Product Fiend

The New York Times has a new Skin Deep out, but it's not your usual skincare article fare. No folks, that's because one Manhattan gyno, Dr. Lauri Romanzi, has been busy thinking, er, inside the box (ha) and unveiled this gem: Phit, short for pelvic health integrated techniques, "dedicated to strengthening and grooming a woman's genital area."

Um, yeah.

Basically, it's like the gym meets your Pap smear. I dunno. Is it just me or does this sound like a terrible idea? I mean, when the cost of basics like food and oil have skyrocketed, are ladies really looking to hire a personal trainer for their vaginas?

Discuss.
]]> http://productfiend.com/2008/07/a-spa-for-your-lady-parts.php http://productfiend.com/2008/07/a-spa-for-your-lady-parts.php ENOUGH ALREADY New York Times Skin Article Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:00:00 -0500 A "CLASSY" IDEA FOR A NEW TATTOO

What's up with all the random tattoo news lately? There was that pixelated ink, then Angelina taught us how to DIY tat. We certainly never thought we'd see anything quite so very innovative as that cool dude who decided to give his girly tat silicone implants, but leave it to the folks over at Trend Hunter to hap upon this genius idea: the inner ear art.
]]> http://productfiend.com/2008/07/a-classy-idea-for-a-new-tattoo.php http://productfiend.com/2008/07/a-classy-idea-for-a-new-tattoo.php SKIN TRADE tattoos Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:00:00 -0500 FROM DAILYBEDPOST.COM: HOW DO YOU WEAR YOUR PUBIC HAIR?
more at DailyBedpost.com>>]]> http://productfiend.com/2008/07/from-dailybedpostcom-how-do-yo.php http://productfiend.com/2008/07/from-dailybedpostcom-how-do-yo.php LET'S TALK ABOUT Pubic Hair Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:00:00 -0500 SPA AQUATIQUE IS HORRIFIQUE ON SKIN

Image via Walgreens

I tend to judge a line overall on the strength of its cleanser and, so far, it's a rule of thumb that has served me well. After all, if you can't get something as basic as the cleanser right, why should I trust you with my zit zapping or to combat the immortal foe (The Crevice) that lives in the middle of my forehead? I had such amazing results with Walgreen's Yes To Carrots that I couldn't resist sampling some of their European Beauty Collection, specifically Ocean Biotechnologie's Spa Aquatique Regenerating Cleansing Milk.
]]> http://productfiend.com/2008/07/spa-aquatique-is-horrifique-on.php http://productfiend.com/2008/07/spa-aquatique-is-horrifique-on.php DRUGSTORE COWGIRL Cleanser Walgreens Wendy Thu, 03 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0500 SAVANNAH BEE ROYAL JELLY BODY BUTTER

Image via Savannah Bee

"It's been hand-squished out of a bee's backside. And not any old bloody bee. It's the bloody Gucci of bees, darling." --Eddy Monsoon, Absolutely Fabulous

And so marked our introduction to royal jelly, if not just a little skewed by the small-screen queens of British comedy. But we know better now.

Royal jelly is a precious by-product of bees, pumped full of vitamins, proteins, fats and amino acids. Lucky for us non-bees, the Savannah Bee Company has combined the superfood with beeswax, propolis (the sticky resin bees use to seal cracks in their hives) and pecan butter to create a luxuriously rich body treat, housed within a sleek glass jar, further encased within an adorable (giftable) red box. A first whiff greets you with the delicious scent of blackberry, but we promise you won't end up smelling like a jar of jam. The formula quickly sinks in to reveal a faint hint of sweetness and--more importantly--soft, soft skin.
]]> http://productfiend.com/2008/07/savannah-bee-royal-jelly.php http://productfiend.com/2008/07/savannah-bee-royal-jelly.php OBSESSION OF THE DAY body butter royal jelly Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:00:00 -0500 DERMALOGICA DELIVERS IN TEENY TINY PRETTY-MAKING CAPSULES

Image via Dermalogica

I've been knocked flat on my back with the most dreadful of maladies: the summer cold. Although really, I think "cold" doesn't adequately explain what I had. I could only stumble from bed to sofa and back again, unable to concentrate on the television and I found myself reading full pages out of the insipid but gloriously vacuous Gossip Girl novels (yes, they are from the Teen section at Barnes & Noble and I do not CARE), not understanding what I had just read. I would've thought that I caught that zombie disease, except that my flesh wasn't rotten; in fact, it was downright glowing. It was probably the 103-degree fever, but it just might have been my recent obsession with Dermalogica's Multivitamin Power Concentrate. Each little pod contains one day's serving of all the vities that keep you pretty: C, E, A and a bunch of grapefruit, orange and lime peel oils that seem to soothe my rosacea's savage beast. If it weren't for the tell-tale red nose and persistent sniffles, I'd swear that I was ready for my close up, even without make up. And that? Just doesn't happen.
]]> http://productfiend.com/2008/07/dermalogica-delivers-in-teeny.php http://productfiend.com/2008/07/dermalogica-delivers-in-teeny.php AGELESS Anti-Aging Dermalogica Wendy Wed, 02 Jul 2008 17:30:00 -0500 SPORTS ILLUSTRATED SWIMSUIT EDITION DATABASE

I collect vintage magazines, so maybe this is only exciting to me, but Sports Illustrated now boasts a digital archive where you can view covers of the infamous editions from 1964 to 2006. It's sheer swimsuit model anthropology: I'm pretty sure the cover girls of the 1960s would be considered "fat" by current standards, and it's clear one look never goes out of style--Elle "The Body" McPherson. Plus there are greatest hits like the cool 1984 Paulina Porizkova cover, the 1980 Christie Brinkley (sheesh, she still looks the same!), and the triple threat of swimwear superstars Kathy Ireland, Elle McPherson and Rachel Hunter all on the same 1994 cover.

Plus, you can order re-prints of your favorites. So awesome. It's all like, more American than apple pie, no?
]]> http://productfiend.com/2008/07/sports-illustrated-swimsuit-ed.php http://productfiend.com/2008/07/sports-illustrated-swimsuit-ed.php CELEBRITY SKIN Body Image Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:30:00 -0500 BEAUTY AMBUSH:LIP TREATMENT
Saryn Chorney and Nathalie DiNoia ambush another victim in need of softer lips.
]]> http://productfiend.com/2008/07/beauty-ambush-lip-treatment.php http://productfiend.com/2008/07/beauty-ambush-lip-treatment.php LIP SCHTICK Lip Balm Lip Treatment lipstick Sally Hansen Valmont Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:00:00 -0500 THE SWEET SMELL OF FREEDOM

Image via Drugstore.com

Folks with allergies and other skin sensitivities will cherish Desert Essence Organics brand new totally fragrance-free line of skincare products. It's a full meal deal, too: the complete line includes shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and body lotion, so you don't have to tip-toe through the aisles reading every label and sniffing products on the DL. Personally, I'm looking forward to trying them out because while I (thankfully) don't have crazy sensitive skin, I don't like it when my body lotion makes me smell like apples or whatever, right?

Oh P.S. It's also vegan, biodegradable, cruelty and wheat/gluten free. Sweet.
]]> http://productfiend.com/2008/07/the-sweet-smell-of-freedom.php http://productfiend.com/2008/07/the-sweet-smell-of-freedom.php IRRITATED Desert Essence Organics fragrance-free Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:30:00 -0500 MALE BIKINI WAXING SET TO SWEEP THE NATION!

Image via Hilly_Blue on Flickr

P. Diddy does it. So, apparently, does Jay-Z. And we're not just talking about Brazilians. It's all about the fuulll monty baby.

And why shouldn't they? It's about time men started to understand some of the pain and indignity that generations of women have endured in the name of "hygienic" grooming, (most specifically, we pour some out to the brave women who toughed out those pube torture chambers also known as the J.Sisters Spa and Salon in New York where this whole damn bald is beautiful craze began). Here's my prediction though: Once more and more dudes get wind of the fact that certain male private parts appear larger sans hair, this will be as big of a craze as the mullet was in Williamsburg a couple years back, but you know, nationwide.
]]> http://productfiend.com/2008/07/male-bikini-waxing-set-to-swee.php http://productfiend.com/2008/07/male-bikini-waxing-set-to-swee.php BOD SQUAD bikini wax Men's beauty Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:00:00 -0500 SKINCARE FOR BRIDES-TO-BE (& ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO LOOK AMAZING FOR AN EVENT)

Image via emsvangoth on Flickr

Derm to the stahhhs Jeffrey Dover and creator of the Skin Effects line--bringin' fancy clinical skincare to the affordable drugstore--just had his publicist send out a press release aimed at brides who want their skin to look shit hot for their wedding, but I think his timeline style advice applies to all of us who have an upcoming event (be it potentially life-changing or not) and want to feel the sweet control of preparedness coursing through our pores. I've summed up the important parts for you here, after the jump.
]]> http://productfiend.com/2008/07/skincare-for-bridestobe-anyone.php http://productfiend.com/2008/07/skincare-for-bridestobe-anyone.php SEASONAL REGIMENS bridal skincare Dr. Jeffrey Dover Skin Effects Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:30:00 -0500 DEALS OF THE WEEK: AMAZON, BATH & BODY WORKS, BEAUTYHABIT, TARTE

Image via Tarte

AMAZON BEAUTY:

Get a $10 instant rebate on purchases of $100 or more by entering promo code Beauty10 at checkout.

BATH & BODY WORKS:

The skincare behemoth is holding its semi-annual sale with markdowns up to 75% off. Select items from their signature collection (you betcha cucumber melon is in there) are just five bucks. Sale runs through July 6.

BEAUTYHABIT:

Receive a free sample of Diptyque's new trio of unisex colognes, created in honor of the line's first foray into fragrance 40 years ago, with any $75 purchase of Diptyque products. FYI: If you're unfamiliar with the French line and their gorgeous candles, trust us, the Bailles is a best-seller for good reason. Use promo code DIPTYQUE at checkout. Offer valid through July 8. While supplies last.

TARTE:

Purchase $50 worth of products online and get a free Sunburst Face Beaded Bronzing Lotion (a $28 value) when you enter promo code BRONZE at checkout (just don't forget to add it to your basket first). Offer valid through July 20. While supplies last.

]]> http://productfiend.com/2008/06/deals-of-the-week.php http://productfiend.com/2008/06/deals-of-the-week.php SKIN TRADE deals Mon, 30 Jun 2008 17:30:00 -0500 I'LL ALWAYS REMEMBER RUSLANA

Image via vngallery.blogspot.com

Fashion industry insiders are talking about the shocking apparent suicide of supermodel Ruslana Korshunova, an immeasurably beautiful 20-year-old French Elle and Russian Vogue cover model who leapt from her ninth-floor balcony in downtown Manhattan.

I will never forget the first time I saw Ruslana in a London fashion show, ethereal on the runway with her ridiculously long, fairy-princess hair and a melodic new band called Arcade Fire playing in the background. Backstage, I urged her not to cut it, even though I knew her agent would most likely eventually convince her to do so.
]]> http://productfiend.com/2008/06/ill-always-remember-ruslana.php http://productfiend.com/2008/06/ill-always-remember-ruslana.php AGELESS models Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:00:00 -0500 PERFECT BEACH SKIN

Image via Mario Badescu

Maybe it's vanity, or simply sheer paranoia, but I want my skin to look freakin' awesome at the beach, okay? So I'm not the thinnest twig on the shore, and my (lacking) assets in the chest department will never get me a swimsuit modeling contract, but this is one variable I can control, and I will. That's why I road tested Mario Badescu's excellent new Summer Shine Body Lotion this weekend.

Mario usually shies away from producing silly, frilly ancillaries, and I respect him for that. It's all about serious skincare, and that's something I can truly appreciate. So I wasn't exactly sure where this product was going or how it even fits into their collection, but after using it, I get it.
]]> http://productfiend.com/2008/06/perfect-beach-skin.php http://productfiend.com/2008/06/perfect-beach-skin.php BOD SQUAD body lotion Mario Badescu Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:30:00 -0500 BEAUTY SKOOLED: SKINCARE NEWS AROUND THE WEB

Image via Sephora

Even great skincare lines have some duds, but we're relieved BellaSugar found a summer hit this time 'round with one of our faves, L.A.-based (and LiLo-approved) Arcona.

The Chronicals of No-Nia continues its fourth week with Beauty Addict, and she's confused that it seems...to...be...working? And an insider in the comments gives us even more of a down-low on this Sephora best-seller.

Erika at Makeup Bag gets a tour of Kate Sommerville's posh, newly revamped clinic in LA, and walks away with some of her Nourish Daily Moisturizer.

All About the Pretty shares the wealth on a Shu Uemura friends and family discount this weekend. Sweeeeeet.

Sigh. Another L.A. spa far, far away from our Times Square digs. Ben at We Love Beauty introduces us to Kalologie Skincare and their new range of skincare products we, of course, really want now.

]]> http://productfiend.com/2008/06/beaty-skooled-skincare-news-ar.php http://productfiend.com/2008/06/beaty-skooled-skincare-news-ar.php SKIN TRADE deals Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:00:00 -0500