POPSUGAR BeautySource: 10 Tips For a Nearly Painless Bikini Wax

We're convinced only masochists look forward to a bikini wax, but the thing is, it doesn't have to hurt quite so badly. There are ways you can reduce the pain. If you're new to waxing, start out with a professional to see how it's done. After a few times, you might want to try doing it at home to save a few bucks. Either way, to learn how to keep pain at bay, keep reading.

• Plan to wax after your period. Your pain threshold is higher in the week after your period than beforehand. Think of it like this: if sappy commercials make you cry when you're premenstrual, having wax applied to your dainty bits certainly will.
• Lose your self-consciousness. Yes, a stranger is going to see you wearing, at most, a paper thong. Don't worry about offending her or feeling embarrassed. It's nothing she hasn't seen before. The less anxious you are, the less you'll worry about pain.
• Start off slowly. Your first bikini wax is not the

by Lexi Novak


WWD/George Chinsee Of all the things that make life just a little bit sweeter--DVRs, heated car seats, Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Collide--DNA testing doesn't exactly spring to mind, unless you dream of appearing on a dramatic paternity-reveal episode of Maury. Yet without it, couples couldn't screen their future children for medical disorders, and dog owners couldn't boast that their mutts are descended from Shiba Inus. Now, we can add a new benefit to the list: A company in Scotland has developed a test to determine whether people carry the genes that produce redheads, according to CBS News. All you have to do is spit into a plastic tube, send it off to ScotlandsDNA, and await your results.

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Apparently, it takes a couple who both carry the recessive gene to produce a wee ginger, and even then, there's only a 25 percent chance. But here's the cool part: Neither parent, as Amy Poehler and Will Arnett can tell you, need

by Alexandra Tunell


You see this freakishly split split end? It came from the head of an Allure editor. An editor with gorgeous, glossy, healthy-looking hair--and a bathroom full of damage-repair masks and heat-protecting serums. The lesson? Split ends happen to everyone. I asked hairstylist Ruben Colon of Sally Hershberger Salon how we can best minimize the damage. "Split ends happen primarily for three reasons," he says:

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1. Using the wrong comb or brush. "Never use a brush with wire or plastic bristles. I like the Mason Pearson brush because it has natural bristles that are gentle on hair and reduce breakage," Colon says. The only way to safely detangle hair is in the shower, with conditioner and a wide-tooth comb.

2. Wearing tight rubber elastics. "Go for nylon instead," he says. We love Emi Jay hair ties, which look just as good on your wrist as in your hair.

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3. Overdoing the heat styling

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Martha Stewart

Our favorite multitasker is serious about her skin care. While products are crucial (these have all won a coveted spot near her sink), it's just as much about process -- and discipline.

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Morning

Mask
Martha gets up at 5 a.m. to put on a facial mask for 30 minutes; she alternates between Yonka Gommage 305 ($42, dermstore.com), Susan Ciminelli Hydrating Gel Mask ($75, susanciminelli.com), and Mario Badescu Super Collagen Mask ($18, mariobadescu.com).

Cleanse
Then she jumps into a hot shower for seven minutes. The steam removes the mask. From the neck down, she uses Chanel Fresh Brightening Foam Cleanser ($60, chanel.com) or Mario Badescu A.H.A. Botanical Body Soap ($8, mariobadescu.com).

Tone
Next Martha tones: first in the form of a 20-second blast of cold water at the end of her shower and then with Mario Badescu Facial Spray ($7, mariobadescu.com), Yonka Lotion ($41,

Soft Curls! There are really a handful of ways to achieve soft and pretty waves in your hair and even more tools on the market claiming to create the sought-after look, but sometimes it's difficult to know which to use to get exactly what you want. And I'm 100% positive that if you watched the YouTube video of the poor girl trying to demonstrate how to use a tapered curling iron and burning her hair off in the process, you were a little timid to use your heat styling tools for a few weeks after or ever at all, but really, that should never happen. Please note, if you have fine hair and plan on using small sections of hair like the girl in the video did, please turn the heat down on your iron. Most newer irons and wands allow you to adjust the heat, which is what makes them work so well!

But if you know how to do it correctly, you can really achieve these soft and pretty waves in your hair with almost any of the available curling irons and/or wands as long as they're of the professional variety.

by Emily Kemp


Emily Kemp




















Backstage at the Marchesa bridal runway show, Gucci Westman, Revlon's global artistic director and makeup mastermind, gave models an angelic look that was meant to enhance their natural features. So, when you're planning how you want to do your makeup for your big day, keep some of Gucci's tips in mind--you probably don't need as much makeup as you think to look glowy and gorgeous!

1. Less is more.
"I was thinking of a beautiful bride and what she should look like in my mind. And I don't think you should ever really go too far from what you look like, or what your fiancé knows you as. So going with that, you should just enhance what you have as much as possible."

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2. Use primer! "First I did moisturizer, and then I did primer, which is an important step for a bride. It also helps keep the makeup longer. Using long-wearing products is not a bad idea. So I use the Colorstay shadows. I suggest liquid liner and also

Fitting a workout into your schedule is hard. You have to be a little "eye of the tiger" to make it happen sometimes. If you are squeezing it in during the day, you may not have time to work out, shower, and repeat your full beauty routine. Here are 7 products and tips to get you cleaned up and back at your desk looking presentable in just a few minutes.- By Sonya Lee Benham

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