Send in your ideas and photos!

Hi everyone,

Thanks to those of you who have sent me experiment suggestions! Keep them coming! I can always use more ideas. Also, thanks to those of you who have emailed me to let me know you've tried (and hopefully liked) some of these remedies.

Please feel free to send me your own pictures and details on how these experiments worked for you and I'll be happy to post them on the blog.

Talk to you soon!

Leslie

The one I've been avoiding....

I'm overdue for a hair cut. I actually just made an appointment for next week:) But in the meantime, I'd rather not look like I stuck my finger in an electric socket. So, I need a quick fix to moisturize my hair and calm the frizz.

US magazine to the rescue, ahh. Actress Audrina Patridge (The Hills) said she once used a mayo hair mask, but her hair looked greasy for a week. I've heard about this remedy for a long time and, frankly, have avoided it. Mayo is reportedly also a safe remedy for lice since it doesn't subject children's scalps to harsh chemicals. But, unfortunately, it does subject them to mayonnaise. I hate mayo! I don't like it in my sandwiches and I wouldn't want it on my head. But a lot of people LOVE mayo, so I'll take one for the team.

So, as always, there's conflicting info online. Someone on Yahoo.Answers.com said it's a known fact that mayo is damaging to hair, but didn't say why. If anyone has more details on that, please let me know. But the overwhelming majority stands by the treatment. Apparently, mayo's ingredients are beneficial: vinegar (clarifies hair and helps with dandruff), olive oil moisturizes and seals hair and split ends (although Stephanie disagrees), and eggs have essential proteins that supposedly strengthen the hair follicle.

Here are the steps that came recommended by several sites:

Step 1: Apply the nasty goo from root to tip and convince yourself it's just conditioner. Yuck.

Step 2: Cover your hair with a plastic cap or grocery bag. I opted for the bag. At least this helps to conceal the smell.

Step 3: Wrap a hot, damp towel around the bag or cap for 10 minutes or so. This helps your hair absorb the moisture.

Step 4: Wash out all the goo and sigh with relief.

Bottom line: Where's the grease? I suppose my hair is softer, but I don't feel any heavy effects from the treatment....I guess that's good, right? I'm not sure if this experiment proves that mayo is a good conditioner or that my hair is made of straw and can't get enough oil. Try it at home and let me know how it works for you!

Update: It's the day after I treated my hair with mayo and now I see the grease. I don't think other people can see it. It made my dry hair normal, but I know it's there because my curls fell down and the frizz is 95% gone. This may be a good treatment afterall, especially for people with dry, frizzy hair!

What the H can we do about zits and wrinkles?

How is it you can be in your late twenties and still have pimples? How is it you can be in your early thirties and already have wrinkles? Fortunately for my wonderful boyfriend, Andrew, his subtle "wrinkles" look more like sophisticated symbols of his sexiness. Whereas my "pink lady bumps" are just....sad, and they must be destroyed immediately.

I read in US magazine (or was it People) that actress Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon (top) used Preparation H to zap away zits. I've always heard that old Hollywood starlets used to use the cream, as unappealing as that is, to shrink wrinkles.

As usual, I've found a lot of conflicting information online. Many people in chat rooms said they use it to shrink wrinkles and it helps. PeoplesPharmacy.com says, "Preparation H has been reformulated. It no longer contains Live Yeast Cell Derivative (LYCD). As a result, any reports about its power against wrinkles and other skin problems are probably no longer relevant."

So Andrew and I put it to the test-- although I hope his experiment doesn't work:)

Andrew spread the cream under his right eye and let it set for 10 minutes. He wants me to add that he was watching football while we waited. I smeared the cream across my forehead. We waited.......I felt nothing. Andrew felt his eye slightly tighten. We waited...I really don't like watching football. But then again, my boyfriend did put Preparation H under his eye:)

Ok time's up. And nada. His eye doesn't feel tighter and it doesn't look tighter. I didn't expect my "lady bumps" to go away in 10 minutes, so maybe they'll look better tomorrow. I'll let you know if they do. They do look slightly less red though!

Bottom line: Sorry starlets. No lines are filled here. But if you'd like to avoid numbing your expressions with Botox, I hear the original Preparation H formula is still available in Canada. If any Canadians want to send me a tube, feel free!!!

Not so risky hair dye

I had a request recently to write about hair dye. Thank you for caring enough to actually write in!.....Here it goes....

A friend of a friend who does hair and make up for CBS' Craig Ferguson Show and who used to tour with Kiss, once recommended that I use Natural Instincts semi-permanent hair dye to brighten up my do. Nice way of saying my hair was fried from the sun and needed help:) Although enhancing natural beauty isn't her usual goal at work (unless you find Gene Simmons to be naturally beautiful), she knows a lot more about this stuff than I do!

I tried it a while back and loved it. My friend, Hollis, tried it and loved it. So my cousin, Natalie, was in town and volunteered her head for the latest experiment. Great news especially since we all have different hair types!

Step 1: Comb and slightly dampen hair
Step 2: Separate hair into small sections and apply dye to roots
Step 3: Add more dye throughout hair and comb it through evenly
Step 4: Realize you should have applied Vaseline to her forehead and ears. Oops. Sorry Natalie.

Step 5: Wait 10 minutes then wash it out.

Voila! Beauteous maximus!

Bottom line: This formula in particular adds shine, brilliance, and makes the coarsest hair soft. The best part is it naturally fades away over a month or two rather than growing out from the roots like permanent dye. Its a great way to try a new color without having to pay an arm and a leg or commit to monthly root fills.

The "Ins 'n outs" of big hair

Hi Ladies,

So, I got a few quick tips from my hair stylist, Stephanie Ames, who works at the IBIS Salon in Richmond. For those of you with thick, curly hair who are currently losing the "humidity hates me" battle or worse, are suffering from the 1991 "I wanna look like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman" syndrome, take Stephanie's advice and try New York's latest "In and Out" cut. I'm not aware of all the techniques involved, but I think it has to do with scoping your hair into a C shape on the sides and trimming the ends with alternating "in and out" cuts (meaning the scissors are directed toward and away from the head).

Although the cut tapers heavy ends and thins out bushy hair, which makes hair easier to straighten, it's really meant for curly hair. I'd show you my hair, but I haven't styled it today and would hate to misrepresent Stephanie's good work. So here's Sarah Jessica Parker. (This is the pic I showed to Stephanie).

And another tip from Stephanie to anyone who wants to add a pop of color to their hair, but wants to avoid the cost of filling in roots every 4 weeks. Add highlights underneath the crown of your hair so it peeks through even with your hair down, but doesn't require ongoing maintenance. Please note, this is NOT the method where you bleach the top half of your hair and dye the bottom half black....Please don't do that:)

And a special congratulations to my friend Catherine Hoose on the delivery of her baby girl, Jane:)

Aspirin for Acne: Part II

Hi Ladies,

So, I repeated the aspirin mask experiment a few times and here are the results:

The mask will exfoliate your skin, leaving it smooth and a little dry. The "bug bites" on my face have faded, but they are still visible.

Bottom line: If you're in a pinch and don't have your favorite exfoliator on hand, try the aspirin mask. But don't rely on this method to zap away your face's "pink accessories" the night before a first date, a job interview, or "the big day."

Aspirin for Acne?

So, my face broke out...again. I read online that aspirin masks are a cheap treatment for acne as it includes a beta-hydroxy acid, which is commonly used in brand facial products. Since my skin decided to produce a pink accessory to my face every hour on the hour today, I decided to put aspirin to the test. After another trip to CVS, I bought a bottle of aspirin, took out four tablets and added 1/8 tablespoon of water. They slowly dissolved into a sandy paste.

Word of caution: Apply over a dish so the grains don't drop on the floor!

After my face was covered with the mess, I let it sit for 15 minutes. You can add cucumbers to your eyes for a spa-like experience, but make sure your sister's dog isn't there to eat them off your face! I digress...

At first there was a gentle cooling sensation-- nice!...Followed by a severe dryness. Eww. Then the mask started to crumble off my face, so it was obviously time to wash it off.

Scrub. Scrub. Ouch! Turns out the apirin paste is also a strong exfoliator that leaves your face red, firm, but dry. Moisturizer needed!

Stay tuned: I'll repeat this experiment three more days in a row and will report the results on Friday. Hopefully my break out, or as I like to call my "bug bites" will all be gone!

Please Note: If you are allergic to aspirin, your skin may react badly to this remedy.

Mega-T Update: After last week's blog about Mega-T, my boyfriend started taking one supplement a day and has lost over 3 pounds in the last 7 days. It's probably water weight, but ever pound counts!