The Results Are In!

Ok last week I previewed Nair Silky Sensations, and I finally got a chance to give it a try.

First, let me say that I had very low expectations. I figured there was no way Nair would work. I thought it would smell bad and do very little to get my legs hair-free.

I followed the directions to a T. Here's what you're supposed to do with Silky Sensations:

Squeeze cream into palm of hand. Smooth an even layer to cover hair. Do Not Rub In. Wash your hands immediately after application. Leave on for 3 minutes. Then check a small area for hair removal. Total hair removal depends on hair thickness. If the hair does not come off after 3 minutes, leave on for a few minutes longer. Do Not Exceed 10 Minutes of total application time.

Remove Cream and Hair: Gently wipe off the cream and hair with a damp washcloth. Do Not Rub. Once all hair has been removed, rinse skin thoroughly with lukewarm water in the shower. Pat dry. Keep tube closed when not in use. To maintain smooth and radiant skin, apply your favorite moisturizer daily.

I was certain that when I wiped away the product, I'd be left with my normal stubble. I WAS SHOCKED when I saw a hair-free patch of skin as I wiped the Nair off my leg. I continued to wipe off the Nair with a washcloth and was left with a smooth, soft leg devoid of hair. WOW!

Encouraged by the results on my right leg, I continued onto my left leg. Again, the Nair worked well. I should have left the Nair on my left leg a tad longer, but with just a few wipes of my washcloth, my legs were way better than they were when I started.

Let's break this down to key points:

THE GOOD

• Easy to apply
• Easy to remove
• Left skin very soft and relatively hair free
• No knicks, no bleeding!
  

THE BAD

• Though the smell is VASTLY improved, there is still an under-note of hair remover/chemical weirdness
• To have perfectly hair-free legs, I need to get the timing down better. That, or I need to bust out my razor to shave the hair that Nair missed
  
• It seemed difficult to get the Nair off my hands. I felt a little OCD washing them as much as I did!
• I liked that the Nair worked and left my legs so smooth, but I am a little hesitant to use this on a regular basis. There seem to be a lot of chemicals involved in the Nair process, and I'm not a big fan of over-using somewhat harsh products.

A WORD OF WARNING

• Before you try this product, be sure to do an allergy patch test (as recommended on the product). I do not have sensitive skin as a rule, but I still went through the process to make sure I wouldn't have a bad reaction. If you're going to use it on your legs, test on your legs first. If you're going to use it on a different part of your body, be sure to try it where you're ultimately going to use it as well. Your skin may react differently to this product from use to use, location to location. BE CAREFUL and make sure you follow all the directions to a T.
  

OVERALL

• Though reluctant to even TRY this product, I'd give it a cautionary thumbs up. It removes hair and leaves skin soft...just like it's supposed to. If you're not a fan of chemicals or have sensitive skin, stick with shaving!
  

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Product Preview: Nair Silky Sensations

Quick: What's do you think about when you think about Nair?

For me, I think of the annoying "short shorts" commercials in the 80s/90s (Who wears short shorts? Nair for short shorts!) AND I also think about the odd/disgusting scent of Nair hair removal products. I haven't used Nair in ages. My memory of it isn't great--for me, it was always stinky and it never really worked that well.

Now, it seems as though Nair is trying hard to change our minds about their products. They have hair removal products with more pleasant scents, like lavender, cucumber/melon, and pomegranate/soy.

I received a box of Nair products to try out. I gave my sister a tube of cucumber/melon to test, and I'm going to put the pomegranate/soy through the paces. I'll report back and let you know what my sister and I think about the new Nair products. I'm hoping to get smooth, hair-free legs with minimal effort. I really hope the new products are effective.

Here are the product details:

Nair Hair Remover Silky Sensations, dual moisturizing blend--with 20% moisturizers. For legs and body. Provides 7 days of smoothness and promises radiant, silky skin. Available at drugstores for about $10.

NOTE: I have a few other Nair formulas to try out, too. I'll let you know what I think about those when I get around to using them! In the meantime, let me know if you've used Nair and had any success!

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Hairy Situation, Part 1

I was on vacation and didn't have the TV on (except to play the Wii!), but I keep hearing about Mo'Nique's legs at the Golden Globes. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, apparently Golden Globe winner and Precious star, Mo'Nique, cause quite a stir because she did not shave her legs for the awards ceremony. From the little I know about Mo'Nique, I hear that she's not a fan of leg shaving...can't say I blame her.

Anyway, the photo above is making its way around the web and everyone in the world seems to be chiming in. People (especially a surprising number of woman) are slamming Mo'Nique for going au natural, calling it "disgusting" and "shocking" that she would hit the red carpet with some extra fur of her own on her legs.

Here are my two cents on the whole deal:

• My initial thought? Who cares about Mo'Nique's (or anyone else's) legs? Honestly, don't we have more important things to worry about?
• Having said that, it does look a little weird to see a woman in a formal gown, with her hair and makeup done, with unshaved legs. It's not something we're used to. That doesn't mean that it's right or wrong...it's just different.
  
• As much as I hate shaving my legs (and I really, really do), I am absolutely certain that if I were going to attend a major awards ceremony, I'd take the time to shave my legs.

Mo'Nique's legs will (hopefully) stop being a source of discussion soon enough, but I ask you: hairy legs at a formal event: In or Out? I say it's an out just because it looks so damn out of place. Leave me your thoughts!

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Home Leg Waxing HELP!!!

I got the message below from one of my readers, and I really need YOUR help in answering her question:

Hi Lydia,

I want to save money by not having to spend $25 at the parlor each time to get my legs waxed. I tried a home product where you need to heat the wax first before applying, and nearly burnt myself!

Is there a product out there that you could use at home that does not require prior heating?

**********

So here's the deal: I have never waxed my legs! I've never gone to a professional to have it done, and I've never tried it at home on my own. As a kid, I vaguely remember my mom applying honey-colored wax to her legs with Popsicle sticks and being terrified at the prospect of at-home waxing.

I know there are products like Nair that you can use in the shower, but I always think they're smelly and not that effective.

So I need your help with this one! If you're an at-home leg waxer, please let me a comment to let me know what you've used, what works, and what doesn't. Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer!

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What a Waste of Time!

I saw this little tidbit in Allure magazine a few months ago. I wrote it down and just now found it again. According to Allure:

58.4: The number of days a woman spends shaving in her lifetime.

58.4 days lost to shaving?!?! To balancing on one foot in the shower, trying to avoid getting sliced to bits by a razor? Ugh. That's totally depressing!

I can't believe that almost two months of my life will be lost to such a mundane and dreadful task as shaving. Bleh.

Now I wonder how much time is lost to hair drying, brow plucking, and makeup application. It's time consuming to be a woman!

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Dear Old Dad

Father's Day is just around the corner, and while you could get your dad the usual gift (a tie, bbq equipment, etc.), why not pamper your poppa with some of these great products. Men like to be taken care of just as much (if not more!) than women do, and you can share your love of skin care/beauty products with your dad by checking out these goodies:

Every Man Jack Beginner's Luck Kit, about $25: Every Man Jack products are awesome! They're well priced and easy to find (just head to your local Target!), and they do a great job. Their signature mint fragrance is subtle and clean smelling, and will be fun to use. I've used their bar soap in the past--it was pretty and smelled great. Every Man Jack products aren't tested on animals and they're not packed with nasty chemicals like some shaving products. Totally budget friendly, Every Man Jack products are approachable and damn good!

Lab Series Daily Moisture Defense Lotion SPF 15 Gift Set, $37.50: Men need to use SPF just as much as women do, but we all know that they're far from enthusiastic about it. We get to sneak in our SPF by wearing foundation containing SPF, lipgloss with SPF, etc. This set, designed specifically for men, includes a face wash, shave cream, and sun block.

Sephora Brand Scent Sampler, $50: I love this gift! You get a box full of samples of the top selling fragrances for men. You also get a coupon for a full sized product of your choice. Your dad can test out ten different scents and then go back to Sephora for a full sized version of his favorite. If looking good and smelling good is important to your dad, this is a great gift...one that will let him get exactly what he wants.

Take care of your dad this Father's Day!

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Ask Lydia: Upper Lip Waxing

Hi Lydia,

I have a question about lipwaxing. Am a lipwax virgin. Afraid to try for fear the hair will grow back thicker, true? Is bleaching an option? Or is there a cream ointment I could use that will kill the hair follicles? Funny how the older you get you start losing the hair you want (like the hair on your head) and start growing it in unwanted places, like around the mouth!

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Hi and thanks for your question.

It sucks being a mammal. We have hair all over the place, and it can show itself in some truly horrifying places.

When it comes to facial hair removal, we do have options: tweezing, cream hair removers, waxing, or more permanent hair removal techniques. And all options have pros and cons. Now, fair warning: I am not an expert...so if anyone has anything they want to add, be sure to leave a comment.

TWEEZING
Pros: it's easy, it's almost free (you just have to pay for the tweezers), it requires very little skill, it is a precision job, and it's best for small areas of hair (upper lip, eyebrows, etc.)
Cons: you need really good lighting, it can be painful (have you ever pulled a root out? Ouch! Plus it can bleed--yuck!), it's easy to miss hairs, ingrown hairs can happen if you over-tweeze or incorrectly tweeze, and it seems like tweezing is a never-end job
Do it right: if you want to tweeze, invest in a decent pair of slant-ended tweezers (check out Tweezerman's selection at Sephora--they're worth the money), a decent mirror, and a good light. Click here for pointers on how to tweeze properly.

CREAM FACIAL HAIR REMOVERS
Pros: potentially not as painful as other hair removal techniques, relatively easy to use, readily available
Cons: creams can be irritating to skin, can smell nasty, and can be messy. You may need to get a prescription if you use products like Vaniqua.
Other thoughts: I have never bleached or used a cream facial hair remover, but I have tried products like Nair on my legs in the past. I found the product to be harsh-smelling and it didn't do as good of a job at removing my leg hair as my trusty razor. Since the blade has no place near your face, I'd personally recommend tweezing or waxing over cream removers.

WAXING Pros: excellent results, someone else does it for you, hair takes longer to grow back
Cons: somewhat painful, can be irritating to your skin, requires regular upkeep which means regular visits to your salon/spa for a wax
Other thoughts: This is my preferred facial hair removal method. I personally like the way a waxing feels...it's somewhat painful but also a bit cathartic. You will need to let the hair grow in a bit before going in for a wax. You may also want to exfoliate the area somewhat regularly before your waxing appointment to deter ingrown hairs. You might experience some redness, swelling, or tenderness immediately after a waxing. (If you're in the Seattle/Everett, WA area, the Mill Creek InSpa does excellent waxing and I've rarely had to deal with post-waxing redness after an appointment!)

PERMANENT MEASURES
There are more permanent options for getting rid of unwanted hair. If you're interested in laser hair removal or electrolysis, I would strongly recommend that you talk to a professional. They should be honest about what you can expect, how much pain and money will be involved, and how many sessions you'll need to undergo.

For facial hair, I prefer waxing and tweezing. They seem to be the most easy and cost-effective. If anyone has any thoughts on this, go ahead and leave a comment!

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OMFG

My husband and I were chilling the other night, watching the classiest of the classy tv shows...Rock of Love Bus with Bret Michaels...and we saw the funniest commercial. If you haven't seen the ad for the Schick Quattro TrimStyle for Women, check it out below.

Watch the bushes and enjoy the subtly of this ad.

I've read that people find it to be offensive. I think it's kinda funny. What say you?

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Hairy Situation

Men and women have one thing in common when it comes to the world beauty: we all need to shave various parts of our body.

According to a recent survey conducted by King of Shaves…

• 70% of men shave before a date; 10% of men will only shave if it is a first date.
  
• 47% of men would like their girlfriends to shave her legs everyday.
  
• 64% of women shave their legs before a date.
• 71% of women prefer men to be clean shaven; only 7% of women admitted to preferring facial hair on men.
  
• 70% of women complained that men’s (husband/boyfriend) facial hair has irritated their face at one point.
  
• 64% of women have used men’s shaving products; 64% of women did not like men’s shaving products and prefer using shaving products for women.

Here are my thoughts:

• I prefer my man to be clean shaven. And he usually is. However, this year, my husband's been growing out his facial hair, which is tough for him. He's not a hairy guy, but he wants to see if he can get the Lemmy look. Here's Lemmy (from Motorhead) and his fabulous facial hair--and below Lemmy is super hottie Peter Steele sporting his own unique facial hair--also an inspiration for my husband's 2009 look. The facial hair grow out has been fun, and I'm all for a little experimentation! It's going to be weird once he shaves it off.
• When it comes to shaving my legs, I am terrible! In the summer I'm much more diligent, but during colder months? Forget it...I can't be bothered. Thankfully, I'm a married lady and my husband doesn't mind.

What are your thoughts on shaving?

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Be Kind To Yourself

Holy guacamole! It's been a hell of a week and it's only Tuesday. This is not a good sign for me, and I'm sure I'm not alone.

Now that the holidays are over, all we're left with is the residual signs of excess: debt from buying too many gifts, extra pounds from all the yummy things we snarfed down, and a feeling of exhaustion from all the get-togethers and now getting back into the swing of things at work. In my humble opinion, January sucks. Sure we have the whole fresh start with a new year, but once we're a week or two into the month, we get into the wintertime blahs.

My advice for all this: Be kind to yourself, now more than ever. How? Well, here are some things I do:

• Pamper yourself with a mid-winter pedicure. Even though no one will see your perfectly painted toenails, you'll feel better. And looking down to see 10 lovely bright red toenails will lift your spirits. Plus your heels will feel softer and smoother. Good stuff.
• Go for a brow wax. There's something so cathartic about having my brows waxed. I love the way it feels, as sick as that may sound. But what's better than having my stray eyebrow hairs yanked out of my face is the way a brow wax looks. It's subtle, but having cleaned up, professional shaped brows does wonders for your looks. Plus it's relatively cheap and quick.
  
• Give yourself an at-home facial. If you have a microdermabrasion kit, use it. If not, head down to the drugstore and pick up a fun, inexpensive face mask. Slather it all over your skin, lie down on your bed and relax for 15 minutes. Your skin will look better and you'll feel more rested. Don't forget to apply a decent moisturizer and lip balm once you're done.
• Take a bubble bath. We just celebrated National Bubble Bath day last week...if you weren't able to participate, go ahead and indulge whenever you get the chance. You deserve 30 minutes to an hour of alone time, and bubble baths force you to turn off the TV, hang up the cell phone, and step away from the computer.
  
• Shave your legs. During the winter, I don't shave my legs as often as I do in the winter. Sometimes I forget about it completely for far too long. My husband doesn't complain, but there comes a point where I get downright irritated with my hairy legs. I take time to shave my legs, making sure not to miss any patches. And I follow up a shave with a whole hell of a lot of moisturizer, especially in the winter. It feels so good to have smooth, satiny legs!
• Start each day with a wonderful body moisturizer. Instead of applying perfume, try using a scented body moisturizer. Doing so will provide double duty: your skin will be soft and touchable, and you'll smell great. No one else may notice, but that's ok. You'll know you spent a few minutes in the morning lavishing attention on yourself...and there's nothing wrong with that.

If you don't take the time to be kind to yourself, no one else will. You have to treat yourself the way you want to be treated.

These are just my suggestions. What do you do to pamper yourself when you need a little TLC? Leave me a comment and let me know!

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Beauty for Boys

This holiday season, don't forget to pick up a personal care product for the men in your life. Men may not admit it, but they like to be pampered just as much as we do...and unlike us girls, they don't always buy themselves anything nice.

Here are a few of my favorite men's products you should check out:

• Sephora Brand Scent Sampler Best Sellers for Him, $50. If your guy thinks that Old Spice is the best he can do for a fragrance, maybe he needs to have his horizons broadened. This kit includes deluxe trial sizes of the ten best selling scents for men. Once your man picks the fragrance that suits him best, he returns to Sephora with the included gift certificate for a full sized bottle of his favorite scent. Nice! (They have this for women, too!)
• GoSmile Smile Whitening Kit, $89. I tried a sample of this product and was instantly impressed. Brighten up the smile of the man in your life with this high-tech tooth whitening set.
• Clinique's 3-Step Face Care for Men (prices vary). Men need to take care of their skin just as much as we do. Clinique's famous 3-step skin care system for men will encourage your guy to wash, tone, and moisturize. Since men are more likely to be diagnosed with skin cancer, be sure to pick up the moisturizer with SPF to protect his skin.
• Ear/Nose Trimmer, $15. Hey, we're all humans...we get hair growing in the strangest of places. It may seem like a weird gift, but an ear/nose trimmer for men is a must-have!
• Korres Absinthe Shave Cream. This product is tough to get in the USA and I have no idea why. I got it a few years back for my husband and he loved it. If you like in Europe, pick up this product immediately! Its pricey, but its creamy and gives men a great shave. My husband was very happy with this product! (Hey Sephora! You used to stock this...please bring it back!)

There you have it. My top picks for guys. If you have a fave, leave me a comment!

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