Made Up: How the Beauty Industry Manipulates Consumers, Preys on Women's Insecurities, and Promotes Unattainable Beauty Standards

I could not wait to receive my book Made Up. This is the second book that I have read by Ms. Laham and the first one, The Con Game had me riveted from page 1 and Made Up is even better since I along with most people can relate. The beauty industry with all of their magazine ads and commercials and fashion magazines do manipulate us as to what is beauty and what we should strive for. The impossible dream. Ms. Laham pulls back the curtain on the beauty industry.Ms. Laham's writing is easy to read and tells a story. I would highly recommend this book and it's author.

Dr. Laham boldy exposes the hidden agenda with the cosmeceutical industry preying upon the insecurities of women. She details the robust historical evidence associated with manipulation of women and methodically details the deleterious effect this has had on self-perception of beauty. The book is through and incredibly referenced. As a practicing facial aesthetic surgeon, I see this damaging effect on women pursuing an "ideal" of beauty, rather than a grounded sense of self. This work is trenchant, a necessary primer for those interested in the marketing prowess of the beauty industry. It also should be a necessary read to any young woman considering life-altering plastic surgery. I highly recommend it!

Made Up was informative, entertaining and clearly very well researched. A very thoughtfully argued, well-documented study of how the beauty industry has created “unattainable beauty standards” in order to ensure its products sell . The book is organized into sections focused on the beauty industry, standards of beauty, advertising, and the dramatic increases in body modification practices. It explains why women fear aging, how they react to it, and what the beauty industry does to ensure this anxiety fuels consumerism. Highly recommend to both those that are interested in the industry as well as just the casual reader. Very well done!

The book is full of precise and well organized information- from historical references to current hard data on the cosmetics industry, it covers all bases of the field. It is also well written -neither dry nor superficial- and easy to navigate in specific chapters. I recommend it to anyone, really: sociology/psychology/business/marketing majors, or cosmetic users curious about how and why they end up buying what they buy. I happen to be in the last category: I loved the info.

From ancient origins through the eras of history, Ms Laham describes how an obsession with beauty can lead to manipulation by a growing industry. An exceptionally thorough account of marketing techniques and tricks are backed up by a tremendous amount of research. Very impressive!

Made Up was an extremely insightful view into the beauty industry. The book starts with the history of beauty products from early times, and you get an understanding of how we’ve gotten to the influx of beauty marketing we are bombarded with every day! SO good!