shefinds» Hair Removal

Step-By-Step Kits Save You Time, Money, And The Agony Of Being Pretty Sure You’re Doing It Wro

Rebekah — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000

A drawer full of new spring makeup colors is pretty much useless if you can't figure out how to apply them. Below and on Better.tv, see a bunch of kits make getting it right it as easy as paint by numbers.

Plus, they make packing for trips as simple as throwing a palette into your carry-on – and they’re usually cheaper than buying all the products separately.

Always confused about where to put which eyeshadow? Neutrogena Nourishing Eye Quads ($10) and Avon Eye Artist Eyeshadow Trio ($6) take out the guesswork by telling you where each shade should go. Plus, you get multiple colors for a minimal price.

If you want to extend time between brow waxings – or will be away on vacation for a week – Tarte’s Toolbox Brow Know-How Eyebrow Kit ($18) has everything you need: tweezers, stencils, powder, wax and brow gel, all in a tiny handbag-friendly case.

Moving on to lips and face, It Cosmetics’ My Naughty Mouth Set ($69) contains everything you need to make lips look plumper, teeth look whiter, and keep lip color where it should be (i.e. not in the fine lines around your mouth). For a whole-face look, just follow the illustrated instructions that come with Sonia Kashuk’s How To Create The Bronzed Face palette ($20).

And finally, if you’re set on shelling out for fewer bikini waxes (or just want to give someone a not-so-subtle hint with a neatly groomed arrow), the ReadyBetty Styling Kit ($15) contains cream hair remover that’s safe for your bikini line, plus stencils and scissors.

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SheFinds Asks You: Bushy Brows, Hot or Not?

SheFindsEmily — Tue, 05 May 2009 00:00:00 +0000

The Topic: Bushy, Caterpillar Eyebrows
The Debate: In August of 2006, when the bushy eyebrow trend was in full force and so completely in the spotlight that even the New York Times covered the style, I had my misgivings. Now, almost a full year later, it seems to be back in full force and bushy brows are bigger than ever.
In my opinion, this trend is getting out of hand. Runway shots of women sporting eyebrows bigger than their brow bones are getting painfully prolific. It’s gotten past the point of natural, and makeup is now being employed to fill in and expand on what is already garishly bushy. Is this actually sexy? The answer is crystal clear to me; a resounding and undeniable 'no.'
In defense of my crusade against the bushy brow I bring you one of the worst caterpillar attacks of the season: Sienna Miller sporting huge brown slabs on her pale forehead. Red lipstick, blond hair, gargantuan brown eyebrows? Forgive me, but while some will follow suit with this horrible beauty trend, I choose to laugh from the sidelines.
The Verdict: Not hot. I’m all for getting away from the pencil-thin horrors of decades gone by, but this too much. Even if you do decide to grow your eyebrows in, I believe that moderate shaping or the plucking of stray hairs is still advised. Trim away the bush with illuminated tweezers and then tame and shape with tinted Anastasia Eyebrow Gel.
What do you think? Is it time to take a weed whacker to these things or what? Tell us what you really think.
If you're going bushy make sure you stock-up on:
Benefit Brow Zings
Anastasia Brow Gel
Find out the secret make-up artist tip to using a Brow Filler.

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Drug Store Beauty Bargains: Cheap Shave Cream Substitute

SheFindsSuzelle — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Here at SheFinds.com, we’re hearing from all of you who are feeling the recessionary pinch. So we’ve scouted our local drug stores and tested products to make sure you can look your best without going broke. We’ll post a drug store beauty bargain each week, so stay tuned!

What: VO5 Moisture Milks Moisturizing Conditioner $2.29

Why: Here’s a secret… VO5 moisturizing conditioner is a fantastic replacement for shaving cream. I’ve used it on my legs ever since a fateful day in middle school when I had gym class and was out of shaving cream. It smells delicious, moisturizes your skin and protects from razor burn, just like the most luxurious of all shave creams! And it’s cheaper than many shave lotions, especially when it goes on sale– which seems like every other week at my grocery store.

We love product suggestions and are willing to try anything (well, most anything!) at least once. So tell us your favorite drug store beauty bargain and it might be reviewed for a future post!

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What SheFindsBecky Wants For Christmas

SheFindsBecky — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Along with chic new accessories, I'm really hoping to score some at-home beauty assistance this Christmas. Check out my top three picks for what I hope to find under the tree.

iWood's Organic Macassar Ebony Sunglasses ($221.90) have been on my mind ever since I saw them at the Saks holiday gift preview. They're made from sustainable exotic wood, and are laminated and hand-finished for durability. They also have 100% UV protection.

I've been wanting a big leather tote for a while, and it's the horseshoe buckle on the Ananas Samantha Tote ($530) that clinched the deal. Who doesn't need a lucky handbag?

Perhaps not one to open at a large family gathering, I still really want Bliss's Bikini Perfect Deluxe ($60). Waxing is beyond my pain threshold, and there are some places scissors should just never go.

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More Hair-Removal Innovations To Keep You Smooth Even After The Summer

Rebekah — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Today on Better.tv, SheFinds shows you some of the newest ways to de-fuzz – plus the products that prepare your skin and sooth you afterwards, so you can enjoy your newfound smoothness by actually showing it off.

Prepare
If you’re going to be shaving, SkinMilk Shaving Milk ($5.59) will protect your legs from razor burn by forming a moisturizing barrier between your skin and that scary blade. Eos Shave Cream ($5.59) is also super moisturizing – so much so that the company claims you can use it dry. And if you’re really devoted to prepping, try Soap & Glory’s FlakeAway Scrub ($12) – all the luxury of a fancy scrub without the price tag.

De-Hair
More gentle than wax, sugaring uses a natural formula made from sugar, lemon juice and water. The Shobha Sugaring Kit ($25) includes denim strips that are machine washable and re-usable, so you can really up the eco-friendly ante. A more techy option, the no!no! ($250) uses heat technology to painlessly get rid of fuzz. It takes time to execute correctly, but there’s no razor burn and no mess. Finally, the depilatory of yore gets a much-needed update in Nair Shower Power ($7.49), with a formula that stays on legs while you shower – saving all that standing-around time – and only comes off once you rub it with the included sponge.

Repair
Shobha’s exfoliating washcloth ($15), made from all-natural fibers, will keep those waxed and shaved areas smooth and bump-free. Whish Flawless Bump Fighter ($22.50) is a completely l uxurious way to deliver ingrown-hair-fighting ingredients – many of which are completely natural, like papaya extract and willow bark.

Also check out our Hair Removal Guide for more ways to get rid of the fuzz.

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Get smooth, sleek hair with Sedu’s Ceramic Tourmaline Hair Styler. No blow-out required.

Why I’m Scarred For Life: Who Knew Second Grade Unibrows Could Cause So Much Damage

SheFindsChristine — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

I don't think being a woman is ever easy. But I will say that being a woman outside of the tortures of middle school and high school is much easier – sometimes. Kids, especially little girls, are ruthless! I can remember situations just like Rebekah where I was teased for my hairiness.

In second grade one of my girlfriends told me I had a unibrow. I went home from school that day and asked my mom if I could start plucking my eyebrows. She said no. And I did it anyway. Now I meticulously pluck at my stray hairs EVERY morning. Lucky for me there are always plenty of little guys to grab. This little black tweezer from Revlon ($6.50) is such a miracle that I've got my mom, sister, and boyfriend hooked on it.

It didn't stop at my eyebrows. Not only did I have caveman hair on my legs but my arms as well. High school was when I really started becoming self-conscious about my arm hair, and since then I've tried everything. Shaving was not good because it grew back soooooo fast I would have a 5 o'clock arm hair shadow. I also tried Nair but my hair is just too thick for that. I bleached it for quite sometime and my favorite of all the bleaches on the market is GiGi's Gentle Bleaching Cream ($4.46).

Then for a few years I didn't just want it lighter – I wanted it gone. My best friend in high school started purring and petting my arms in class and I knew it was time to say bye-bye. But waxing was too expensive for my high school salary. After all those infomercials I had seen, I bought Nads. It’s definitely not as pain-free as they make it seem on TV but it does hurt way less than wax – keep in mind you're doing it to yourself. Get the whole Nad's Hair Removal Essentials kit for $29.99.

As for the girls who used to tease me – the one who made fun of my unibrow definitely got one herself a few years later. And, my best friend who pets my arm hair while purring – she still does and I do it right back to her because her first name is Kitty.

For more ways to keep your arm hair under control check out our products featured on better.tv and our Hair Removal Guide.

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Why I’m Scarred For Life: “You Are A Hairy Turtle”

Rebekah — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:00:00 +0000

In elementary school, I rode the bus with Andrew, a tiny green-eyed wordsmith. When he caught on to the fact that my arms were fuzzier than your average third-grader, he coined what would become my least favorite term. I was a hairy turtle on the bus, a hairy turtle on the playground, and in my fifth grade yearbook, Andrew’s only words to me on the eve of becoming a tween were: “You are a hairy turtle.”

For this reason and others (but mostly this reason), I’ve been waxing my arms forever. But it’s expensive and messy to do at home (particularly messy to wax the arm attached to your dominant hand). Here are two options well-suited to large areas of skin – and I know about these things – that are less of an ordeal than going to get waxed at 11.

If your hair is dark but not particularly thick, bleaching might be the way to go. Jolen Crème Bleach ($10) is consistently good – you can even switch it from one arm to the other (less gross than it sounds) so you don’t have to mix up a gigantic batch.

Then there’s the no!no! ($250). I was conflicted and confused about the name, but I just tried it and I promise it doesn’t hurt – skin will feel warm and you’ll smell burning hair (no!no! warns you about this), but that’s about the extent of the cons.

The device is close to the size of a cell phone but twice as thick, and it sends pulses of heat into the hair shaft to get rid of the hair. It looks and smells like you're just singeing hair off, but it's a bit more complicated than getting too close to a candle. All told, it’ll take you a lot longer to read the directions than to de-hair a forearm.

And after I went to all that trouble for a decade, Andrew sent me an inebriated text a few weeks ago: “I’m sorry I called you a hairy turtle all the time when we were little. It was because I liked you and didn't know how to properly express my emotions.” GRRRRRR.

Peruse our Hair Removal Guide for more ways to get rid of hair on your arms and other places you don't want it to be.

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Prevent Razor Bumps With The Best Alternatives To Shaving Cream

SheFindsChristine — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0000

"Sensitive skin" should be my middle name. A new foundation? I break out. Only sunscreen available isn't oil-free? I'm screwed. Wearing a bikini this weekend? Almost the most embarrassing of all. But, since all those areas can be somewhat masked with some great concealer or boy-short swimsuit bottoms, I will survive. Public enemy #1, however, are my legs.

I had a weird follicle condition as a teenager that made every single pore on my legs inflamed and just basically look like the worst acne breakout ever. Lucky me, the humidity of NYC has brought it back.

I'm back to my old games again of trying every new razor on the market and every category of shaving cream you can think of – and lots you've never even thought to use. In my opinion, they all give me a closer shave than soap or regular gel shaving cream.

Pick up a bottle of super cheap Johnson's Baby Oil at drugstore.com. The great thing about baby oil it is that it doesn't wash away very easily. So, if you have a teeny shower like me and nowhere to stand to prevent the water from washing the shaving cream right off your leg – this is the product for you. Also, it leaves you so silky smooth you won't even have to apply lotion after your shower. WARNING: It will leave your shower very slippery. You should either live alone so that you don't have to warn anyone, clean the shower after every session, or get some really great insurance so that when your roommate sues you for a broken leg, you're covered.

Natty Girl's Bamboo Salt Glow ($26) is a salt scrub that will exfoliate the heck outta your skin. I use it some days just as a regular exfoliate, but it also works when I'm out of shaving cream. Rub it all over your legs like normal and shave! You'll have to rinse the razor out a bit more because the salt granules can clog up the blades. But it's like killing two birds with one stone: exfoliating and shaving!

Whish Body Products ($32) makes a luxury line of hypoallergenic shaving creams. Choose from toning lemongrass oil, moisturizing almond oil, rejuvenating pomegranate oil, anti-aging blueberry and mint oil, and restoring coconut and papaya oil mixed with gentle glycerin soap to create a cream with an alluringly sweet and lovely smell.

I'm always wary to spend more than what a regular can of shaving cream costs at the drugstore, so I couldn't have been happier to find Neutrogena's Energizing Sugar Body Scrub in Fresh Citrus for about $10. Sugar crystals work just like the salt scrubs to smooth away dry, dull surface cells but won't leave you screaming with salt in a wound if the razor slips.

And peruse our Hair Removal Guide for at-home alternatives to shaving.

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Solution: Make Your Expensive (And Painful) Brazilian Last Longer With Shobha

Bryn — Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

What: The My First Brazilian kit from Shobha, $38

Why: So you finally took the plunge and got your first Brazilian. Since it's highly unlikely you'll want to feel that YOWZA! kind of pain again anytime soon, it behooves you to maintain your new landscaping job for as long as humanly possible.

That's where Shobha comes in. Shobha Threading is one of New York City's premiere hair removal salons, specializing in threading, waxing, and sugaring, all with the exotic and ancient Indian philosophies of beauty in mind. If you didn't make it out to SoHo for your first intimate haircut, you can still benefit from Shobha's worldly wisdom. Keep a My First Brazilian kit on hand for all your maintenance needs.

The first couple of days after your waxing, slather on 1% hydrocortisone cream to prevent yucky, irritating bumps and to tame the inevitable redness. Keep your newly-hairless area clean with Shobha's freshening cloths – gentle, cleansing cloths that calm redness and are safe for the tenderest of spots. Finally, after a few days, prevent ingrown hairs and keep your bikini line smooth by exfoliating with Shobha's all-natural cloth. It may feel rough to the touch, but after a soak in warm water and your favorite body wash, the natural-fiber cloth is ready to do all kinds of dirty work (e.g. sloughing off dead, dull skin cells) with a soft touch. Stick to this regimen and your Brazilian will last much longer—that means all gain and way less pain for you.

Get Yours: shobhathreading.com

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Three SPF Balms That Prevent The Ever Painful Summer Lip Burn

Let’s Talk About Hair Loss (The Good Kind)

Ktbradford — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Getting rid of unwanted hair is an obsession with many women. Whether you're looking for smoother legs and pits, a neat bikini area, or the elimination of pesky hairs on the face (I'm not just talking about eyebrows, either), there are hundreds of products that will help you shave, pluck, or yank the hair away.

I'm curious, how much hair do most women tolerate? Are you a Shave Below The Knees Only type of gal? An Everything Below The Eyebrows person? Or an Only During The Summer/When I Have A Date? Has how much you shave and what parts you choose to shave changed over time? Do you wax, epilate, shave, pluck, or Nair?

I'm old school, myself, and stick with razors. My current favorite is the Venus Embrace — four blades, a pivoting head, and a "Ribbon of Moisture" make for smooth, easy shaving and no nicks/cuts (so far). I use it in conjunction with Gordon's Shaving Lotion from Carol's Daughter (which works equally well for men and women).

What are your favorite hair removal products and methods? Your suggestions may end up in a future newsletter!

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