Beauty Catalog Claims: Honest, or Overblown

Lately, it seems that every catalog, from Victoria's Secret to Soft Surroundings, is selling beauty. Clearly, they know what women want. But what I find most intriguing is the selection of beauty products sold by those eclectic catalogs that sell primarily anti-aging, health and wellness products. For years I've been eyeing the merchandise in Luminescence - intrigued but too cautious to take the plunge. And then a new catalog, A Time for Me, shows up at my door. Aside from a couple of pages of racy sensual aids, this catalog is almost exclusively devoted to health and beauty. Even though I'm not a gadget person, in general, when it comes to beauty I can't get enough, so I am intrigued by NuFace, which promises a face lift in 5 minutes, and an at-home light therapy system that promises results in just 4 days. As a beauty junkie, I am all too ready to hand over my credit card, but as a former beauty editor, I am forcing myself to take a step back and assess these claims. So I plan to do more research to discover the truth behind the hype. I'd love to hear from anyone who's tried these devices.
Also, why do these catalogs feature many of the same, relatively unknown brands? Some of the makeup and skincare lines seem to be catalog exclusives, and are rarely if ever covered in the beauty press. Why? Are they so amazing that the major cosmetic companies don't want them mentioned, or are they so substandard that they're not worth mentioning? I love that these products are marketed as problem-solvers, because I am always very results-oriented when I write about beauty, but I'm not sure how many of the claims are actually true. If they are, then these catalogs should be doing very well, because they carry products that claim to solve everything from acne to wrinkles, cellulite to body odor. Yes, body odor.
I will continue to explore some of these eclectic products and devices in upcoming blogs. In the meantime, I'd love to hear your feedback and experiences!