I've give it no stars if I could . Certainly it is not to my dismay that this will be the author's last edition.      Her information is all right in many ways, but useless in most.  If you want drug store quality cosmetics, you can find useful ones, some very good ones.  If you want very good quality cosmetics, more often you will pay for the increased quality.     Ms. Begoun says in the intro to this (hopefully) final edition, that she was hired by a mall in Silver Spring years ago.  Since I grew up in the Silver Spring area and still live nearby, I'd love to know what mall she's referring to.  Years ago there were no malls in Silver Spring.  A few shopping centers, but no malls.      She says she had acne and saw that toners didn't close pores, etc.  She's right in many ways, but she's way off in so many other ways her book is a mish-mash of misinformation mixed in with some basic common sense that anyone can figure out on her own.    If you want the very best cosmetics, you will have to patronize high-end stores like Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, etc.  The professionals there will help you find what is best for your skin.  It may take time, but all depends on what you want.     Ms. Begoun criticizes some very fine lines of cosmetics.  Maybe they don't work for her.  When I look through her book, it may be cleverly written, but she doesn't really know what she's talking about.    I had "bad skin" until I began using the Erno Laszlo line.  I had clogged pores, pimples, dry, scaly patches.  After a few months of using Laszlo and continuing to now, people I don't even know comment on how clear and pretty my complexion is.  Strangers don't comment on someone's skin for nothing.    When I see Ms. Begoun's book, I always turn to the section where she rips the Erno Laszlo line of cosmetics.  This edition, she omits what she has written in the past, that Laszlo customers are extremely loyal and swear by the product. There is a reason Laszlo customers are loyal.  It works better than any other line out there if you want your skin to look excellent throughout your life.     I have used Erno Laszlo for almost 32 years and no one ever believes that I am 53 years old.  Of course I don't look 20!  But my skin is smooth, the occasional dark "age spot" that appears fades within a few weeks of using Laszlo's wonderful "No. 3-9".  My husband is 47, looks younger than 47, and still everyone thinks he is older than me.  My lipline is smooth, lipstick has no vertical lines to bleed into when I wear lipstick, which is daily.      Ms. Begoun in this edition of the book says that Erno Laszlo could not have known about exfoliation or the dangers of rinsing with hot, hot water (part of his system requires 30 rinses of hot water twice a day), but that rinsing does exfoliate and I have no tiny spider veins on my face that she claims hot water can cause.  My cheeks are smooth and while gravity is taking its toll (Laszlo works, but gravity is a very powerful force and I don't expect to look 40 when I'm 70!)    She rips other up-scale cosmetic lines but I think that's because she has a conflict of interest.  Is she selling her own products?  I know previous editions promoted her own line of cosmetics, I didn't bother to find out if she's still doing so.      Erno Laszlo had as his clients years ago movie stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Gloria Swanson, Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford - you can read in "Mommy Dearest" how Crawford's daughter thought her mother was obsessive in the way she rinsed her face repeatedly each morning and evening!    The reason Erno Laszlo had these clients is because his system works.    It's not cheap, it's very expensive, but it works.  Most definitely, it works.    Last week, I was "carded"!  Quite a compliment for a someone who's been a mom for over 32 years
Output: NEG