October and the image consultant on The View. She appears regularly on Soap Talk, Good Day Live, Before & After’noon, and Your Weekend with Jim Brickman.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

After a few dozen whirlwind pages, the dizzying array of treatments contained here-apparently necessary to stay atop Hollywood's pecking order-may send even the most fashion-savvy readers scurrying for a nap. It's good news, then, that napping is encouraged-for beauty's sake, of course. Taken in small doses, this jam-packed inside look at the surprising beauty rituals of A-list stars serves as a funny, fascinating wake-up call to the harsh reality of celebrity self-maintenance. Image consultant Douglas and freelance writer Pearlman reveal the staggering lengths to which some stars go, including everything from pre-Oscar night colonics to the anatomically incorrect deployment of lip plumpers. While there is a great deal of sensible advice included, there's also some deliciously bizarre rituals on display, such as Kate Beckinsale's three-baths-a-day regimen and Cindy Crawford's secret to beautiful skin, a regular dose of "leftover milk from her kids' bottles and equal parts mineral water," applied with a spray bottle. Packed with insider trivia, readers will be pleased to find their favorite actresses and celebutantes-and those that style them-spilling the names of their favorite beauty products and enumerating quick-fix solutions to common beauty woes. The best element of this insider's guide is the winning tone of self-described "former dorks" Douglas and Pearlman, who keep things light, dishy and fun.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Kym Douglas is the host of the upcoming Lifetime Television makeover show, Queen, airing in October and the image consultant on The View. She appears regularly on Soap Talk, Good Day Live, Before & After’noon, and Your Weekend with Jim Brickman.
Cindy Pearlman is a nationally syndicated writer for the New York Times Syndicate and the Chicago Sun-Times. Her work has appeared frequently in Entertainment Weekly, People, Self, In Touch, and National Geographic among others.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Plume (November 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452287650
• ISBN-13: 978-0452287655
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 0.5 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #106,027 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

210 of 218 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Waste of money!! January 11, 2007

By H. Swearingen

Format:Paperback

Alright, I have never written a review before but I just had to after receiving this book. I read it cover to cover in one day and it was redundant. They mentioned about five different "secrets" throughout the book more than once. Let me save you the fourteen bucks and give you the skinny on the "secrets"

1) Egg White Mask :Tightens pores

2) Baking soda :Gentle microdermabrasion

3) Strawberry Jello :Lip and nipple stain...I kid you not!

4) Wine in the Bath :Good for skin

5) Ice Cube in Mouth :Press it to the roof to reduce puffiness in face.

These "secrets" were mentioned numerous times. The "authors" talked to stars and make-up people and they either said they used Creme De La Mer or were trying to push their own products. It seemed like one big ad. All in all, I'm really disappointed...95% filler...5% meat!

53 of 56 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars no new information in my opinion July 28, 2007

By A. Boston TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I thought this book would be entertaining with a lot of tips and tricks for making beauty fun and easy. I love makeup and skincare. People's go-to "I didnt know what to get" gift for me is usually a sephora gift card, so you can tell this type of book should be straight up my alley. I'm overjoyed to be poking around Sephora or Ulta, but I can also be happy wandering the makeup/skin care aisles of Target or Walmart.

When this book is not spitting out designer labels left and right, they really don't have super secrets. Most is stuff you can find online about home treatments that you can mix together yourself. It also asked a lot of "professionals" and beauty gurus their "must haves" and what would they buy if they ONLY had 100 dollars. These people are spoiled brats in my opinion. 100 bucks could buy a heck of a lot of beauty stuff. One woman's answer when asked what she would do if she only had the 100 dollars was "first, I would cry...". This really just put the stamp of stupidity on this book. Don't waste your money!

47 of 51 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Mostly rehashed information from other books February 13, 2007

By Wylesing

Format:Paperback

I'm a stylist who collects beauty books. I was greatly disappointed to open this book and find information taken from earlier beauty books or fashion magazines. Save your money, you've read this all before.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Not Expected March 26, 2007

By Eva McCleland

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

From the woman's interview on television and what I had read, I expected it to be more tips. Entirely too much focus on celebraties. It was a waste of time and money.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars The Black Book of Hollywood Beauty Secrets March 26, 2007

By Tracy M

Format:Paperback

Not that fond of the book. It's basically an extended tabloid. A few good tips but most is about celebs and the tools and resources they have. The average everyday mother doesn't have a stylist, a fitness trainer, a make up artist or time to spend hours at the gym daily. I would not have bought it had I been able to read a few pages in a book store.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars They really do work!!!! March 15, 2007

By Lee A. Chiaro

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is a fast, fun and an informative read. Regardless if the stars are doing these at home tricks and bargain beauty buys are true; these beauty secrets work. My girlfriends and I have been doing them AND THEY REALLY WORK. We have saved money by using many of the products that are recommended. Plus, we have had fun girl-time doing it. I am prone to acne, so the trick of washing with my face with plain yogurt has made my skin smoother and helped with cleaning up my pores. I do it once a day.Bye bye acne pads. Useing baking soda with my actual face wash every few days,WOW, better than facial scrubs. By the way, a box of baking soda is $1.29. I used to love a face dermascrub kit from a top company that is over-the-counter for $25.00. Cha-ching a lot of money saved.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Good for newbies to makeup/skincare/haircare July 30, 2007

By Consumer

Format:Paperback

If you've ever read any beauty/fashion magazines on any type of a regular basis, spoken in friend circles about beauty tricks, or are over 13 and have been wearing makeup for a few years, etc. then you already know all of this. Puffy eyes: cucumber or potato slices, chilled spoons, tea bags Zits: dab of toothpaste or tea tree oil Shiny, build-up free hair: apple cider vinegar rinse

Unless you're a newbie to the beauty world or like the 40-something year old woman I met that had no idea that clear mascara can be used to groom brows and that the tanning beds were making her liver spots worse, then save your money.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars such a fun read April 10, 2007

By Judy C

Format:Paperback

This is a great book to take to bed, don't forget a pad and pen because you'll make loads of notes.. I loved it and highly recommend it for oodles of good tips; plus, it's fun to look up products the 'stars' use, see what kind of deals are out there, great, little, black book:-)