Vanity of Vanities

"If I walk outside without lipstick, I feel naked." (Sofia Vergara) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found that 400 popular lipsticks contained trace amounts of the toxin. The worst offenders on the list were Maybelline’s Color Sensation in Pink Petal, which had 7.19 parts per million of lead, and L’Oreal Colour Riche in Volcanic, which had 7 parts per million. Several other brands, including Cover Girl and Nars had products hovering in the 4-to-5-parts-per-million ran ge.  So what does exposure to lead means? Time.com states that exposure to lead can cause learning, language and behavioral problems in children and has been linked to lower IQ; exposure in pregnant women can interfere with development of the fetus. According from Forbes:  "To put the latest lipstick lead levels in context, the EPA’s maximum allowable lead level in drinking water is 15 parts per billion. The EPA’ goal for lead in drinking water is zero, which is what consu...

A recent study found that people who wear visible designer logos are perceived to be more capable and valuable than those who wear middle-of-the-road duds. A new piece of research confirms what many, not least in the marketing departments of fashion houses, will long have suspected, that it is not the design itself that counts, but the label . Researchers at Tilburg University in the Netherlands showed subjects two videos of the same guy wearing a polo shirt on a job interview. In one clip, the shirt had a designer logo and in the other, his shirt had no logo. The subjects rated the man with the luxury shirt "more suitable for the job". And they suggested a salary that was nine percent higher than the salary they recommend for the dude without the logo. Come to think of it, you need to have wardrobes with labels of the famous clothing designers just to have the perfect job for you. That means you must budget your money more on your clothes and even for the digitizi...