Color Stories: Behind the Scenes of America's Billion-Dollar Beauty Industry

I loved this book! I thought it was extremely well written and an enjoyable and very informative read for anyone that buys cosmetics and clothes. I really enjoyed the contemporary process of how produts are developed and the history of how these companies got started and who started them. It is the first time I have read anything on how cosmetics are really made in a factory (Avon), and FDA information on what companies have tried to get away with in the past.

This is an absorbing, informative, quick read from a beauty industry insider. (You'll never look at makeup and fashion magazines quite the same way again!) Gavenas unmasks everything from how the cosmetics big-guns plan their ad campaigns to whether that fashion-mag cover girl is *really* wearing the products we're told she is. The chatty, accessible tone lends itself (dare I say) beautifully to this fascinating look at makeup, marketing, and pop culture.

For any women (or man) that have been captivated by a store beauty dept..this is a must read! It's all about the psychology behind the ads that attract sane people into buying expensive cosmetics..This book should be a must read by any beginning psychology student also!

What a relief to read something written on a "woman's" subject (namely makeup) that is well-written without being condescending to its readers. This book is short and fast but has a surprising amount of history about women in business and how and why cosmetics got to be such a big business.And, as a Texan, I loved the chapter about Mary Kay and the women who participate. It's a complicated subject and this is the best treatment I've come across.I don't know if I would categorize it as a business book, a fashion book, or a history book, but I do recommend it!

Fascinating look at the business of cosmetics and the people behind the pretty boxes of powder and those models' runway faces. The author has a nicely witty writing style that makes the pages turn by themselves.