Marnie Mann works at the fictional Hattie LeVigne cosmetics, where she is surrounded by catty co-workers who disparage her skin-care routine and dispense arsenic cream to dissolve her freckles. Her job is to help market cosmetics, even if that means tacky advertisements that prey on women's insecurities ("With crepey skin like this, she's no longer the life of the party") or over-the-top promotion strategies. (A cross-country bus tour to promote acne cream is called the Blemish Brigade. All in all, just another day in the skin trade, and another entry in the subgenre of chick lit called lipstick lit.
"The Immaculate Complexion" (Dorchester Publishing, 2007), a roman à clef, is written under the pseudonym Edie Bloom by two former beauty publicists, and it takes its central premise of exposing the blemishes of a glamour industry directly from "The Devil Wears Prada."
With its designer name-dropping and jokes about a cellulite cream that may cause infertility, the book could be a bread-and-butter beach read for those not too tired of tales about plucky working girls who overcome the odds in a hollow, judgmental industry to win the day. But it won't alter the course of beauty marketing. "Unsightly" cellulite is here to stay. -- The New York Times, April 12, 2007 - "The Cosmetics Trade, Warts and All" by Natasha Singer
The Immaculate Complexion is a hilarious look at society's obsession with appearances and the lengths some of us will go to in order to maintain them. Written with a tongue firmly planted in cheek, this book is a Cinderella story of sorts. When Marnie Mann accepts a temp position with a cosmetics firm, she is 'everywoman.' An organic product enthusiast, she wears comfortable shoes, barely wears make-up and believes food is actually for consumption rather than simply to drool over. But surrounded by 'the beautiful people' she slowly, albeit willingly, begins to feel the tug of perfection, the allure of flawless skin, stylish hair and reed-thin bodies.
Will Marnie be won over, become one of the immaculately groomed? Or will she find her own way amidst the crowd of Jimmy Choo, Prada-wearing enthusiasts? That's a choice she must make, and quickly, once she's framed for a murder she didn't commit.
I enjoyed this book, despite some rather stomach-curdling references to the ingredients in cosmetics. The thought of whale vomit as beauty enhancer was a bit more than I needed to contemplate, but aside from things of that nature I found this book to be highly entertaining. --Kay James -- RomanceReaderatHeart.com, April 2007
These types of stories often die a slow death as the author attempts to be funny with over-the-top plots and unrealistic dialogue. But the writers manage to pull off the wit with perfect timing, and the dialogue is often brilliant. Also, satire can easily become preachy, but Meyers and Strober's humor creates a story that doesn't moralize. It simply and beautifully explores the kinds of challenges that most women face in the modern world.
In a genre that is becoming saturated with similar themes, The Immaculate Complexion provides unique and refreshing insight. This writing team will certainly make their mark in the world of chick lit with this excellent debut novel. -- MyRomanceStory.com, April 2007
