Blue Eyeshadow Should Be Illegal
Paula Begoun calls herself "The Cosmetics Cop". And as such she firmly believes that blue eyeshadow is violating some kind of law.
You can read the full book (published 1985) at archive.org.
In 1991, she came out with a follow-up: Blue Eyeshadow Should Absolutely Be Illegal. Evidently her feelings on this matter had only grown stronger over time.
You can read the full book (published 1985) at archive.org.
In 1991, she came out with a follow-up: Blue Eyeshadow Should Absolutely Be Illegal. Evidently her feelings on this matter had only grown stronger over time.
Comments
OMG! I remember that book!
My daughter was at the age to start using make-up. I wished her well (it sort of broke my heart, but I knew she had to do it). Her mother tolerated it but would not teach her the right way to apply it.
The problem was none of her friends knew anything about it or had any family help either. It was like they raided a makeup case, and each took one thing to make it her own. My daughter got the blue eyeshadow, another the bright red lipstick, a third the rouge, etc.. Rather than spend all day with tiny brushes for little effect, they went full bore with putty knives and paint rollers. (And I'm not talking about a first attempt -- they all looked like clowns until they hit high school.)
Then I saw this book. I admit the title drew me in because I felt exactly the same way, but I leafed through it and saw it was a complete guide to the right way.
I tried to explain to my daughter that it would help bring out how pretty she was without the makeup becoming a distraction. The wall of ice came down as soon as she saw the title. I offered to buy her a complete set of cosmetics if she's just read through it and decide what she needed. You'd have thought I'd strangled her kitten in front of her.
I thought she and I had a decent relationship, considering the circumstances, but giving her that book ended it. It was literally eleven years before she called me 'dad' again, and another two years before she had a kind word to say to me.
My daughter was at the age to start using make-up. I wished her well (it sort of broke my heart, but I knew she had to do it). Her mother tolerated it but would not teach her the right way to apply it.
The problem was none of her friends knew anything about it or had any family help either. It was like they raided a makeup case, and each took one thing to make it her own. My daughter got the blue eyeshadow, another the bright red lipstick, a third the rouge, etc.. Rather than spend all day with tiny brushes for little effect, they went full bore with putty knives and paint rollers. (And I'm not talking about a first attempt -- they all looked like clowns until they hit high school.)
Then I saw this book. I admit the title drew me in because I felt exactly the same way, but I leafed through it and saw it was a complete guide to the right way.
I tried to explain to my daughter that it would help bring out how pretty she was without the makeup becoming a distraction. The wall of ice came down as soon as she saw the title. I offered to buy her a complete set of cosmetics if she's just read through it and decide what she needed. You'd have thought I'd strangled her kitten in front of her.
I thought she and I had a decent relationship, considering the circumstances, but giving her that book ended it. It was literally eleven years before she called me 'dad' again, and another two years before she had a kind word to say to me.
Posted by Phideaux on 03/14/22 at 09:12 AM
The very definition of “first world problems”…
Posted by Brian on 03/14/22 at 12:30 PM
National Bestseller? Color me skeptical (but not blue).
Posted by ges on 03/14/22 at 08:46 PM
Someone clearly wasn't around during the late 70s. Blue eyeshadow was hugely overused.
Posted by Eric Brown on 03/14/22 at 08:47 PM
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Category: Cosmetics | Books | 1980s