Toss the Gloss: Beauty Tips, Tricks & Truths for Women 50+ by Andrea Q. Robinson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Andrea Robinson has had a storied career in the beauty industry, both as a magazine editor and cosmetics executive. She created The Nakeds product line for Ultima II in the late 80s/early 90s, predating both Bobbi Brown and the UD Naked palettes, which has had numerous knock-offs: see http://www.pinterest.com/thestylepage…. More recently, she was the brains behind Tom Ford Beauty, but was later fired.

First, the negative aspects of Toss the Gloss:

* I find it implausible that Robinson, who is 73, looks that young. This negatively impacts the credibility of the book.

* This book will become dated fast, as cosmetics companies will discontinue products listed as “best bets.”

* The make-up techniques are poorly described and illustrated, no matter how “charming” the illustrations are.

* You can find more extensive coverage of “non-invasive” techniques such as Botox and fillers and cosmetic surgery in Paula Begoun’s The Original Beauty Bible and Allure magazine.

On the plus side, Robinson offers many affordable options as best bets. She also blows the lid off the beauty industry, surprisingly, as she is a long-time beauty insider. Or could she have been bitter after her firing from Tom Ford Beauty?

As for me, I’m acting on Robinson’s advice to cull my make-up collection, but I can’t bring it down to the size of a cosmetic bag.

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