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Simply say, “The Beauty Bible” and everyone knows I am talking about Paula Begoun. I recently was able to interview Paula, also known for her other best sellers: Don’t Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me and Don’t Go Shopping For Hair Care Products Without Me. Paula Begoun is also a syndicated columnist of “Dear Paula,” a column that can be found throughout newspapers in the US and the creator and innovative force behind her product line, “Paula’s Choice.”

When you first began to challenge the cosmetics industry, were you met with much resistance by them, or did they give off the attitude that you were simply one individual who didn't pose much of a threat?
I have always found the resistance the same, some people in the industry love my work and others think I don’t know what I’m talking about. In the long run, I don’t pose much of a threat, but that’s always true for an iconoclast.

As time went on and your books became best sellers (and you--a force to be reckoned with), did you notice that the brands you were challenging for false claims began to change the wording in their advertising?
No, if anything things have gotten worse. Cosmetic companies don’t even care what the FDA does, because by the time anyone notices, the next advertising campaign or product launch replaced the previous one.

In the beginning, were you surprised by the amount of women responding to you? Are you still surprised that it continues today?
I’m always surprised how many women know my work. Selling over 2 million books is really great for the ego. What saddens me, is when I feel nothing has changed and women are still wasting lots of money on misleading advertising claims.

You said (on your website) that Paula's Choice and your challenging of the cosmetic industry began as a personal quest. Do you now feel like an advocate for all women discerning fact from fiction in product claims?
It still feels like a personal quest, I find myself wanting to know more all the time. Being an advocate for myself, and having turned that into a business is a wonderful way to earn a living.

What makes Paula's Choice products stand out among its competitors?
It depends on who the competitor is. There are some really bad products on the market and in those instances my products are stellar with state of the art ingredients, air tight packaging (to keep the beneficial ingredients stable), and elegant formulations. But there are also brilliant products out there that are truly excellent and I feel strongly my products compete beautifully (and almost always, mine are far less expensive).

Dr. Mitchell Chasin from Reflections, a Pierce Mattie client, was recently spotlighted on WCBS discussing Laser Therapy as a method to treat Rosacea. Watch the video below to hear how this has been an effective treatment for Dr. Chasin's patients.

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Wendy Lewis is an international insider to the world of anti-aging, skin care, beauty and cosmetic surgery. She is also the author of 10 consumer health and beauty books, including two editions of America’s Cosmetic Doctors & Dentists and her newest title, Plastic Makes Perfect; The Complete Cosmetic Beauty Guide. Her contributions to the beauty industry are vast, of which you can learn more on her website www.wlbeauty.com.

Pierce Mattie: In a recent article on Health News Digest you raved about Lumixyl. Would you say that it even works better than Tri-Luma? What do you see as the biggest difference between the two?

Wendy Lewis: Lumixyl is a newly launched peptide based skin brightening/lightening cream that will sell for around $120 US for 1 ounce pump. I love Tri-Luma, which is a prescription drug from Galderma that is modeled from Kligman's Formula and contatins 4% Hydroquinone, retinoid and a mild steroid. Lumixyl is a hydroquinone alternative, and the results of studies conducted at Stanford showed great results, and it is gentle for all skin types. Lumixyl is an OTC product sold through professional channels, whereas Triluma is an Rx and requires a prescription from an MD. I foresee that some dermatologists may put patients on a regimen that contains both of these formulations in some cases. 

Pierce Mattie: There are many aesthetic consultants in Manhattan, Palm Beach and Beverly Hills but no one who executes it as well as you. I have always said it’s your skill to really match up your clients with the right physician. What kind of research goes into your work?

Wendy Lewis: I am flattered Pierce, especially coming from someone who is a guru in the beauty biz. I take my "Knife Coach" brand very seriously and care about my clients and the recommendations I give them. I do a ton of research, attend conferences in the US and Europe, routinely interview and visit doctors in all specialties and read trade journals online so I am up to speed on all the latest developments. I have never altered from my original business model, which differs greatly from other me too "consultants" I have come across; my independence and impartiality is paramount, I treat all clients with total confidentiality, and I am not in anyone's pocket.

When I suggest a product or practitioner for a client, it comes from the heart and from my personal knowledge and expertise. I am doing more phone and webcam consultations today with private clients than face to face, both from an economical point and for convenience for the clients who are busy, active, and international. It's not perfect, but it's pretty close, and I have been at it now for over a dozen years.

Borghese's publicity and social media strategies have really caught my eye lately. As a big fan of their skin care products, I wanted to get the inside scoop from their communications and publicity team on what they have been up to and what products we can expect to see this fall.

Pierce Mattie: Borghese sure has caught on to the develops of social media. You have a Facebook fan page, a twitter profile and a flickr page. How has online communication been working for the Borghese team?

Borghese: The social media has been amazing for us. We are connecting with customers from all over the US. We recently launched our Community Page; our customers are sharing stories with each other on when they first discovered Borghese, their favorite Borghese product, etc.

Pierce Mattie: I actually get announcements when to head over to Lord & Taylor for facials, has Facebook announcements like this in the past helped fill the chairs at the department store?

Borghese: It certainly has helped in the past although social media has made it easier for us. Instead of sending out invitations (whether a bounce-back card or email which may be forgotten) to our events by city and state, we are now able to just list all our events and have our customers see it all at once when they log onto their pages with reminders, a list of who else is going, notifications to their friends, etc.

Pierce Mattie: Borghese is doing something quite special because you are remaining true to your loyalty of retail but actually helping the department stores to garner more consumer demand by stimulating customers with your social media strategies, what other ways have you been exciting the shopper?

Borghese: We try to connect with our customers in different ways; a good example is the shopping event, Shecky’s Girls Night Out. We alternate between having a physical presence at this shopping event and just a gift bag presence. With the physical presence, we get to speak one on one, not just with existing customers but new customers and customers who we may have lost. Our R&D is always working on developing new products which use the latest technologies. Also, we sometimes include an invitation back to our retailers for a complimentary facial or makeover in the event gift bags.

I recently had the great pleasure of interviewing Karen Adams and Karen Dubin, the creators and collaborators of Sniffapalooza. Serious fragrance lovers know that Sniffapalooza is the ultimate event to satiate their love and knowledge of perfume.

Pierce Mattie: What is Sniffapalooza working on for the Summer and Fall season?

Karen Adams; Karen Dubin: Sniffapalooza is working on many incredible events for the Summer and Fall 2009! In May, we’ll be having a Sniffapalooza at Malin + Goetz in Chelsea for the world premiere of their two latest fragrances and new candles. We’ll also be helping osMoz.com launch their first perfume kits, which is very exciting, as this project has been a work in progress for over a year!

We’ll be speaking at the PXA Perfume Expo at the Javits Center, and managing the Consumer Day, and we‘ve got all sorts of surprises planned for that! We are in the midst of planning our activities for our week-long scent journey to LONDON in July, which is going to be an extraordinary trip. Our legendary Sniffapalooza Fall Ball , which is one of our two mega-Sniffapalooza’s that comprise an entire weekend of sensory stimulation and attract attendees from all over the world, will be happening next October. Fall Ball includes 10 stores,40 speakers,and over 165 guests! We are also planning our first Southern US Sniffapalooza at the Guerlain Boutique at The Breakers Hotel in West Palm Beach, one of the most elegant spas in the country!

And of course our famous Holiday Event – we always do something really special for that. Add to this list all of the other exciting events that pop onto our calendar – like our continuing Master Class Series, wine and fragrance tastings and perhaps even a chocolate and fragrance pairing event!

Francis Kirkdjian is known in the fragrance industry for his ability to create and launch memorable perfumes. At only the age of 25, he created his first perfume--"Le Male" for Jean Paul Gaultier. Since then he has crafted recognizable and memorable fragrances for Dior, Christian Lacroix, Escada, Lancome and Lanvin (to name a few!) With his forthcoming launch of his own line in France this September (which I predict will be enormously successful), Francis Kurkdjian graciously took the time for a Q & A with me.

Pierce Mattie: Tell us a little bit about your custom-made business, what is the process for a customer to have a fragrance created for them?

Francis Kurkdjian: The process starts with a telephone rendezvous, which helps me to understand my client, his needs and wishes. Then, there is a face-to-face meeting when I present my first ideas and we smell together some materials and fragrance accords. Three or four weeks later, I present the fragrances I have envisioned for my client. It can take up to six months to finalize and come up with the right fragrance.

Michelyn Camen is New York City based fragrance writer and specialist. She is the owner of Fifthsense N.Y.C. which provides personalized fragrance consultations based on body chemistry, fashion and lifestyle and consults for luxury, media and fragrance companies. She's has helped develop fragrances with Jane Hendler and co-created Lakshmi (which at $500 an ounce is a best seller!) Presently she is working with natural perfumer Roxana Villa on a perfume called Buenos Aries and with cult perfumer Dawn Spencer Hurwitz on a very special fragrance that will launch this fall.

Pierce Mattie: Some call you the "psychic perfumista," what is that about?

Michelyn Camen: I am intuitive, but I do have a good nose and am also very observant. When I was three years old, I hated my grandmother’s fragrance, a very nice fragrance for some, but it was awful on her. God bless her, she trusted me and we left Brooklyn and went to B. Altman’s in the city. I smelled her skin without scent and she lifted me to the counter and after about five sniffs of various fragrances I pointed to Rochas Femme (who I believe to be the most gifted perfumer of the 20th century) by Edmond Roudnitska. The formula was radically changed in 1989, but my mother and I still wear the vintage perfume.

I believe perfume is like fingerprints, no two people smell this same wearing the same scent. Yet, I do extensive testing on various men and women of all ages, lifestyles and backgrounds. In my testing, I have discovered that there is both a cultural and a ‘generational thread’ based on memory and chemistry that unite families and ethnicities to some degree.

Pierce Mattie: What are three things that frustrate you about the industry?

Michelyn Camen: Without getting too much into it, as it one of those hot buttons, there is not enough diversity in the industry among the senior perfumers- ‘les nez’. Especially for African Americans, who wear fragrance 5x more fragrant than any other ethnic group and according to a NPD survey, they wear scents seven days a week. I know only two or three (self-taught African American) perfumers.

There is not enough education on fragrance for the general consumer; you know the one who loves a scent and buys it, and then an hour later asks why? Some companies ‘top load’ which is when they put the expensive ingredients in the top notes, which fade away to the less costly ingredients, in just about the time it takes to make your purchase.

There are just too many fragrances being launched ever year… over a thousand last year. That simply is ridiculous. Many of them are flankers or slightly reformulated versions of the original. Some are established companies try to appeal to the hot ‘niche’ market, which is one of the segments of the fragrance market that is seeing sales increase. It’s ridiculous.

Also, not every Latina wants to smell like J.lo and not every African American wants to smell like 50 Cent.

I love to see brand evolution. Brands that grow like babies into fine, young men. And Baxter of California, with its origins of 1965, is truly as fine as a gentlemen can be, it’s quite grown up with some of the best skin creams, shave lotions, candles and bar soaps in the industry. I caught up with Jean-Pierre Mastey (JP) the owner of the brand who resides in Los Angeles where he crafted his latest launch into men's fragrances with Bravado 2 and 3. It's launching this summer at Barney's New York and Colette in Paris. JP, since acquiring the brand in 2000, has evolved the brand not twice, but three times with a major redesign a few years back. He makes his debut into men’s fragrance quite nicely as both scents are adult, fragrant and fun.

Pierce Mattie: You launched two fragrances at once, why didn't you space them apart?

Jean-Pierre Mastey: Bravado EDC is now a mark that is under the umbrella of Baxter of California. I wanted this new category to be taken seriously among consumers, retailers and the press. I felt that launching a small series would reinforce our commitment to the cologne category vs. only one scent. It also helps us build off the number series giving us interesting options for future release either stand alone or more grouped series.

Pierce Mattie: Is the Bravado 1 personality the same as 2; how are they the same or different?

JP: Different - while the fragrance notes seem to be similar, the personality we are targeting is not exactly the same. We position both as clean and sophisticated but #2 (black) as the early adopter – “in the know” - reads blogs, design conscious, more progressive than peers. While we position #3 (White) as highly gift-able, appeals to a wide range of guys , fringes on unisex, modern approach to cologne.

Recently I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Jason Litner, cosmetic surgeon at Profiles in Beverly Hills. Dr. Litner  specializes in rhinoplasty and had some interesting information to share regarding this aspect of the beauty industry.

Pierce Mattie: Your area of specialty in cosmetic surgery is the face, more specifically the nose, how did you decide that area of cosmetic surgery?

Dr. Jason Litner: Rhinoplasty has been a real passion for us since we started training. As the central feature of the face, the nose, more than any other feature, bestows tremendous character and overall individuality to each person. So, the procedure demands a real understanding of not only surgical technique, which will give a result that lasts, but an understanding of each of our patients.

When we talk to our patients, we consider their ethnicity, their skin type, their facial and body features, but, even more importantly, we listen for their individual personalities- some are more austere and elegant, others are more informal and bubbly- and these little individual identity features help us tailor the procedure to that one patient.

Pierce Mattie: Do you feel that there is such a thing as the regional nose, where the aesthetic is different in New York vs. Los Angeles or Paris vs. London?

Dr. Jason Litner: That’s a really interesting question. Having practiced at various points between New York, Toronto, Houston, and now Beverly Hills, we can say this- while there may be very slight differences in aesthetic, there is now universally much more of a focus on a natural, non-operated look that dominates the discussion with our patients- which we are thankful for, since that is our natural inclination as well.

Dermascope Magazine launched a new column for 2011 titled; Trade Secrets. Their debut guest was our very own Pierce Mattie. You may read more about his interview here. You may follow him on Twitter @PierceMattiePR and FaceBook.