Pretty Price Check: Your Friday round-up of how much we paid for beauty this week.
- 14: The average number of secret toxic chemicals found in each bottle of perfume tested in a new study by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (via Stacy Malkan’s HuffPo take on things). What do I mean by “secret toxic chemicals?” Those are the kind that aren’t listed on the label (because manufacturers can hide these “proprietary formulas” behind the word “fragrance”) and they either haven’t been evaluated for safety, or have been — and so we know they’ve got carcinogenic or endocrine disrupting properties. It’s cool though, because the risks are most serious for kids. And little girls hate Hannah Montana (Her “Secret Celebrity” scent has 13 sensitizing chemicals), Britney Spears (Her “Curious” fragrance has 4 endocrine-disrupting chemicals), and American Eagle (Their “Seventy Seven” perfume has a whopping 24 secret ingredients). Download the full report and tell these celebrities to take a stand against toxic chemicals here.
- Size 12-14: The dress size of a 5’8, 115-lb fashion model in the 1930s, reports Sadie over on Jezebel. I think the only optimistic way to read this is to say this is why it really doesn’t matter what size jeans you’re wearing. In another seventy years, the whole system will probably be alphabetized instead.
- $21.4 billion: What the personal care product packaging market is expected to be worth in 2014, says Packaging Digest. Yup, just the packaging. Not any of the junk inside.
The Today Show Goes Makeup-Free! If you missed it, check the video at BellaSugar. Kathie Lee, Hoda and the other NBC anchors all went on TV (in hi-def, no less) without a stitch of makeup on yesterday. You know how sometimes I’m skeptical when celebs do the whole “this is me, warts and all, except I don’t have any warts, so ha!” thing (hi, Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson). But, especially in light of all our talk about beauty routines this week, I’m giving this business two thumbs up. It sort of broke my heart when Kathie Lee looks at the camera and says “it’s about security, it’s about feeling confident,” and Hoda agrees, “Now I look like myself!” once the makeup goes on. (No, honey, you look like the plastic doll version of you.) But only because that’s true for so many of us and I wish we could feel as confident looking like our actual selves.
New Favorite Blog: Stupid Polish Names because OMG, hilarious. Just go read about Miso Happy With This Color. You’re welcome.
Whoa, totally fascinating. I knew “fragrance” was a murky matter, but it’s so disenchanting to realize that products marketed to little girls are ultimately so harmful. What a great post, thanks for sharing!