In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Beauty Addict will be featuring "pink ribbon" products throughout the month of October.

You may have heard that many "pink ribbon" products are essentially a marketing scam devised to get you to buy more product (since it's for a good cause, you'll feel good about your purchase and won't hesitate to buy). In some cases, only a small percentage of profits go to research or charities, and the amount is capped, so the companies benefit from increased sales more than the charity benefits from the donations.

The reality is that each "pink ribbon" promotion is different; some donate all proceeds, some give a percentage, some cap at a specific total dollar amount, and some don't. Your best bet is to read the fine print and make the decision that you feel good about.

But what it all really comes down to is awareness. if seeing the "Shop Pink" posts on this site reminds even one of you to get a mammogram, see your doctor, do your monthly self-exam, or make an independent donation...then it's all worth it.

So whether you wear your pink ribbon on your lapel or on a bejeweled compact, I hope you enjoy these Pink products as we work to defeat the disease that affects 1 in 8 women in their lifetime.