If your social media feed is anything like ours, chances are you can't scroll through without stopping and swooning over someone else's new ink. And thanks to the recent exposed shoulder trend, we've been seeing more and more shoulder tattoos.
If you have a favorite wine, you probably know just where to point your cart in the booze aisle at Trader Joe's. But your favorite wine can also help you find the perfect bottle somewhere else: at the perfume counter.
When it comes to tattoos, chances are you want to be unique — after all, it's a form of individual expression. That said, certain types of tattoos (such as ankle tattoos) are so popular that it can be easy to feel like all the different tattoo ideas are cliché or overdone — but that definitely doesn't have to be the case.
You might think of body oils as being slick, sticky or heavy. Not so, say our reviewers. They report that they've found body oils that moisturize their dry skin as well as traditional lotions — without staining their clothes or leaving their skin greasy. And indeed, today the best body oils absorb quickly, hydrate even the driest skin and even impart skin with a healthy glow. What's more? Many the top-rated body oils are multipurpose and can be used on dry hair or cuticles as well as skin.
Whether you've had a baby, lost weight or simply grown during your lifetime, chances are you have stretch marks -- and that you've tried to hide them at some point. Perhaps they've prevented you from wearing your short shorts or rocking that itsy bitsy bikini on a hot summer day. But with an estimated 80 percent of Americans -- all varying in weight, age and parental status -- marked by tiger stripes, why are we all trying to live up to the statistically unrealistic standard of having baby smooth skin? Sure, you could spend countless hours trolling the internet for ways to get rid of stretch marks, but wouldn't you rather click through this slideshow of body positive women who might get you to see your stretch marks in a new way? No weird at-home remedies or overpriced laser treatments -- just pure, unfiltered confidence.
Cheap perfumes have always been the butt of jokes in beauty. Although some of the best mascaras, lipsticks and nail polishes can be found on drugstore shelves, we'd be happy to wipe certain cheap perfumes from our scent memories. (Mom: If you find my collection of Designer Imposter Perfumes in my childhood bedroom, please burn.)
We all love Lush bath bombs, but we're also well-acquainted with the fact that they can get expensive -- which is where DIY comes in, of course. It turns out that it's actually pretty easy to make your own bath bombs -- most are made with baking soda and citric acid (which is what makes it so satisfyingly fizzy) and not much more. Plus, with dozens of aromatic essential oils to choose from (not to mention fun add-ons, like cosmetic grade glitter and dried flowers), there's a ton of room for customization. That said, you can basically create the DIY bath bomb of your dreams with a little practice... and once you've perfected it, you can start gifting it to all your friends.
Our vaginas are dirtier, smellier and more toxin-filled than ever -- or at least that's what the personal-care industry leads us to believe. A quick Google search can acquaint you with more vaginal cleansing products and treatments than you probably knew existed. You can make your vagina smell like fruits and flowers with deodorizing washes, sprays, wipes and suppositories; clean it with probiotic douches; "detoxify" it with herbal sachets; balance its "hormonal levels" with a steam treatment; and "clear" your "chi pathways" by sticking a jade egg in it.
If the term "skin care" conjures images of complexion-correcting serums, scrubs, and all other kinds of magical, skin-saving sorcery, we're totally in the same boat. In fact, when it comes to our never-ending quest to attain an acne-free, lit-from-within, soft-as-a-baby's-bum glow, we've tried just about every product and gadget on the market. For our face, that is.
Before you even ask: No, CBD (short for cannabidiol) will not get you high. It's lacking in the psychoactive effects of its 420-friendly cousin, THC. But some evidence suggests the plant compound found in hemp and marijuana, two varieties of the cannabis plant, may ease pain, anxiety, sleepiness, inflammation, nausea, and, in the right dose from a doctor and in combination with other medicinal compounds found in the cannabis plant, may even treat everything from seizures to withdrawal.
We're the first to admit we have a serious addiction to bath products. There's just such a wealth of amazing body washes out there -- at really reasonable prices -- to resist buying one too many shower gels, creams or oils.
Women's body hair has been on the table for discussion and analysis -- as well as the pressure to do something with it -- pretty much since the dawn of time. Specifically, the female form in many ancient cultures has historically been shown as fully hairless from the eyebrows down. In ancient Egypt, shaving (with a sharp piece of flint, yikes) and sugaring were the preferred methods of hair removal, and in the Middle Ages, European women removed their eyebrows and forehead hair to create a larger brow.
For most of us, shaving isn't exactly the highlight of our beauty routine. If you're not armed with the best razor for women, razor burn, nicked skin and allergic reactions can be common occurrences. Fortunately, our trustworthy TotalBeauty.com reviewers have shaved their way through the masses to identify best razors on the market.
Bug bite season is upon us, but that's no reason to hide indoors. There are lakes to splash in, grills to fire up, and starlit soirees to mingle at. Sure, those red welts are unsightly -- not to mention uncomfortable -- but there are plenty of mosquito repellant products on the market to solve your bug bite woes. From natural insect repellants that'll suit most summer needs to DEET bug sprays approved for jungle territory (as well as effective DEET alternatives), here are our top 15 recommendations to keep you bug-bite-free in every situation.
For us, summertime is synonymous with barbeques, long nights, beach days, the brightest, punchiest shades of lipstick and breaking out our most adorable summer sundresses. For bugs, summer means one thing: dinnertime.
If you're sick of shaving and way over waxing, laser hair removal offers an appealing alternative, especially if there are parts of your body you'd prefer be fuzz-free for good. But since this hair removal M.O. isn't quite as simple as the others (and is admittedly pricier and more of a commitment), it's important to know your stuff before booking that hair-zapping appointment. Ahead, top experts answer any and every laser hair removal Q, including the most-asked one: Is laser hair removal permanent? Read on to find out.
If you're a tattoo aficionado of any type, chances are you've probably explored the wonderful world of tattoo artists' Instagram accounts. Their tattoo ideas are stunning, and Instagram happens to be a great way for them to showcase their artistry. Suffice it to say, it's easy to get sucked into some of the more mesmerizing accounts -- you can truly get lost for hours at a time.
Showers: If you're anything like us, you've developed a love/hate relationship with them over the years. Yes, they're totally essential to our hygiene and cleanliness (though sometimes our addiction to dry shampoo pushes some serious boundaries), yet all too often, what should be a slow and luxurious routine turns into a race against the clock. Convenience repeatedly overtakes indulgence. As we scramble to deep condition our strands, exfoliate our skin, and — if we must — shave our legs, it's easy to forget to enjoy the little things that can relax us before that frustrating 9am meeting or after an overly aggressive barre class.
Whether we like it or not, sunscreen is a must for all of us. And according to Heidi Waldorf, M.D., of Waldorf Dermatology & Laser Associates in Nanuet, NY, we need "an SPF of at least 15 daily." For prolonged sun exposure (anything more than the incidental exposure you might get from driving or working near a window), she recommends an SPF of 30 above with a water-resistant formula. She also suggests choosing a sunscreen containing titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, avobenzone or mexoryl as its active ingredient.
Beauty routines should be as restorative and fun as they are necessary — after all, there's a deep satisfaction in selecting a lipstick to pull together your look or patting in your beloved serums at the end of a long day. Even the not-so-glamorous process of using a nose strip to clear out your pores can be oddly satisfying, if just slightly off-putting.
