Mmm. Afterbirth...

I’m all for living an organic lifestyle. There’s simply no reason not to. But I draw the line at smearing birthing excrement on my face.

Gross, I know, but Hollywood is telling me that the new fountain of youth comes from the very beginning of youth itself.  So alert the media: the new craze for the beauty-obsessed is placenta facials.

Just to make sure we’re all clear, placenta is a temporary organ joining the mother and fetus. It transfers oxygen and nutrients from the mother to the fetus, and permits the release of carbon dioxide and waste products from the fetus. But don’t worry, the facial itself is “ordinary-smelling.” Phew, because I smelling like afterbirth and fetal waste is the real problem here.

Although it may be vile, placenta is rich in proteins and zinc, so it can’t be discredited just because it came out of someone’s birth canal.  And it’s not like weirder things haven’t happened.

I blame Victoria Beckham. She told the world she was rubbing bird poop on her face and the next thing you know people are scraping fresh droppings off their windshields and saving it for a nighttime facial treatment. I believe this was at the same time people were using bull’s semen as a leave-in conditioner. That just leaves me wondering how said semen was protracted. All kinds of nasty.

Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a rash of Placenta Snatchers showing up bedside at the birth of children everywhere, led by none other than Joan Rivers. Protect your placenta, new mothers.

Oh, the things people will do for beauty.

Note: This is NOT me and my friend. We're girls.

Last year for Halloween my best friend and I dressed up as Ernie and Bert, complete with yellow and orange face-paint.  Can you say ‘hottest costumes ever’?  The guy I was hooking up with didn’t seem to think so.  I had seen him out earlier in the night and when we texted later to meet-up (read: hook-up) he said, “I’m on my way over. Wash that sh*t off your face before I get there.”

Ouch.

You mean you don’t think I’m hot when I’m wearing bright orange face-paint? Harsh. But I wasn’t ready to end my Halloween night hookup-less, so I proceeded to the bathroom to scrub “that sh*t off my face.”  But it turns out that washing off layers of face-paint that took a half hour to apply was tricky. And when he finally did show up I just looked like Bert…with a melting face.  If only I had been prepared with the right equipment to return to my natural skin color ahead of time.

Whether you are putting on face-paint, false eyelashes, or just regular makeup that is heavier than usual, it’s all gonna need to come off at the end of the night (especially if you want some Hallow-sexin).  So arm yourself ahead of time with these helpful heavy-duty makeup removal products and you’ll have your real face back in no time.

To Remove Face Paint/ Heavy Makeup
Cold cream is your best option. Yes, it’s gonna feel gross, but so does a face full of giant zits in the morning from improper makeup removal or, worse, a face that has been scrubbed raw trying to get that ish off. If you want your skin to be truly clean, cold cream is the way to go.  Just use a cotton ball and apply the cold cream to your entire face (or other painted areas).  Let it sit for a few minutes and soak up that nasty makeup.  Then use a facecloth and warm water to rub off it all off. Follow up with a little rinse with water and you’re face is fresh and ready for bed (or booty).

Another option is to use baby oil applied and removed in the same way.  Even baby wipes are a decent option for face-paint removal.  (All of these products can be found at your local drugstore). Read More »

The cool days are officially starting, and here at Syracuse that means the cold days are just around the corner.  I can just feel the winter depression setting in, and my skin feels the same way.  My hands are already dry and eczema is surfacing.  Yeah, I think that definitely makes someone wanna hold my hand…if that someone also happens to have winter lizardy skin.

As if losing your summer bronze glow isn’t bad enough, the cold wind and weather does some serious damageto your skin. And your precious face and dainty hands get the worst of it, as they most often feel the harshness of the cold air. So how can you protect your skin without staying in your room all day? (No, that isn’t an option; professors don’t care about your skin that much.)

Below are some suggestions to get your skin back to the baby’s-bottom-soft feel of summer. No more cracking, flaking or drying out this winter, women.

Hands: If your skin is only mildly dry or you just want to prevent it from happening, a thick cream will do the trick.  Try L’Occitane’s Shea Butter Hand Cream or Bliss’ High Intensity Hand Cream. And keep that stuff with you wherever you go; skin dries out quickly in the winter-time and you want to be prepared.

If your hands are cracky or you have eczema, you know that Cortisone ointment can be helpful but sticky.  So try mixing together the ointment with an unscented lotion like Cetaphil.  If your hands are really bad, apply petroleum jelly before you go to bed under some white cotton gloves (this both traps in all that moisture…and prevents you from making a serious jelly mess all over your bed). When you wake up it will be worth the annoyance, because your skin will be way softer.  Read More »

Got a guy question that’s tearing you up inside? Don’t trust your girl friends to give you honest advice (because they’re afraid if they tell you the truth you will freak out and throw things at them)? Just want to try and understand what a guy is thinking?

We’ve got the dude for you. Send your questions to AskTheDude@CollegeCandy.com and he’ll give it to you straight, whether you want to hear that you’re being a bitch or not. Because you can’t throw things at him, no matter what he tells you.

Alright Dude, here goes:

I’ve been dating my boyfriend for two years now and I love him to pieces. Our relationship is pretty great except there is one thing that is bothering me: his acne. He’s 21 and still has acne all over his face, back, and chest. Understandably, this can be a major turnoff for me sometimes (getting up close and personal with whiteheads isn’t really sexy). He currently doesn’t use any skincare products or see a dermatologist.

So… is there any way I can tactfully suggest he start a skincare regimen or see a dermatologist? Or should I just forget about it and deal with it? I love him a lot and don’t want to offend or hurt him. I also know that if his skin cleared up he would gain a lot of confidence because sometimes he is insecure about his looks. Any advice from a guy’s perspective would be much appreciated!

-Spotty Situation Read More »

We caught up with some stylish celebs and top make up artists to bring you their get-gorgeous tips and tricks that you can DIY at home! Here are the tips we found most useful:

To keep her scalp hydrated and healthy, Padma Lakshmi (host of “Top Chef” and Pantene spokesperson) told us she microwaves a cup of jojoba oil and massages it into her hair. We tried it and it left our hair feeling nice and soft. (Photo courtesy Pantene). Read More »

So I’m taking a break from makeup and hair tips because I have a major idea block, and I wanted to add product reviews into our weekly meetings. I know what it’s like to see new products on store shelves and not want to waste money on something that could totally suck, so let me know what you’re looking for. I’ll tell you if it’s worth the money and, if not, what product is. So post ideas of tips, looks, and reviews that you want to see from me!

In the meantime, this week I’m reviewing one of my favorite products: Mario Badescu’s Whitening Mask. It’s totes amazing and will leave your skin looking faboosh! Yeah, I just said faboosh. It’s the only way to describe the miracle-worker that is Mario Badescu.

Our gal pal is now a mom!

Obama takes on the health care critics.

The world’s cutest photobombs.

Now that’s a wedding!

Jon Gosselin pisses off another Kate.

Is stress damaging your skin?

Decadent beauty doesn’t get much more luxurious than pampering your skin with real 24K gold (unless of course, you want to bathe in diamonds, but this is your face we’re talking about here). And as a modern makeup maven, you deserve the best… and the prettiest, of course!

As a compulsive beauty buyer, I can’t help but notice that products featuring shimmer and sparkle are being upgraded lately to include real gold flakes in addition to mica — both for its glittery shine factor and its role as a skin-aiding mineral. From moisturizing golden hair pomade to solid gold flake sheets for an opaque gilded look, these products certainly give a fresher, much younger connotation to the term “Golden Girl!” Flip through the slideshow for some of my favorite Midas-touched products.

Check out the rest of these gold products on stylehive.com.

Does he want forgiveness…or a comeback?

Salon facial while you sleep!

A dog. With eyebrows.

America is starting to turn on Jon Gosselin.

Why are people booing Sexy David Beckham?

The chicest shorts in town.

How many times do you apply bronzer and end up looking like Lindsay Lohan? If this has happened even once, it’s one time too many. The trick to bronzer is simple: less is more. In this quick video, I’ll show you how to get a faux tan on your face that looks natural.

It’s better to use bronzer than get melanoma, ladies! Protect your pretty mug and still look summery fresh.