2/26/2013

Hair Removal/A Few Contest Follow-Ups

Hello, people!  

I always I want to say HELLO, LADIES, but I know there are dudes who read this, too, so I don't want to be non-inclusive or whatever.  YOU DUDES MATTER.  EVERYTHING IS GONNA BE OK.

Do y'all wanna talk about hair removal?  I SURE DO... kinda.  Actually, I wanted to write about something that wasn't makeup or nails to break things up a little.



Generally speaking, I am not an especially hairy person.  I have arm hair and leg hair and stuff, but it's kinda blonde, and I don't get much facial hair, and what I get is also pretty pale.  I dye my eyebrows to get them to show up.  Aside from that, I have been married for more than 8 years, so I'm comfortable with not shaving my legs for a couple months because I am basically out to pasture at this point.  I am pretty confident my husband wouldn't dismantle our family because of my leg hair, and there isn't anyone else in the world who is gonna see how hairy my legs are.  I'm just keeping it real with y'all before I get into this, so you don't think I am trying to reinforce some kind of societal pressure to be totally hairless and inoffensive.  I don't care what you do.

For my face, I wax and/or tweeze my eyebrows (but y'all already knew that) and then I use that little buzzy thing to get the fuzz once in a while.  You can't really see the hair on my face at all, but I find that my makeup looks a little better if I get rid of it.  I use the buzzy thing because every other method of removing facial hair REALLY fucks my face up.  Depilatories irritate the hell out of my skin and makes me look like I have a Kool-Aid mustache for so long that my facial hair has almost grown all the way back before the mustache goes away.  Yucky, and really feels bad.  If I wax, my face breaks out all over the place, and makeup over fuzz looks better than makeup over a ton of zits.  I've never used bleach because my facial hair is already pretty blonde.  I really only need to get the fuzz every couple months, though, and to say I need to is overstating it.  

For my legs, I just shave them.  I usually use a la-di-dah fancy razor with a million blades and moisture strips or whatever.  I don't think they shave much better, really, but if I use the Bic-style ones where the whole thing is disposable, I have a tendency to completely maul myself and the shower ends up looking like Psycho.  I even managed to completely shave my pinky fingernail off once with one of those.  It makes me kinda dry heave typing that out for y'all to read, because I briefly revisited the situation in my head, and I still am bugged out about it years later.  Right now I am actually frowning real hard and shaking my head like NO NO NO NO NO.  NOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooo....

I don't use depilatories on my legs for the same reason I don't use them on my face.  They don't work that well, unless you are trying to give yourself dermatitis, in which case they work great!

As far as crotch stuff goes, I think removing all your pubic hair is creepy.  I think the pubic hair designs like landing strips or Bermuda Triangles or whatever the fuck are weird, too.  First off, I think making people (men or women) remove secondary sex characteristics to be attractive is pretty fucked.  Secondly, my forays into shave-y, waxy crotch stuff tend to end in sadness, since wearing clothes over an area you just napalmed sucks, and when it grows back it sucks.  A bunch of stubble and ingrown hairs isn't very sexy, in my opinion.  The part of my brain that jumps to the worst conclusion is always super-concerned about going to the bathroom with irritation/ingrowns/nicks or whatever in that whole area.  I just always think I am gonna get a massive abscess or pick up some weird infection from the bathroom at Fresh Market, and I am gonna have to get my ham sandwich surgically removed.  That being said, I don't go full vintage pubes, I trim with a trimmer and shave stragglers for the sake of tidiness.  (Look at all these trimmers!  They all do the same thing!  Don't get a nose one, though, those wouldn't work to do landscaping at the intersection.)  I am not going to scorch the earth.  That stuff is there for a reason.  

All that aside, if you go whole hog on the pubic hair situation, and it's hot out, doesn't it get real sweaty and slimy and you feel like you have swamp butt?  THE ANSWER IS YES.  I went ahead and answered that rhetorical question for you.

ANYWAY, I thought we could talk about this issue in the comments.  Y'all know I am not trying to play it off like I am the final word on stuff, I like hearing suggestions if someone has something groundbreaking to share, or techniques to avoid slicing off your fingernails or getting bad news irritation or whatever.  Also, I wanted to lay some ground work with this post because I am gonna do a post on epilating as soon as I get a little more leg hair (OH GOD I KNOW IT'S GONNA SUCK, BUT IT'S GONNA BE FUNNY HOW I DO IT ANYWAY!!)

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Now, y'all can tell me if this is an accurate assumption...

When you are looking at a makeup blog, and the person writing it is reviewing a particular product, and the post is just a bunch of pics and a description of what it is, then they wrap it up by saying WHAT DO YOU THINK?? without saying what they think, I automatically conclude that the writer is on the take and full of it.  Like, if you don't have an opinion, don't write about it?  Maybe?  It's pretty clear that they got an offer of something free in exchange for a post, and they don't want to say anything about it that their cosmetic sugar-daddy wouldn't like.  Just throwing it out there, maybe that's an inaccurate conclusion to draw, and I am just a bitch about everything.

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Let's do a few contest updates!  I got a lot of requests, so I am gonna dish them out a few at a time because there is some major-league list-writing happening up in here (up in here.)  One thing I noticed, which is not a judgement call or anything, is that everyone used a lot of different products.  I mean, I use a lot, but I always thought that was my secret shame or something, so I kinda liked seeing everyone's lists.  I'M OKAY.  YOU'RE OKAY.  WE'RE ALL OKAY.  Let's take a look at some ladies and their makeup.  If you requested info on someone and they aren't listed here, hold your horses, cause I got about 9 billion more to post and I thought it would be more palatable to split them up into a regular feature or something until I get through them all.  LET'S LOOK!!!!


OK, first we have 05...  She is wearing: 
Pink Skin79 BB Cream
Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Fair
Vegan Cream Rose Blush in Dusky Rose 
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Transparent
Oily Lid Shadow Primer in Dark Buff
Fawn Eyeshadow
Maybelline the Colossal Volume Express mascara
ELF Coffee eyeliner
ELF lipstick in Nostalgic




Miss 17!!  She's got this stuff all up on her business!!
NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Finland
Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer in Fair
NYX Stay Matte But Not Flat Powder Foundation in Ivory
Sephora Collection Hydrating Powder Blush in Rose Petal
      (this seems to be AWOL.)
Sephora Collection Colorful Eyeshadows Palette 
              (the caramelly and dark brown shadows.) 
Clinique High Impact Mascara
Anastasia Eyebrow Mascara (dark golden brown)
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Really Red (matte)


                                                          Number 21, AKA The Contest Winner...
                                                          ELF Eyeshadow Primer (she doesn't like it, FYI.)
Maybelline PureStay Powder Foundation in Ivory as 
           eye shadow
Revlon ColorStay eyeliner in Black
Bed Head eyeshadows in Black and Vanilla
Flirt brown eyeshadow palette
MAC Studio Tech NC15
OCC concealer in Y0
Wet n Wild blush in Heather Silk
Ben Nye blush in Cool Pink
MAC eyebrow pencil in Stud
MAC Brow Set in Beguile
Maybelline Lash Discovery waterproof mascara in
           Blackest Black
                                                          Cover Girl Lash Blast waterproof mascara in Blackest Black
                                                          Milani Lipgloss in Secret

ALRIIIIIGHT!!  Good game, good game!  Y'all really put that stuff on yourselves!  If I mis-linked one of your products, let me know!  I think I did OK on most of them, but a couple of them I guessed on if it wasn't totally clear.  

BYEEEE.



128 comments:

  1. I hear you on the whole hooha hair thing... I find even if i trim the pubic hairs too much, my girl gets all damp and sweaty and just icky feeling. I'm vintage down there for the most part.

    What do you use to dye your eyebrows? I have an appointment to get my eyelashes dyed (have done it before and love the result!) and my eyebrows, but the eyebrow part I could totally do myself if I knew what to use. Sally Beauty be able to help me? (I'm in Canada, so don't have the amazing shops you guys have in the US for the most part.)

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    1. Honestly, I just save old toothbrushes and use them with a little of the dye I put on my head. Brush it in and then chuck the toothbrush. If you are clumsy or have shaky hands, you might not want to do that, because you don't want to get the dye outside of where your brows are or it's bad news. I know that the box tells you not to do this, but fuck the man.

      Sally does have eyebrow dye, I think the brand is Roux or something. I've used it but it seems to wash out real fast. When I use my hair dye to do it, I don't need to do it again until my eyebrow hairs regenerate or whatever they do.

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    2. Anonymous2/26/2013

      rub a little vaseline/oil/similar round your brows, it'll make excess dye easier to wipe off your skin

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    3. ALSO! They have a color remover thing at Sally's that you can use on yer skins. I've used it on hairlines and such even after washing out the color and it doesn't wash it from the hair, just the skin :)

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    4. I use Godefroy Instant Eyebrow Tint. It's pretty easy to use: a box comes with 4 capsules filled with color powder, a bottle of developer, some application sticks (which look like those wooden sticks you use to push back your cuticles), and a little cup to mix the powder and developer in. It says it dyes fully in one minute, but I usually leave it on for 4 minutes and 15 seconds, wipe it off, and then assess whether I want it darker. I have very light skin, but I use the Dark Brown color because in the beginning it fades pretty quickly and I want it to last as long as possible. The product promises 6 weeks of color, but I usually get 3.5. Still, it's very affordable and I've been a loyal customer for a few years. I used to have a salon dye my eyebrows for me, but either they kind of sucked, and I find it turns out best when I do it myself. Give this a try!

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  2. I used to get 100% ingrown hairs on every follicle literally every time I shaved my bits. It was traumatic, and I happen to like going bare because pubic hair creeps me out. For years I felt like it was ruling my life, because I spent so much time planning out swimming trips and stuff in up to two weeks in advance, because if I shaved any more often than that I would get all red and sore and disgusting. On top of that, my hair grows pretty fast, like full blown stubble in maybe 5 hours.

    I finally caved and got laser hair removal (€450 ($588) for six treatments of a "Hollywood," which includes the buttcrack) AND I HAVE NEVER LOOKED BACK. I know it's a pretty expensive alternative to waxing/shaving, but I've seen places do it for €75 for the bikini line on groupons and stuff. I still have a bit of blonde fuzz, but I can shave that no problem and MAYBE one ingrown hair every few months. My crotch is like magic now.

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    1. Does it drive you crazy when you are working out and you get swamp butt? Other issues aside, I think that is enough for me to not go whole hog.

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    2. I've never actually noticed this, but when my boyfriend shaves his balls (yes) he puts baby powder on them. In case you want to seem even more like an infant in the panty-area.

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    3. Glad to hear a positive laser story. I have done my under arms and am working on my lower legs (it's getting everything that's dark, but my upper legs are all light blonde, lasers won't zap them). Next up, going whole hog. I told my dermatologist about the under arm, and she recommended the bikini area, as she had also done it. She did confirm that it's quite painful, but it doesn't last, just hurts while they are doing it.

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    4. I can't handle hair in the "folds" because I can feel it all the time and it just feels dirty to me, so swamp-ass is less disgusting enough for me to keep it clean (though I personally shave with a million-blade razor, and leave a pretty nice tuft so I'm not prepubescent).

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    5. My BFF got her bikini done. I just finished with my legs and am at like 50% less hair. I'd be kinda pissed about it if I had paid $2k, but I got a groupon for $400, so I'm cool with it. I bought an at home laser thing and have been using that on my pits, bikini line, feet (ugh), etc. I think it works just as well as the professional one, it's just more of a pain bc it has a smaller treatment area.

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    6. Jennah - did you get the Tria remover? I've been mulling it over in my head if I want to try it or not. Right now, I shave my arms because I got the short stick of my family genes (my dad's arms are almost as hairy as Robin Williams).

      As far as "down there," I'm with kelli(q). Swam-ass isn't as gross as feeling prickly hairs.

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    7. I got some laser done, sadly much of it came back after a 4-5 years. SIGH. It was fun while it lasted!

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    8. I know this is like super late, but yes I have the Tria and I like it. (I also have the hairy arms gene.) I like it and am glad I got it. I actually did a review of it and my whole laser experience. I really hope it doesnt come back or that I can keep it at bay with the Tria. I can now go 3 days without shaving and it is AMAZZZZING.
      http://www.jennahsgarden.com/2013/03/laser-hair-removal-experience/

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  3. omgomgomgomg...I'm cringing over your fingernail getting shaved off..once when I was young I used a safety razor on my legs and removed a 4" long by 1/2" wide strip of skin from my shin bone...Still have a scar to this day. Shaving is evil. But leg hair is itchy...
    I dislike when bloggers copy press release material into their post, I'm just gonna skim it anyway. The day a press release is honest about a product pigs will fly. I want to see swatches and wear pictures, and I'd really love to see makeup in use, not just really heavy swatches on a hand or arm.

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  4. I am a fairly hairy lady (thanks, hormones!), and I actually just pluck all of my facial hair. I set aside a little time every evening if I'm home, and just go to town while I'm watching tv or reading the internet. It doesn't hurt very much (except for the mustache, but I do that less often), and it's weirdly relaxing for me.

    Also, if anyone has tips on getting the appear of a bikini wax without actually having to get a wax OR get crazy ass razor burn, I'd be much obliged.

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    1. as someone who has tried pube-waxing several times (in many ways) to much horror, disappointment and pain, I can say I'm happy to screw it off forever, and do the following on the downstairs business:

      1. Use a really good razor with disposable blades, NOT throwaway razors. They are actually way better. On my BF's advice, I'm using a gilette venus 3 blade thing right now, this is good, if you have more cash to spend than broke-ass me you can get a 5 blade. Change the blade often! I ditch mine after 2 - 3 shaves. Sounds expensive but it cuts way down on rashy razor burn.

      2. Exfoliate the area before shaving, with whatever exfoliator you like to use, body buffing stuff, face exfoliator, any will do. If you can already see any ingrown hairs or some likely to cause a ruckus later on, pluck em out with (clean) tweezers.

      3. Do it after you've been in the shower for a bit, as the hair will be softer and easier to shave. Don't use a foam or be lazy and use your shower gel, get some thick type of shaving cream to shave with (I'm using Dirty shaving cream by Lush and its like my hair is being licked off by unicorns), or in a pinch you can use hair conditioner, but smooth it in really well and use plenty.

      4. Rinse the razorblades well after every couple of strokes in hot water or under the shower head. If you aren't actually under the shower, rinse it under super-hot running water.

      5. I got this tip from a transvestite who was talking about shaving his face, but works just as well for the ladygarden - first shave with the grain of the hair, then after, shave against the grain. Put more shaving cream on as well for the second pass.

      6. When you are done and rinsed and dried off, use some roll-on creamy-type underarm deodorant on the shaved bits. I use a Dove stick, works like magic, makes the skin all smooth and shit as it gets moisturised. Don't use a spray (holy hell, no) or the kind with a rollerball thing, just a stick type.

      These tips have honestly worked wonders for me and cut out like 95% of razor burn and ingrown hairs. I'd show you how well it works but that would be all kinds of weird, so you'll have to trust me on this :p

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    2. This stuff works well as a shave cream:

      http://www.amazon.com/Pure-Romance-Coochy-Shave-Cream/dp/B002YQ5WWE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362185087&sr=8-1&keywords=coochy+shave+gel

      It relaxes the hair follicles so razor burn is reduced. :)

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    3. I'm with Allie ^ I first tried Coochie cream two years ago and have never looked back. I used to have horrible razor burn EVERY TIME I shaved, and now I only get it if I neglect to use a newer (or more expensive) razor.

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    4. I use the Schick Intuition all over and actually recently said that it was the best thing to ever happen to my labia. I tend to switch it up a fair bit depending on my laziness vs sexiness quotient. For about a year after my baby was born it was 100% vintage (my new fave term), and once I started feeling sexypants again I was all, take 'em awayyyy! It's not easy in the ultra delicate zone but even to do that separately isn't too much of a hassle, my thigh creases and overall moundular region take almost no time and because it has the built in shaving cream bar thing, you don't accidentally miss a spot, which is where I think a lot of past ingrowns came from. Plus I can shave my biz in the shower without too much gymnastics.

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  5. I feel the same way about hair-down-there. I resent the expectation that everyone's supposed to be waxed to all hell and slick as a barbie doll. It's sweaty (which gives me all kinds of vaginal irritation and infections - sorry but it's true) and it grosses me out because it makes me look like... well, it like a child. :( Hooooorrible. I'm same as you: neatly trimmed vintage. Mainly because, I don't want bush sticking out the sides of my cute underwears.

    And I seriously can't stand beauty blogs that don't actually review anything, too. So transparent.

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    1. THANK YOU. I used to shave my crotch, which gave me razor burn. Then I tried epilating/waxing which gave me ingrown hair. As much fun as those were to pop out (in a gross sort of way), I gave up on it all eventually. The stubble in either case was like this vicious cycle of having to shave all the time. Now I just do my bikini line when I epilate my upper legs and trim anything that gets too long.

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  6. As someone who has a moderate amount of peach fuzz on my face, I'm gonna have to look into one of those lil' trimmers, man. I also get several dark hairs on my chin, like a miniature evil goatee. I'm 26, what the hell. I also shamelessly shave my upper lip. If dudes can do it, why can't I?

    Anywho, a question I've been meaning to ask (sorry if it's too off topic- you're welcome to ignore, but I've never read through all the comments to see if this has been asked before) you're always mentioning other beauty/makeup blogs, and I'm curious about which ones you like to read. I'm always looking for new reads, so I'd love to hear what you dig on the internets.

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    1. honestly, i dont read many of them at all. i will read a few posts and just not read again if they are shilling and stuff like that. i do read refinery 29, but that is more editorial style. it's still pretty good though.

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    2. Hey girl, I feel ya! I started getting chin hairs at 19. Lasered them away at 24, and at 27 a lot of them are back. I've been bleaching them lately, as I am house poor and laser isn't in the budget anymore.

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  7. I very occasionally get a procedure done called Dermaplaning:
    http://infinitesmiles.com/service/facials-peels/
    They use a lot of froufrou language so the rich ladies in Powell don't have to admit to themselves that they are getting a straight up straight razor shave. It's the best facial I've ever gotten and yea, makeup goes on a lot smoother. It's worth doing it once for the experience of seeing that office and how the other half lives.

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  8. I dry shave my naughty bits. I don't know why but if I actually use shave cream I get horrible ingrown hairs. And for whatever reason I don't get razor burn... also I leave the whole front part area alone except for trimming. Shaved everything once and it was so. Fucking. Itchy. Ugh!! Never again.

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  9. RE BODY HAIR:

    I don't shave above my knees since the hair on my thighs is pretty sparse and pretty fair. I usually just buy men's razors (not the super fancy kind, usually a medium range one) since I'm pretty sure they're the same goddamned razors and are usually a buck or two cheaper in the drug store. If my mom invites me to go to Costco with her on a day we are hanging out I will sometimes buy a big pack of Venus ones that have the moisturizing strips and wide handles. I seem to do a lot less slicing and dicing of my shins if I'm using something with a wider handle.

    I have a little pair of bangs scissors I bought at Sally Beauty that I use to lop off the long "Rapunzel" pubes, and then just tidy up stuff you could see if I was wearing a bathing suit with a razor. I shave in the direction that their hairs grown in and usually get all of it. If I have one or two stray ones, whatever, I just want to be able to enjoy myself at the beach and not worry that some Chewbacca trim is calling attention to my nethers.

    I am really lucky that I don't really get facial hairs anymore, but in eighth grade I had a little lady-stash. I used to just trim the hairs down as close as I could with a pair of cuticle scissors. It was sparse enough that it worked out. Hopefully if it ever comes back and the cuticle scissors don't cut it anymore I'll be making enough money that I can just get the electrolysis.

    RE: MAKE UP BLOGS

    After a really brief stint in online beauty publishing, I think you're pretty spot on with what you're saying about bloggers who post a product description and series of images and then want everyone else's opinion.

    I guess that's better than giving a shitty product a good review? I saw some post a month ago about the new "feather effect" (wth) manicure that gave the product a glowing review when you could see in the video that it did not do anything it was supposed to do. If you don't like a product that someone sent you for review and feel bad about reviewing it honestly, I think it's better to return it with an explanation to the company of why you think their shit sucks.

    I don't know. I didn't work there very long, but that kinda stuff really chapped my ass.

    PS Tried the toothbrush tinting thing on my eyebrows yesterday and it really worked out! Thanks for the tip :D

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  10. I am keeping this forever just to remember that I don't EVER EVER EVER (NEVER EVER EVER) want to have to get my ham sandwich surgically removed.

    I use VEET from my toes to my lady bits. The problems that I have are:

    It says it takes 3 minutes. It says don't leave it on more than 6 minutes. I have to leave it on about 10 minutes. So far aside from the time suck this hasn't been an issue and my skin hasn't burned off in a horrible gasoline fight style melt.

    IT STINGS LIKE A MOTHER in that sad area where my legs meet my pelvis. This doesn't happen all the time though and I think it is more because my stupid maternity underwear suck butt and chafe. I'm not even pregnant anymore so I should probably just buy some new underpants.

    I do get ingrown hairs BUT if I use my apricot expholiating face scrub on my downtherearea and follow up by putting baby oil on when I get out of the shower (expholiate every other shower, baby oil every shower) this isn't nearly such an issue.

    VEET stinks. I jokingly asked my husband if he wanted to help me "lotion up" with the VEET and he thought I was serious and got all hot and bothered but I wouldn't let him cause I'm pretty sure the smell would have made him cry, or pass out or claw his eyes out and use them to plug his nose.

    FWIW I don't do hair removal very often. I apparently am like Natalie and out to pasture for the most part with my supa fine blond hairs.

    I don't touch any other hair except my eyebrows which I pluck and get waxed every once in a while.

    (I'm kinda laughing as I post this because at some point my husband used my e-mail to comment on something and gave it his nickname so now my lady bits hair removal comment will show up as being him.)

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    1. I use a depilatory but not Veet . . .I use Magic Shaving Powder which is designed for men's faces. It is a powder that you have to mix with water to get a paste consistency going on and that is a pain and it does smell kinda bad but not terrible. It doesn't sting though and I leave it on for the maximum 7 minutes. Like you, I do get the occasional ingrown hair but nothing like what I would get shaving.

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    2. I like magic powder as well. Also MUCH cheaper then girlie hair rem oval creams. I use a cheap minimum two blade razor and cheap hair conditioner for my legs though, and it works like a dream.

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  11. I have a landing strip because until very very recently pubes creeped me out. (Body hair in general creeps me out, I am a maniac shaver.) Now I just do a landing strip cos it's easiest when I'm in the shower without my glasses, I can't do anything fancier. But I learned a tip from Jenna Jameson's first autobiography: shave with Neosporin. I get the big bags of shitty Daisy razors cos the Neosporin clogs 'em up real good, but you get NO RED BUMPS. You can also do this on your underarms. I lotion up the areas I shaved after I get out of the shower, and I also use aloe vera hippie deodorant under my regular deodorant to protect my freshly shaved pits.

    For my legs I use men's Gillette razors because I feel like they get a closer shave somehow.

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  12. I just shave my legs and nothing else, and I am hairy as hell (my treasure trail is darker than my boyfriend's). I think a total lack of pubic hair is really unflattering for most people, especially if they're pear-shaped like me - you just end up with a huge expanse of bare flesh and it looks really wide and unsexy. I think pubes (and armpit hair) break stuff up a bit and add some interest. Plus, there is something quite luxurious about a nicely kept, conditioned, silky muff, haha!

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    1. I'm with you, but I also do not shave my legs. I started shaving my legs & pits when I was young, stopped a few years later, started again, and a few years ago stopped completely. I don't remove anything now.

      Most hair has evolutionary purposes, or it wouldn't be on us anyway, but it's truly personal preference and it's disappointing that more open discussions such as this one do not occur. It is your body and you are allowed to make your own choices about it. And the best part is, most people don't notice the fine details of your look, you do, so do what you like! :)

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  13. I tweeze my upper lip, maybe a little compulsively. Some of the hair is light and fine, but some is dark and coarse and drives me crazy. I use a little witch hazel after.

    But...I've heard for years that tweezing makes hair grow in thicker and darker. Is there any truth at all to this? By the time the hair grows back in, I can't remember what it looked like before.

    I get my eyebrows waxed occasionally...I always had fairly natural hippie-girl eyebrows so I just get them cleaned up and a little arch put in. Then I tweeze in-between waxing. I'm terrified of actually shaping my brows myself...afraid I'll somehow end up with that disco-era pencil-line thing. (A friend of mine had electrolysis on her eyebrows in the early 70s, and she still has those disco eyebrows. Yikes!)

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous2/26/2013

      that thing about the hair growing back thicker/darker isn't true - it's just that they all grow back at the same time because you shaved/plucked them all at the same time - naturally, they would fall at a different times and grow back - so it can have the appearance of being darker/thicker at first.

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    2. I think there is some truth to MORE hair growing back when you pluck, because the act of plucking causes the blood to rush to the area and stimulates new growth. However eventually you do damage the follicle enough and the growth starts to decline.

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  14. I am forever calling my downstairs mix-up a ham sandwich.

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  15. I hate shaving the nether regions/legs/armpits/mustache but I feel like I have to. My husband says he "doesn't mind" but I know he has to be thinking "Why the fuck don't you shave your hairy legs you wildebeest?"

    Sooo... I bought a Remington electric epilator last week. I've only used it on my legs thus far (and a bit on the upper bush area, but christ I couldn't take it) and it wasn't that bad. Around my knees and the back of my thighs hurt like a motherbitch, but the rest was only mildly irritating. The best part... it's a week later and even after multiple episodes of goosebumps I can safely say that my legs are still smoother than James Bond.

    In my opinion, the pain was worth it for my legs. I'm not sure on the pubes yet, and you can fucking forget about doing my armpits. But as far as my legs are concerned, that epilator will forever find a loving place in my heart... right next to my Hitachi Magic Wand ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I've used a Braun SiklEpil for ages. Eventually your follicle nerve endings throw in the towel, so if you don't mind the discomfort now, you REALLY won't mind in a few months. I got laser hair removal on my darker lower-leg hair a while back, but as already been noted, lasers don't work on lighter, finer hair. I also got laser on my underarms and bikini edges (love the term "vintage trim" -- that's my style!) and that stuff never grew back. So about once a month I SilkEpil what's left over on my lower legs. I don't even own a razor any more. Good luck with that epilator! I love mine.

      Delete
    2. Yes, I was WAITING for someone to mention the epilator! I also use a Braun and OMG. I've been doing it for about 7 years and the hair on my legs takes FOREVER to grow back and is noticeably sparse. My mom, who is 60, epilated with dedication when she was my age and she hasn't had ANY leg hair for 20+ years. It's like magic.

      Also: I wax my underarms. Do this. You will not regret it. Again, after 2+ years my underarm hair is now wicked sparse and while I have to wait for it to be about 1/4" long before I can wax again, it is so sparse it barely shows. It also doesn't hurt, at all.

      Delete
    3. i just got one of these things, i even got the braun silkepil one...i am gonna write about it as soon as i have enough leg hair to use it on! i know the first time is gonna suck, but i am optimistic.

      Delete
    4. Oh my god... the armpits... they hurt sooo baaaaad.

      Still can't do my pubes. I had a kid with barely any meds... why can't I take it???

      Delete
    5. I love my epilator. It hurt like hell the first time, hurt like heck the second time, and doesn't hurt at all now. Once in a while I will feel something - I think it might have to do with my period. And I can usually feel something on the sides of my knees. But other than that, no pain at all. I actually kind of enjoy doing it now. Tough it out! Have an advil first, don't do it on your period, and it'll get easier with time! Haha.

      Delete
    6. Natalie – I am looking forward to your review on the epilator you bought. I'm worried it's going to hurt like hell, so I haven't bought one yet.

      Delete
  16. I shave my ladybits and underarms every other day. The trick with pubes is to shave with the grain. It doesn't make you smooth like a baby doll, but I don't get ingrown hairs either. I've always thought pubes felt weird. Mine are really dark, and don't grown in all full vintage, and my skin is lily white so it looks weird to me. I used to just do a landing strip, but I could never make it perfect and that bothered me way more than is necessary, so now I shave it all. As for the pits, I only grow like 3 hairs on each one and didn't even get those in until I was 18 or 19. My legs get shaved whenever the hell I get time to take a damn bath because I'll slice them up if I try to do it in the shower.

    Related, have you ever had that pain that feels like your leg or pubic hair got caught in your pants or undies? Like the hair is perpendicular to your leg and is stabbing you? It's the worst.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I feel your pain. I am super pale and having really dark body hair kinda makes me want to get rid of it. If it was blonde I probably wouldn't even notice it. I don't get much body hair, but what comes in is super noticeable due to the colour and it is obnoxious.

      Delete
  17. I bought an Emjoi epilator and I love it. It doesn't make my legs super smooth to the touch, but they look shaved. If I'm getting a massage or a pedi I shave my legs also, with coconut oil. The kind you get in the supermarket. I use the epilator on my underarms as well. Not going to lie and tell you it doesn't hurt, but you kind of get used to it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. do you use it on your face? I have an epilator as well and im scared to use it on my face cause it might come back spikey

      Delete
  18. I was hoping for more ideas on pit shaving. I have two lovely scars under one arm now thanks to MRSA from infected hair follicles, and my doc keeps telling me to quit shaving there. I'm all for feminism and shit, but really not down with the wild wooly pits thing. In fact, I'm an obsessive hair remover in general. I shave my legs even in the dead of Ohio winter because it itches if I don't. Same with the ladybits... all gone. Yes, it's a major pain in the ass (no pun intended) because I don't really bend that way anymore, but it's itchy if anything gets longer than an inch or so and I don't want to walk around scratching my junk all day like a dude. I find I get more swampyassness if I *don't* shave. Anyway... ideas for pits, greatly appreciated (the only consolations my doc has given me are I can either a) save up for laser removal, or b) buy a bunch of disposable razors and increase my trash output by every time I have to tame the pits. I'm not a fan of either.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What are you using to shave? Conditioner? Shaving cream? Shaving gel? Baby oil? I've found baby oil is the best but it leaves that slime all over my shower and it's so smooth I am more prone to nicks. Lately I use conditioner.

      Delete
    2. If you're using conditioner, you should try a solid conditioner. I found that Jungle from Lush is ahhhhmazing! It's a little expensive but worth it and it smells awesome.

      Delete
    3. Wax your pits. I'm serious. You will not go wrong. I also used to wild irritation from shaving, so on a whim I started having my pits waxed by the same lady who does my brows and bajingo, and I've never looked back. Super smooth, no irritation, stays smooth for weeks, and gets sparser and sparser as time goes by.

      I only have to have mine done about every 6 weeks now, and the hair is so sparse that it is only visible toward the tail end of that time frame. (And I am a very hairy Pole.)

      Delete
  19. For my eyebrows/occasional mustache/I wish I could do my whole damn blonde face... I get threaded. It's magic and I love it.

    I also LOVE getting waxed because I'm one of those weird people. I once had an awful experience with a roommate and instead of locking myself in my room while she moved out I thought I could do something more fun and treat myself...so I got a wax. Yes. Fun. Wax. I really like my little asian lady and it never hurts as much as I always expect. I usually get a brazilian with a landing strip because I don't want to look like more of a baby (bf is 11 years older than me). My only problem with it is it EXPENSIVE. Like $70 and $20-30 for touch ups in about a month. But I love not having to shave. I get really really bad ingrowns and when I do my wax lady does a great job at sanitizing and removing them. Bonus. But I know it hurts and some people hate it. I'm just lazy and don't want to deal with my vajayjay.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Maybe I'm weird but I've always used men's razors. I always have and always will think girl razors are the wussy expensive razors they've just packaged up in pink to make the girls happy. Guys have to shave every day if they're rocking the clean look so those razors have to last through all that plus give him a nice close, smooth shave (cuz it's his face, right?). I've been using the gillette fusion that vibrates for a few years now and I swear the blades last way longer than anything I've ever used and I can honestly say that I really don't have to shave more than once a week (but my hubs is like yours where he doesn't really care about leg/arm/etc. hair and I only really get pissed if my armpits get too shaggy). Then again, I've never technically ever used the fancy lady razors (just disposables in times of crisis), so maybe I'm missing out on something? Meh.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't think that's weird at all!! My fiance & I are the opposite--he uses my women's razor to shave his neck (he has a beard) and my blades have never lasted as long since he started doing that. Men's razors HAVE to be designed better or sharper or something. Maybe I should switch...

      Delete
    2. I am all about the men's razors too! The Gillette Fusion is seriously the best. Ever.

      Delete
    3. I saw the ads for those vibrating razors, and my first thought was "Who in the holy hell would EVER combine a razor with a vibrator?!" Two products you should never, ever combine! But seriously, do the vibrations really get you a closer shave? I've never tried one, because I'm afraid of getting sliced to bits as soon as I turn the thing on, but they've been on the market for a while now, and no lawsuits yet, so maybe my fears are unfounded?

      Delete
    4. Oh whew! It's good to know I have company! I was kinda freaked about the vibrating thing at first, too, but it doesn't vibrate like I thought it would (like, back and forth violently). It's more like a gentle humming (and the battery lasts forever). As to it getting a closer shave, I don't know. I do know it does a better job than a man's disposable razor.

      Delete
  21. Anonymous2/26/2013

    I'm glad other people are cool with pubes. I keep myself pretty trimmed, and I shave the weird little hairs that end up on my thighs, but I hate being bald. I'll shave or wax everything off about once a year, and about five minutes later, I'm like "fuck, why did I do that?" I like my pubes for 3 reasons: fuck people who say I need to look like a kid in the crotch, it's way more comfortable, and I need a cushion between my skin and my Hitachi. Like, that last one is one of the biggest reasons. I can use a Hitachi for like 5 seconds before I break out and get all horribly raw and scabby if I've just shaved.

    I've never thought about shaving the peach fuzz off of my face, but that's pretty smart! I always get powder fuzzies. I'll have to give that a try.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I have to admit that I'm super disappointed in myself for not entering the contest. A)I adore this blog, and it's the only girly make-up blog I can actually get into ...everything else is SO fake and silly and sorority girly..like "omg! the top 45 things to put on your dumb face before class!"
    B) I LOVE doing my makeup...even when I have .7 seconds to try before my tiny child wakes up from her tiny nap. C)now that I see all these ladies done up, I realize it would have taken me no time to snap a self portrait and email it...and the fact that a lot of girls here use drugstore makeup makes me feel less self conscience about my current stash (provided almost entirely by CVS)
    ARG. this is a long winded explanation to myself, basically. sorry!
    Also, the shaving thing sucks! Unlike you, nataliedee, I am SUPER hairy- well, the more dark haired, so the hair is REALLY noticeable hairy :( I started shaving my arms (yep...i said it) in high school and its a cycle i cannot break...ever...going back to gorilla arms is something I'm scared to do. I will say that after each shower I usually use baby oil where I shaved and it really helps keep the area soft and smooth..plus you can get baby oil (even the less baby-smelling ones like lavender or shea butter) for pretty cheap!
    alright, i'm done. and committed to getting my shit together for the next contest!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. you know what rules? the vaseline brand cocoa butter body oil gel stuff. i am too sloppy for regular oil. that shit is mad greasy without me dripping it on the floor to slip on later, and it smells like cocoa butter.

      Delete
    2. I swear by the vaseline cocoa butter body oil gel. I put it on when I'm still in the shower and then towel it off. My skin is so soft and I feel like its moisturizes better than any lotion I've ever tried.

      Delete
    3. I'm going to third the vaseline cocoa butter body oil gel. That shit rules.

      Delete
  23. Tip for you shavers -- join the dollar shave club! dollarshaveclub.com .. for the basic razor is really is only $1 a month. I have the $9 a month option, but choose to have them deliver/charge me every other month. The $9 blade is equivalent to the expensive men's Gillette razors. You get a free handle and they send you three blade cartridges every month/every other month. It's super cost saving and the promo video is pretty hilarious.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Don't join Dollar Shave Club!
      Buy the same razors they send you from the company they get them from (http://www.dorcousa.com/) and get a way better deal! I bought $25 worth of razors last July and I'm about halfway through the stash I bought--I also started giving them to the boyfriend a couple months ago because I was pretty sure they might be infinite.
      Granted, I have blondish, pretty fine hair aaaaaand I don't like to shave, but they seem to last just as long as a venus.
      I use this one http://www.dorcousa.com/sxa2000-smooth-touch-6-blade-system-for-women/ but all the blades and handles have common docking so you can switch up the types if you want.

      I feel like this looks like I got paid to write this... I really just like a good deal... because I'm cheap.

      Delete
  24. I have had an emjoi epilator for over 10 years...since I am an awesome blend of Italian and Irish, I have white freckly skin and coarse black body hair. I had to give up the epilator for a while to do laser hair removal on bikini line, armpits, and mustache.
    Worth every penny of the groupon!
    Someone said it earlier...it stops hurting to epilate the armpit and bikini line, oddly enough.
    I think the man razors are sharper...i use the cream shaving stuff from kiss my face...to shave my legs.
    Here's my weird one...i bleach my arm hair. It is long and I dont want to shave it, so I use the sally Hanson bleach. It looks prettier that way. :/

    ReplyDelete
  25. I have semi-sensitive skin and dark hair, so shaving can be a bitch for me at times. But, a few years ago the good 'ole mother in law invited me to a weird passion party and they had this stuff called Coochy, its a shave cream and it is AMAZING! Shaving anything (birth-cannon, legs, whatever) is a breeze now. Its the consistency of conditioner and lasts forever. Its a little pricy so I'm sure I could just use regular old conditioner and not spend 20 bucks for some shave stuff, but I like it and it works.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I feel exactly the opposite - I did NOT love Coochy. I loved that it smelled like grapefruit and that it felt like conditioner, but then I just had to ask myself why I wasn't buying cheap ass grapefruit conditioner and using that instead. I didn't notice that it worked especially well against razor burn or ingrowns or anything.

      I just went to another Pure Romance party last week and bought some after shave spray stuff, mainly just to be nice to my bartender who is trying to branch out, so hopefully it works better than the Coochy!

      Delete
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  27. Threading was the worst experience of my entire life. I tried if because I have sensitive skin ans acne and thought it wouldn't break me out (wrong!) It took longer than waxing (and I have pretty bushy eyebrows) and was way more painful. Not to mention the traumatizing view of a lady with thread in her teeth going up and down near my face. Oh man, I'm going to have a nightmare tonight. Now I just tell my stylist that I have skin issues and no longer really break out when I get waxed (although I've had some horrible experiences with that...like being burned and having a bald spot waxed into my brows.) I tweeze but it seems over night they all grow back at some point so I wax every 6-8 weeks.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I used to wax my lady bits (and it's true, the nerve endings sort of give up on pain once they figure out you're not giving up on hurting them) and I SWEAR by Bliss's Poetic Waxing kit (pricey, but lasts a long time). BUT. Then I got lazy and didn't do it for a long time, then I got a Mirena. As it turns out, hormonal birth control totally killed my rock star pain tolerance. I miss the smoothness of my situation, but I can't handle the pain. I own an epilator and keep thinking about attempting that, but I know that's going to hurt like a mother for the first few months, too so I don't know if I can do it. And so I shave. (Big fan of EOS shaving cream--good consistency, moisturizing, not super expensive.)

    ReplyDelete
  29. I shaved my nether regions for years. Always ended up with ingrown hairs and the occasional nasty-ass abscess that I would lance myself (I'm a picker). Ewww. So, a few months ago I took the leap and had a full Brazilian (that includes the butt crack)! I LOVE IT. Once hair starts to grow back in, I just use the shower puff to exfoliate. Throw on a little Cetaphil lotion and voila! The worst parts of being waxed...first time hurts horribly (and the pain/soreness hangs around for a couple days), it's weird to have some chick all up in your crevices, and you have to get on all fours like a dog to get the butt hair. However, my waxer is uber professional and doesn't make me feel awkward at all; plus the pain diminishes with each session. Best part? No ingrown hairs - not a damn one in the 3 months I've been doing this. Amazing. BTW, I'm not a size 2 either - I'm a size 12 and I've had 2 babies, so my waxer does see stretch marks, fluffy tummy, etc and she doesn't care. It's just a job to her and she said the salon has better things to talk about than the clients va-jay-jays.

    ReplyDelete
  30. I got MRSA from shaving when I was 18 and was in the hospital for three days getting intravenous antibiotics. 6 months later, I got two more skin infections (though not ones that required the hospital.) Needless to say, I don't shave any more (and BELIEVE ME, no one notices. I worked in a financial firm for a year and no one gave a shit.)

    I do, however, still trim my pubic hair. I just use one of those "trim style" guys and get a new one every so often. It's infinitely better.

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  32. I work for our local college's health clinic and I would say we see at least four of five girls a month who have burned their crotches with wax or gave themselves pretty nasty chemical burns, or my personal favorite, putting too much wax on, letting it harden and gluing their poons shut. On the flip side, we also have a fair tally of dudes who have cheese grated their balls into cellulitis or MRSA from shaving. It would be like trying to shave your elbow skin, why would you do that?
    I always recommend the Noxzema Bikini Shaver after a deforestation catastrophe. They're pretty awesome and you don't end up with razor burn.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. when i had my daughter, after i was released and she was still in the NICU, i was going back to the parking garage to go home and there was a girl who was a complete wreck. it turned out she had just been released from the hospital after getting MRSA in one of her butt cheeks, and had to core her butt out. they released her on a sunday night and she thought she was going to take the bus home, and i walked by just as she realized the bus didn't run at that time on sunday night. i gave her money to get a cab home and now i always think about MRSA and am convinced i am going to catch it all over my butt and crotch all the time.

      Delete
    2. Jesus Natalie, I just read an article about MRSA and hot tubs/pools and now this, and now I am TERRIFIED OF EVERYTHING.

      Delete
    3. tell me about it, kelly! don't ever look on youtube at videos of people popping their MRSAs... or, you know, go ahead and look, which is what i do. they are so dumb to not understand that they are popping MRSAs in their dorm rooms and shit and getting MRSA on fucking everything.

      Delete
    4. Through no fault of my own I got MRSA in my tear duct system. I have tear stones in my left eye system, and have had to had two surgeries to correct this. But the first time round I woke up with a swollen shut eye and no amount of meds was fixing this painful/scary problem causing them to conclude that I had a drug resistant MRSA just chilling really close to my brain so I had emergency surgery. The most fun part was all the drugs ended up giving me a kidney infection from hell which put me back in the hospital for a week right as I was about to get my stint out. MRSA scared the shit out of me.

      Delete
  33. I used to shave my bits, but you get nicked once and that is the end of that. Now I get a full brazilian when I have the money, mostly because I am lazy and don't have to worry about my junk for a month or so. Tips for anyone thinking about doing it: don't do it yourself. It will hurt and, if you are like me, you will do one tiny little section and say "fuck this noise". If you are paying someone a lot of money to violently rip your the hair off your bits by the roots, you will tough it out. And it does get better and the pain doesn't last very long. Tip number two: never let hard wax anywhere near your fun bits. It is an evil instrument of the devil used only sadists. Whatever pain you feel with warm wax with the cloth strips will be increased a hundred times.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Ok, so this is probably a terrible comparison, but there is this children's book "Henry's Awful Mistake"- where Henry the duck goes absolutely crazy trying to get rid of this ant that is hanging around his house. Henry does everything he can to get rid of the ant, ends up ruining his house, and the ant survives. This book reminds me of this stupid hair on my chin. It will be the death of me. One. Single. Hair. Every time it grows back (and I swear it is like the fastest growing hair in the world) I pluck it, and I immediately end up getting a zit there. Then I end up putting too much stuff on the zit trying to get rid of it, and it makes my whole chin break out. Then when it finally clears up, the hair is back. My facial lady has tried to get me to use something called "Tend Skin", but there is something about the packaging that makes me think it does not work at all-- has anyone used this?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. P.S. I have a huge gross-out tolerance, but the shaving scene in Cabin Fever is the only time I have ever had to look away from a movie.

      Delete
    2. I have the same hair. One frickin' hair that grows on my chin. The first time I saw it the thing was long and curly... I hate it. I call it the evil hair because that's what it is. I used to have the same problem with plucking it and then my face would throw a fit from seperation anxiety or something and break out. For about the past six months or so I pluck it right after I wash my face so my skin is warm, clean, and soft. Then right after I pluck it I stick an ice cube on that spot. It helps close the spot up so no gunk can get in and infect the area. It works pretty well for me and the ice cube is free.

      Just a suggestion of course but it's worth a shot.

      Delete
    3. i got that hair, too. mine is on my jaw line, about an inch and a half right of center. I usually let it go because it's a little bit more on the underside of my jaw than on my face proper, but when i pluck it all hell breaks loose.

      Delete
    4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    5. Tend Skin is pretty legit. I've never used it on my face, though. But I use it after I get a bikini wax or shave the downstairs mix-up and it really cuts down on the ingrown hairs.

      Delete
    6. Tend Skin works pretty well. The main ingredients are rubbing alcohol and aspirin. Aspirin is an anti-inflammatory and rubbing alcohol is a disinfectant. So, it basically keeps things clean and reduces inflammation, which helps prevent ingrown hairs and the like. I think there might be other ingredients to counteract the drying effects of the alcohol, but that's basically it. Also, yeah, the packaging is ridiculous.

      Delete
    7. I know a bunch of burlesque dancers (read: ladies who shave and wax their cash & prizes to kingdom come on a regular basis) and they swear by Tend Skin. But you have to use it like a regular part of your skincare routine. Think of it as toner for your vag.

      Delete
    8. Anonymous3/01/2013

      whatever you do, make sure your junk area is COMPLETELY DRY before applying tend skin... or you will regret it.

      Delete
    9. When I first found it, I called it the evil neck hair. One single hair-BLACK even though I'm a natural blonde-10 feet long stabbing out the side of my neck. Over 10 or so years since that first one, it is now FOUR evil neck hairs and what I like to call my "beards", which are four or five stupid chin hairs (mostly on my underchin because why be easy to find?!). Getting old sucks. And you KNOW I look for them every day and they are NEVER THERE until they are 10 feet long and your gay bf is all "GIRL, your NECKHAIRRRRRS" in the lunch line at work. Glad I'm not alone.

      Delete
    10. Tend Skin is TOTALLY Vag Toner and it stinks.... but if you are committed enough to use it everytime you shave, it does work. I am too lazy to use it and haven't done any ladyparts landscaping since the spring anyways and oh.god.why.am.i.still.typing????

      Delete
  35. i wax all my hairs off. apart from my pits (because my pit hair grows really, really fast, and it bums me out to shell out like 10 brazilian buckos for something that'll grow back in less than a week) and my eyebrows (i pluck 'em at a fancy-ass eyebrow plucking place every two months and pluck it myself occasionally)
    but yeah, i once decided to try out the whole kid's vag look (because, seriously, i felt like i was 10 all over again). i waxed everything off, and not only did i almost pass out from the pain, i was sweaty and gross and everything felt moist all the freaking time. 0/10, would not try again. i wax the excess off because i feel it looks nice and i trim because it's weird to have a landing strip, but have long hairs that you can almost braid or whatever.
    i wax my moustachio off also, but it took me a while to find a certain specific type of wax that doesn't make my face freak out. it's a homemade wax, lemon and sugar and honey. it works super well, and i don't break out and whatever.

    i don't particularly mind bloggers that get paid to do reviews, but it really bothers me when they lie about it. also, when they don't really give their opinion, like you said. there's a particular youtube blogger i used to really like until she started doing ONLY reviews, and she liked everything she reviewed, but they never showed up in her monthly favourites, so it was obvious she didn't reeeeeally love the shit she tried out. anyways, as long as you're honest and are like "yeah, the company sent me this, and i liked it/disliked it and here's why"
    stay golden

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. i don't think there is anything wrong with getting stuff to review, and I would accept stuff to review, but i really hate how nobody gives an honest review. it is partially pressure from people giving freebies, and partially the bloggers being blinded by freebie lust and not wanting to be too harsh so they get more freebies from companies that think they are good review machines. either way, i'm a blogger not a advertising person, because if i worked in advertising, those fuckers would owe me a hell of a lot more than a tube of lipstick and a pat on the ass. i like buying my own stuff to review, because y'all are gonna pay your money for whatever stuff you get, so my reviews are from the same perspective as yours.

      Delete
    2. Oh man, I feel your pain about the long pubes. Not only are mine long, but they're STRAIGHT. And the hair on my head is curly. WHAT THE HELL?! So I don't do the landing strip thing, it just looks weird. I wonder if corn rows are an option...

      Delete
  36. Ham Sandwich? That just made my soul sad. . . . and for goodness-sake, you DO NOT shave that area! you wax it! every 4 weeks. . . . it's a wonderful gift to yourself (and your partner), and is especially great if you run or ride a bike, etc. . . you know what I mean. . .

    ReplyDelete
  37. I've found a handful of beauty bloggers that review things honestly (meaning they frequently give scathing reviews), and also don't only review ridiculous high-end garbage that I am not going to waste my money on. Which is probably also related to the fact that they seem to buy most of the things they review themselves (and they are clear about what they've been sent for free). But yeah, there are like 4 or 5 of these that I can stand, in the middle of the hundreds of other useless blogs. Have you seen the Beauty and the Bullshit blog about all the nonsense makeup marketing people try to feed you? Some of it is obvious, but some of it is revelatory.

    ReplyDelete
  38. What if you want your eyebrows lighter? I saw an episode of What Not to Wear where they had this chick with pale coloring like me, hair a few shades lighter than her eyebrows, and they were like "We're going to bleach your eyebrows to open up your face!"
    They took facial hair bleach and used it for half the normal time or 7 seconds or something and it looked sooo good! But when I watched it, this was like 10 years ago and I was 17 and my mom was like "Hell no! That won't work." Do you guys think that would work?
    Because it really looked good.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bleaching your eyebrows will work for approximate values of work. It depends on the color your brows start at and where you intend to go. Bleach can also bring out a lot of yellow/orange tones you don't even know are in your hair until you start stripping it.

      For eyebrow bleaching, I'd go professional (at least the first time) unless you're a certified BAMF--because the most important Worst Case Scenario Rule of at-home bleach jobs is: "don't put bleach on any section of hair you're not comfortable with accidentally melting off and rinsing down the sink."

      Another thing to try is using blonde hairdye on your brows. I've used various shades of ash blonde (the dye has a purple tone, which counteracts yellow/orange in the hair) and been happy with the effect. If you do this, just mix equal parts color and developer (I've never needed more than a couple teaspoons total to do my brows).

      Delete
    2. Get it profesionally done.
      Trust me on this , from personal experience.:/

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  39. Also, I'm not big on shaving because my skin is too sensitive and since my leg hair's pretty fine, I pretty much just do my pits.
    But whenever I do shave I use the mens round soap in a mug that you lather up with the brush, like on looney tunes or a barber shop. It seems better than shaving cream to me and it's more economical. You should give it a try.

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  40. I am a very fair-skinned lady with A LOT of dark hair. For pubic hair, I like to get a bikini wax. I do not have any sexual motivation for it. I like to swim at my gym a couple times a week and I also live near the beach. If my pubic hair was showing when I wear a swimsuit I would be really embarrassed, just like I was that time when it happened at the public pool when I was 13...I am just as self-conscious about showing razor burn in my swimsuit. I get the worst razor burn if I shave it. It is so uncomfortable and itchy and bright red for about 3 days. The waxing is definitely uncomfortable but it is quick (maybe a minute for just the bikini line), and then that's one less thing to worry about for a couple weeks.
    Now, as a lesbian I can say that if I had to choose between getting intimate with a girl with a big soft bush and girl who shaves it I would pick the bush! I like women that look womanly....and shaving just leads to a 5 o'clock shadow stubble, that kind of makes me feel like I'm licking an armpit. It's also generally coarse and can cause some road rash. Although either way it's not hard to get excited about it.

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  41. Bikini Zone doesn't work to get rid of red bumps, at all.

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  42. http://www.nataliedee.com/091308/ A comic highly relevant to our chat :)

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  44. Anonymous3/01/2013

    Epilators for legs and crotch periphery, else this could be invoked:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84qUAWT8jVk
    Armpits: shaved. Face: chin plucked (part time job, shout-out to comdedienne Sarah Millican and all that) and the rest of it ignored.
    Blogs: let's all now make fun of Liana Beauty (liana-beauty.blogspot.com) cos she does lots of hair how-to posts and never has the top of her head in photos, plus does the "WILL YOU BE BUYING THE THING FOR FORTY-FIVE POUNDS THINGY THAT IS LIKE HALF AN OUNCE OF POINTLESS CREAM?"

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  45. I usually use conditioner to shave my crotch and finish up with jojoba oil. I dont have anything against having hair (I'm pretty sure my boyfriend is made of at least 40% body hair), but I'm a pervert who thinks it feels better during sexy time and if I let it go, it goes through an awkward phase where it rubs up against the sensitive parts and hurts like hell. I'd be the worst cavewoman; without glasses I'm blind, and my own body hair hurts me. I imagine my cave-lady self sitting on a rock, scratching my crotch, unable to see the saber tooth tiger 4 feet away from me getting ready to enforce the rule of survival of the fittest.

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  46. I'll also add it helps to use a washcloth or some other rough cloth to rub the stubble, breaking the hairs that want to be ingrown or pissed off out of the skin. I got the idea from an article I read on how a barber shaved a guy's face.

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  47. I soft wax my bits during swimsuit season, but for the most part leave it neatly vintage. I am also in the "complete lack of pubic hair is creepy" (and itchy as hell when it grows back in) camp.
    Shaving my armpits gives me nasty ingrown hairs every time, but leaving it au natural just makes me feel gross and stinky (I could have taken after my mom, who only has twelve hairs per pit, but nooo, I had to take after my dad, and end up with light skin, dark hair, and two hairs per follicle). So I've found waxing works best for me. It hurts more if I go start up again after going for a while without waxing, so I do it year round. I use a salt scrub to keep it smooth (tend skin also works well, but I hate the smell), and after a while I'm only waxing once every month or so. You do have to grow your hair out about a quarter inch to get a good wax though, so that sucks.
    I'm thinking of buying an at-home laser hair remover (or getting it done at a spa) once I save up enough, but I always seem to find other things to spend money on instead, and end up dipping into my Armpit Fund.
    I used Nair on my legs once, and ended up with dry, burnt stubble, so these days I just use one of these http://www.cvs.com/shop/product-detail/CVS-6-Blade-Razor-for-Women?skuId=485619. Six blades seems a little ridiculous, but it really does work better than the 3-blade Venus Deluxe, and it's super cheap. Only problem is it's CVS brand, so that's the only place you can get it (it's not even on amazon).

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  48. What are these at home hair removal lasers? Anybody have one or any comments on them?

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    1. MeghanMc - there is one I've been looking into call Tria. http://www.trytria.com/ It's expensive as hell (don't let the front of the page fool you...$85? That's not the total cost. That's PER MONTH for 6 months or so), but I've heard really great things about it, and have pretty much decided that I'm going to give it a try.

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    2. Here are some other brands, too. I've heard good things about the Silk'n SensEpil.

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  49. Thanks for this post!! I've always had facial hair (I'm half southern Italian), and as a young teenager, it was the bane of my existence. My mom never let me pluck or wax when I would ask her, but finally when I was 12 my aunt gave us a box of creme bleach. (Gave "us" because my mom has the same problem, but somehow just doesn't give a fuck!)
    I started buying my own wax strips when I was in high school. I sometimes get irritated by waxing, especially on my eyebrows. I do it very sparingly-once every couple of months, and just tweeze or bleach between waxings. I sometimes do it myself with those little strips but I really suck at it. I'll go to a salon and pay $7 to get my lip waxed three or four times a year. I'm 26 now, and in the last year or so I managed to get PCOS. I didn't have to wax or pluck so much when I was on birth control, but now I can't take BC because I get migraines! So I just have to deal with the hair and the acne :S
    I'm curious about that trimmer though! That might be something I could use for sure.
    Thanks so much for the post, Natalie! I love your honesty.

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    1. Oh! Re: lady hairs: I used to shave just a bit of the sides so it wouldn't poke through a swim suit. When I was 21, I got a brazillian wax. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would, but it was expensive, and shaving there DOES create problems. I do sometimes (and when I do, I make a huge mess in the shower... ack!) but then I let it painfully grow out. My boyfriend really doesn't seem to care, and I'm not about to do something to my body just to please someone. And no one should!

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  50. I bought the "SILK'N Flash&Go Permanent Hair Removal Device" from Sephora a while back when it was more expensive and now it's $299. I love it, you just apply it to the area's of your choice once or twice a week for a month or two and the hair is virtually gone, although it's costly, it's really made my life a whole lot easier. I just got a $40 replacement cartridge for free because of a promo code from http://www.sephoradaily.com

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  52. I am a compulsive hair remover. I'm also half Greek and half Roma ('gyspy'), so I'm hairy as hell. I shave my pits, legs (below and above the knee), and my arms - yes, below and above the elbow as well. The truth of the matter is, if I don't, I get all wolfman and IMO it just looks nastee. When I worked as a lifeguard as a teenager, I used to tan up nice and the sun would bleach all the hairs, and everything was good. But now that I work a boring office job and am subjected to law student drudgery during the school year, all the hair stays black, so I just remove it.

    I got my ladystache done my senior year of high school with a laser treatment - well, like six laser treatments. It barely comes in now, and I can't lie, I just shave off whatever is left. I wax the eyebrows - my grandmother used to be a beautician, and she sort of just gave me her old salon waxing kit when she retired. It works so well, and my body usually responds really well to wax. Post wax, I rub Cortisone / Benadryl / allergy cream into the skin, because it prevents the redness and the breaking-out bits afterwards.

    I'm a law student, so right now, the ladybits are full vintage. Because nobody is going to see them (I don't date fellow law students because they are mostly SOCIOPATHS). When I swim at the gym (LOL like never because what is the gym, even), I'll make sure to trim the sides to there's no seaweed effect when I frog kick.

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  53. Does the facial hair trimmer for removing fuzzies (and in my case, dozens of single hairs that grow inches long) make the hair grow back coarse and more quickly?

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  54. I've never tried waxing, but I compulsively shaved everything all the time. I hate the feeling of hair, and more importantly, of hair growing in. So for a long time the story of my life was razor burns and little red bumps and discomfort and annoyance and lamenting over why my hair grows so fast and feels so itchy. SO. I got laser hair removal and never looked back. I'm midway through my treatments and it is like a MOTHERFUCKING MIRACLE. Hairless underarms! Hairless meat curtains! Hairless legs! No shaving, and therefore no bumps or ingrown hairs! It's magical. Swamp ass and/or swamp vagina has never really been a problem, so I suppose I am lucky in that respect. I will say that the only place I've found hair removal to be painful is on the pubic bone and around my ankles. Otherwise, I could fall asleep while the lady does it. Or I would like to, but she is real chatty. The cost was pretty hefty, as in $2400, but that includes upper and lower legs, my ham sandwich, underarms, butt, whatever you want! I'm on a payment plan, which makes it more affordable, and it's for unlimited treatments, which is really fucking excellent. I would recommend it to anyone!

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    1. Where did you go for your laser hair removal?

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  55. Sugaring, eh? How about that jazz?

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  56. Anonymous3/15/2013

    UHM I used to worry about having to be all crazy hairless and inoffensive, but I grow like five body hairs so I basically don't really worry about shaving my legs. Even if I wear shorts. If someone is close enough to see the FIVE leg hairs I manage to grow and they get offended then really, it's not my problem. At this point I don't think I've shaved my legs in two months and I wear shorts daily.

    I'M CLASSY.

    On top of that, I have extremely sensitive skin on my legs and shaving actually creates terrifying open sores and shit (*retch*) and so I try to minimize that as often as possible. If I do feel like I need to remove leghair for whatever reason, I usually try to either take an electric razor (which doesn't trim close to the skin but doesn't scrape off the top layers of your skin either), or I'll wax them if I feel like I want to spend two hours waxing like my shins and nothing else. I've actually never shaved my thighs or above my knees or anything, and I literally have like no noticeable hair their. Go me.

    As for my armpits, I was starting to get ingrown hairs and massive dark pits at age 26 and I heard that if you stop shaving your armpits and exfoliating it fixes the problems. The final push to move toward that lifestyle of no-shaving came when I developed a sudden allergy to basically all commercially available deodorants, and by the time the rash cleared up I figured I'd wax them to see how much I liked it. Well, I've been shave-free on my armpits for about 2+ months now and I absolutely love it. I even have my bestie waxing instead of shaving. About once every 10-15 days we actually wax each others armpits because hey.

    Why not.

    We're young and free and have known each other for 23 years. I guess that's a reason.

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  57. I've tried it all. And the only thing that has made me happy is a full on front to back wax. It's amazing. The first time hurts like hell. It was exactly like that scene from the 40 year old virgin. But after that it just got easie and easier and stopped growing back.

    But alas and alack, I currently do not have a boyfriend and see no reason to have a smooth silky front piece (that's what I call the front hairy area). All the hair has grown back. It's a little expensive, about $50/month, but the fact that there is no upkeep all month long keeps me happy.

    I'd love to get laser hair removal but I'm not a rich bitch so... I'll just have to wait. And who knows, maybe by then I will have grown comfortable with having a hairy front piece.

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  58. Very well said. These tips are really amazing. I appreciate it for sharing them.
    Cuidado de Mancha en la Piel

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  59. Skin Plus Clinic Delhi a leading beauty center for laser hair removal in gurgaon and age management treatments in Delhi.

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  61. Anonymous2/17/2014

    wow!! this is the best blog for laser hair removal really helpful post thanks for sharing this and also i wanna suggest you one site for LASER HAIR REMOVAL

    http://www.newlookdayspaandlaser.com/laser.html

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