Pretty Ugly

A film about toxins hiding in our cosmetics

We’re Out In the Field and On The Road to Completion!

By Leave a Comment

Our all-female crew gathers footage of Dr. Patisaul in the lab.
Here’s the Scoop from the Field
We’ve been on the road in Raleigh and San Francisco meeting with incredible experts! We interviewed and spent a day in the lab with Dr. Heather Patisaul at NC State, who specializes in how endocrine disrupting chemicals affect the brain and behavioral. We then scooted over to Durham to interview Dr. Linda Birnbaum, the Director of both the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program at the National Institutes of Health to talk about the toxicity of ingredients like lead and formaldehyde.
[Read more…]

A History of Personal Products and Cosmetics Government Regulation

By 4 Comments

There are often two reactions from people when I share with them the purpose of Pretty Ugly. If the individual is aware of the issue of concerning chemicals in our personal products and cosmetics, their eyes light up and they become overjoyed as I share the reason for creating the story and my hope in how it will help educate and empower people to make healthier choices for themselves and their families.

The other reaction I get is from people who believe the situation “isn’t that dire” and that the government must regulate products and protect us from any potential health hazards. These are the people to whom I can’t wait to show the finished film.

So what is the regulation situation? The reality is the last cosmetic-focused bill to be passed into law was in 1938. Yes, that’s not a typo. It has been nearly 80 years since a federal law was passed to regulate the cosmetics industry in the United States. [Read more…]

Field Production Has Begun!

By 1 Comment

Happy Spring! We’ve got so many great updates to share, so brace yourself for excitement and read on…

First off, Pretty Ugly has raised enough seed funding to begin field production. This is a huge accomplishment, and we couldn’t have done it without the amazing generosity of many supporters!

In March, we filmed two days in Washington, D.C., collecting three interviews and gathering stunning B-roll. Our interviewees included Nneka Leiba, M.Phil, MPH, Director of Healthy Living at the Environmental Working Group, a leading nonprofit helping consumers make healthy choices based on environmental health research and education, Ky Washington, professional green-beauty makeup artist, and last but not least, Alessandra Palombella (my mom!), two-time breast cancer survivor and the reason why we’re making this film. It was through her finding out about carcinogens in personal products that spurred me on to dig deeper into the topic, and that is where I found the inspiration to share this story with the world. [Read more…]

“Makeup Your Mind” – Guest Blog Post for A Courageous Beauty

By 6 Comments

Pretty Ugly’s filmmaker, Andrea Palombella, was recently invited to write a guest blog post on the popular fashion blog, A Courageous Beauty. It is pasted below. Enjoy!

The Ugly Truth About Your Beauty Products…

I am so excited to have Andrea Palombella take over the blog today! Andrea is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and activist based in Washington, DC. Shocked by the types of potentially toxic chemicals in products she used everyday, Andrea dove in to learn as much about the issue as possible. Being a storyteller, she knew she had to share her discoveries with the world. The film PRETTY UGLY is a candid look at the safety of chemicals in personal care products and cosmetics.

nail-polish
IMAGE BY ANDREA PALOMBELLA

Fresh nails, on point hair and that hot, new lip color. These are all things I adore! I love trying new styles in both the fashion and beauty arenas. But, I also discovered several years ago that personal care products and cosmetics are one of the least regulated goods in the United States. Chemicals like formaldehyde, lead and phthalates were in many of the products I was using, and I’ll bet they’re hiding in your bathroom cabinets too. [Read more…]

Beautiful Nails at What Price?

By Leave a Comment

IMG_1900We are an increasingly pampered culture with nail services being a top treat on the list. Men now go with their partners—or even solo—for pedicures. Kids have manicure birthday parties. And, with the craze in gel nail polish, droves of women are enjoying, chip-free, long-lasting manicures.

Last Saturday, I was no exception. I treated myself to a manicure and pedicure at a local salon that doesn’t provide acrylic treatments (which often smells like a toxic plastic factory upon opening the door!). Neither is it a nail “sweat shop” lined with broken pedicure chairs and scared-looking staff (I once made a video about two trafficked nail techs from Vietnam. This stuff happens everyday in our own backyards). I digress…

[Read more…]

Watch the Teaser
Contribute
Newsletter