My Pursuit of Beauty: A Cosmetic Chemist Reveals the Glitz, the Glam, and the Batsh*t Crazy

"Finalist, LGTBQ Non-Fiction Category, 15th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards"



REVIEWS

"'Dynasty, ' produced by my dad, Aaron Spelling, sparked the imagination of my friend, Vince Spinnato, and inspired him to turn his dreams of developing luxury beauty products into a reality. His no-holds-barred memoir describing his struggles to the top is brutally honest, hilarious and heartbreaking. I couldn't put the book down."

-Tori Spelling, actress/author of "sTori Telling"

"Vince's honesty and his scientific talent about the skincare industry has made me love this book and his products. Growing up with the legendary iconic faces of MGM royalty like my mother, Judy Garland, I understand the trust you need to have in today's confusing billion-dollar beauty industry. When you find the right 'wizard' you are grateful and stay connected." -Lorna Luft, singer/actor, "The New York Times" bestselling author of "A Star is Born: The Film That Got Away" and five-time Emmy award-winning producer of the mini-series "Judy Garland: Me and My Shadow"

"As a beauty professional and founder of the largest 'meeting and discussing' book club in the world, I knew from the first chapter that this was from a perspective of creating 'beauty' that I had not read before. I flew through the pages. Five Diamonds in the Pulpwood Queen Recommended Reading list. This dazzling gem is the Official 2021 February Pulpwood Queen/Timber Guys Book of the Month Club Selection!" -Kathy L. Murphy, founder of International Pulpwood Queens and Timber Guys Book Reading Nation and author of "The Pulpwood Queen's Tiara Wearing, Book Sharing Guide to Life"

DESCRIPTION

At age 10, Vince Spinnato watched TV soaps with his grandmother and became enamored with the characters on "The Young and the Restless," who owned a cosmetics firm. He vowed he would follow in their footsteps and chose a name-VS Vincenzo. In his unconventional memoir, Spinnato shares the inner workings of the multi-billion-dollar beauty industry with entertaining tales about creating beauty products and fine fragrances for celebrities including Michael Jordan, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson, Lindsay Lohan, Gwen Stefani, and many others.

Spinnato also shares some of his life's most bizarre situations: the time he survived a tornado in Iowa while being tethered to a bridge; another when he became stuck inside a resort water slide that involved melted butter and a rescue by the fire department; an embarrassing meetup with film star Lauren Bacall; and his terrifying flight post 9/11 that was nearly shot down by fighter pilots. Transforming himself into a well-known serial entrepreneur and beauty industry expert was no small feat. Along the way, Spinnato dealt with incessant bullying, coming out, dyslexia, body dysmorphia, trichotillomania, and multiple betrayals. "A devastating breakup was the last straw," he says. "At age 20, I got in my car, waved goodbye to New Jersey and headed to Hollywood, determined to launch my career."

He eventually founded TurnKey Beauty, Inc., to develop beauty and personal care products for celebrities, as well as major retailers (more than 300 products and counting). A contributor to "Vogue," "Vanity Fair," "Harper's Bazaar," "W," "Esquire," and "GQ," the cosmetic chemist founded Aegean Skincare, LLC and Vincenzo Skincare, LLC. In "My Pursuit of Beauty," Spinnato not only reveals behind-the-scenes tales of working with the rich and famous, searing stories of loves lost, and his scramble to make it, but also his moving journey to self-acceptance.