What does "dermatologist tested" mean? (from Beautiful with Brains)

Spoiler: Nothing.

The EU bans some cosmetics ingredients that the US doesn't. So fucking what?

Refinery29 has another one of those scary articles about how your makeup is going to give you cancer, while all the wholesome Europeans live forever. How outrageous is it that the FDA doesn't prohibit all of the cosmetic ingredients that the EU does?

Funny scientist explains "chemicals" and "natural" shit

Okay, this one is about food, not makeup, but it's still a really funny takedown of the idea that "chemicals" are always bad and "natural" things are always good, written by a chemist. It looks a little dry at first glance, but it's actually very entertaining. Give it a read.

If you don't have time (ohh, you're sooo fucking busy), just read this excerpt:

"As I've emphasized in passing above, there are plenty of natural substances, made by healthy creatures in beautiful, unpolluted environments, that will nonetheless kill you in agony. Plants, fungi, bacteria, and animals produce poisons, wide varieties of intricate poisons, and they're not doing it for fun.

And on the other side of the imaginary fence, there are plenty of man-made substances that really won't do much of anything to people at all. You cannot assume anything about the effects of a chemical compound based on whether it came from a lovely rainforest orchid or out of a crusty Erlenmeyer flask. The world is not set up that way. Here's a corollary to this: if I isolate a beneficial chemical compound from some natural source (vitamin C from oranges, for example, although sauerkraut would be a good source, too), that molecule is identical to a copy of it I make in my lab. There is no essence, no vital spirit. A compound is what it is, no matter where it came from.

Another assumption that seems common to this mindset is that when something is poisonous at some concentration, it is therefore poisonous at all concentrations. It has some poisonous character to it that cannot be expunged nor diluted. This, though, is more often false than true. Paracelsus was right: the dose makes the poison. You can illustrate that in both directions: a beneficial substance, taken to excess, can kill you. A poisonous one, taken in very small amounts, can be harmless. And you have cases like selenium, which is simultaneously an essential trace element in the human diet and an inarguable poison. It depends on the dose."

Uhhhh, no, brown sugar will not straighten your hair, Pinterest.

The Pintester tries it out so we don't have. Wait, before you click, what do you think happens? Non-straight, sticky hair? Um, yeah.

Tricky tricky! Which package contains more product? (Nail polish edition)

Which bottle contains more nail polish: a mini Zoya or a regular-size Maybelline Color Show?

Mini Zoya Neeka vs. Full-size Maybelline
Color Show Denim Dash.

In the photo, they look nearly the same size, though in person, the Zoya actually looks comparatively tiny. Still, if I were judging only from the photo, I would guess that the Maybelline bottle contains just a bit more polish the the Zoya bottle.

Don't be afraid of silicones for hair or skin! (From The Beauty Brains)

See why they're good here.

Why you shouldn't buy eye creams (from Paula's Choice)

Basically, they're just selling you a smaller amount of moisturizer for a higher cost. You don't need a separate product for the skin around your eyes. It's skin. More info here.

Do I need this? Special Pregnancy Polish

Here is the latest installment of "Do I Need This?", a series about new and trendy beauty products (or just those that might be unfamiliar and baffling to both of us). I'll offer my experience and opinion about whether or not I think the product under consideration is worth shelling out for. Obviously, you don't need ANY beauty products, so the answer is always going to be no, a little bit. But is it going to change your life (or face)? Is it going to make things easier? Are you going to notice any difference at all if you use it? That's what I'm getting at. You may disagree with my verdict, because we all have different bodies/faces/brains/desires, but I'll try to give you a starting point at least.

Short answer: Fuck no.

The bullshit of color-adjusting cosmetics (again)

I know I've complained about this in the past, but I found a nice article from The Beauty Brains that explains how cosmetics that claim to adjust to the most flattering possible shade for your complexion actually work. Hint: They don't have tiny computers or cameras or brains in them to figure out what will flatter you. Most of the time it's just the moister you are, the darker they get. It's a fun trick, but don't get too excited. It's not really about you.

Don't Bother With ProActiv (from Slate)

Here's an excerpt from this article on why ProActiv is overpriced at best and a scam at worst:

Marcotte: I suspect a lot of people are wary of buying skin care products sold on TV, but they sign up for Proactiv because the ads do a good job of implying that it is better than anything else on the market for clearing up acne. Is it?

Romanowski: No. They use standard (effective) technology, but their products are not better than the stuff you could buy at Target or Wal-Mart. Anti-acne products are over-the-counter drugs regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. Manufacturers are limited in the technologies and claims they can use.

5 Beauty Lies Most of Us Believe (And the Truth Behind the Lies) (PaulaBegoun, The Cosmetics Cop)

No bullshit. The lies are below; click through to read the explanations.

Lie #1: Dry skin? Drink more water!

Lie #2: You can repair damaged hair.

Lie #3: There’s a product that can get rid of cellulite.

Lie #4: One special ingredient (like vitamin C or peptides) is all aging skin needs.

Lie #5: Parabens are bad for you, so avoid products that contain them.

5 Beauty Lies Most of Us Believe (And the Truth Behind the Lies) (Paula Begoun, The Cosmetics Cop)