Lipstick: A Celebration of the World's Favorite Cosmetic

by Jessica Pallingston

The book for every woman who can't leave home without her lipstick. What is it about lipstick? It appears on the counters of drug and department stores with the come-hither wink of candy and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312199147
• ISBN13: 9780312199142
• Release Date: December 1998
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 228 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.8" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Not your ordinary makeup book!!

I was really surprised at how witty and informative this book was. I just loved reading about the evolution of makeup through the ages. I am so glad we have it so easy. Our toughest choices are to decide what brand of lipstick to buy and what color to wear. Just thinking about those poor women in the middle ages that used everything from pig brain and wolf blood as skincare potions. If I had to crush ant eggs as kohl for eyeliner like the Egyptians did, I'd just wear a paper bag over my head. The history lesson isn't the only interesting part of this book. There is also the section on "Lipstick Freud," which tries to analyze what your lipstick says about you. Who would have thought lipstick would be so deep? The section about dealing with pushy and "evil" makeup salespeople is definitely a valuable tool. I can't count how many times I was bullied into buying a cosmetic that I wasn't quite sure about.If you love lipstick, get this book. If you love a good history lesson, get this book. In other words, it is worth the money. I am glad I took the chance!

Funny, informative.

I enjoyed this book very much. I'm 83 years old, so have had very much experience with lipstick. My favorite part was the historical reminiscences from women my age and somewhat younger who talked about things I remeber, such as Tangee and being suspect if you did not wear your lipstick to the office. It was a very informative book, and funny, and I am surprised that I enjoyed a book on the subject, which I thought at first to be an unusual choice for a book. I will tell my friends about it.

A sweet, funny adventure into a fascinating tube of wax.

LIPSTICK is a charming little book that will make you smile on a rainy day. Reading this attractively packaged book is like talking to an eccentric friend with an encyclopedic mind. In fact, the deeper Jessica Pallingston delves into her "simple" subject matter, the more significant, strange and entertaining her journey becomes. It was fun to go along with her - a promising new talent!

One of the better makeup books to come out this year

This book is funny, fun, quirky, and informative. I was able to use it as a research resource for a college paper on fashion and history. I've also been using it for the makeup tips. I love how people like Sophia Loren, Joan Collins and Joan Crawford throw in advice. Two other fun sections are How To Deal With Evil Makeup Salespeople and the Lipstick Freud Section (I am a Gumby and proud of it). I also like the fact that all types of companies are included, from Tony and Tina to Estee Lauder to MAC, and , and even the punk rocking Manic Panic lipstick brand is listed as an option and its makers are given time to voice their views on lipstick too. Its like a lipstick encyclopedia.