How To Get Rid Of Your Funky Ink Tattoos

This stunning tattoo of a tiger belongs to stunning actress and new mother of twins, Angelina Jolie. Rumors say that Angelina has about a dozen tattoos. And she's not alone.

Tattoos can be beautiful works of art. And sometimes, the allure has worn off. In other words, you want to get rid of your funky ink.

But you're afraid of the pain, the time, and the big amount of money you need to rub away or zap away your tattoo.

Many women and men love their tattoos. And getting ink, is still hugely popular in this country. In the 1990s, tattoos were big business, and it appears that our love of ink, isn't fading away anytime soon. These Hollywood celebrities also love their tattoos: Kelly Ripa, Pamela Anderson Lee, Jessica Alba, Gisele Bundchen. Look at former Posh Spice cutie, Victoria Beckham. She sports 5 stars on her lower back. One for each family member. And she has her husband's initials 'DB' onthe underside of her left wrist.

But there might be a time you regret getting that big, ugly tattoo on your right thigh, for instance. Look at Angelina Jolie. Remember that unattractive 'Billy Bob" tattoo she was showing off on her left arm? That has since been lasered off, according to several reports. We're sure that her significant hunk other, Brad Pitt, wouldn't want to be staring at the Billy Bob tat each and every day.

To be honest, most plastic surgeons and dermatologists would advise you to undergo tattoo laser removal. That's the best method in ink removal. Yes, it can cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars up into the thousands of dollars, depending on the size and location of the tattoo, the number of visits involved, and so on. The lousy thing, medical insurance will not pay for tattoo removal since it is considered cosmetic in nature. Plus the procedure is a bit uncomfortable. Well, then again, they say that getting a tattoo is uncomfortable, too. (P.S. I don't have any ink).

During laser tattoo removal, the procedure causes the pigment in the ink to fragment, or break into smaller particles that are then removed by the body's immune system.

If you want to avoid a costly surgical procedure, you could try a chemical peel. Such peels are generally used on the face to rejuvenate the skin, and peel away dead, thick layers. The American Academy of Dermatologists suggests that chemical peels can also succesfully remove tats.

And then there is a fading cream for at-home tattoo removal. One of the popular brands is Wrecking Balm (1-800-671-3936). For about $200, you can get a 2-month supply that will slowly fade away your unwanted ink. No burning, and you can sign up for their 'risk-free trial.'

Some folks swear this balm works, but there are others who claim it doesn't live up to the hype.

Do your homework. Ask some friends with ink how they have removed unwanted tatoos. Visit a dermatologist or plastic surgeon, and show them your funky ink. Get their advice. And good luck.

Calvin's Secret Obsession Too Sexy For American TV

The sexy woman in the photo is actress Eva Mendes. This was the tamest image we could post here.

Eva is Calvin Klein's model for his newest fragrance, due out in mid-September. The women's perfume is called, Secret Obsession. It's been described as a 'floral oriental' scent.

Just one, tiny problem......the too steamy commercial has just been banned by American television networks. Coty, Inc. (the fragrance manufacturer) and the Calvin Klein company are fuming, of course.

But then again, everybody's talking about Secret Obssession, lovely Eva Mendes, Calvin Klein, and this too-hot-for television ad. In other words, super publicity. And when the sexy fragrance hits department store counters this fall, Secret Obsession is expected to gracefully rake in more than $120 million globally in just its first year.

The women's fragrance is exotic and sensual.
Top Notes feature: Plum, Rose, and Mace.
Middle Notes include: Egyptian Jasmine, French Orange Flower, and Tuberose.
Base Notes round out with: Burnt Amber, Cashmere Woods, Madagascan Vanilla, and Australian Sandalwood.

Let's not kid ourselves, Calvin Klein is a superstar fashion designer, who also happens to develop beautiful fragrances for men and women. He is a brilliant marketer, and he's been in the business for a long time.

Eva Mendes discusses why she was excited to be part of Klein's Secret Obsession fall ad campaign.

"To me, Calvin Klein has always represented sexiness and a freedom to express yourself," said Mendes. "That was especially important for me, because I felt very awkward during my teen years. When I was approached by Calvin Klein, I thought that it would be so satisfying for me to be part of a campaign where I could show women and girls that it's okay to be different. I remember when the Obsession ads with Kate Moss came out — I thought she was so gorgeous. Kate wasn't a conventional beauty, her teeth weren't perfect and she wasn't blonde; my friends and I could relate to that. If I could provide that encouragement for someone with the Secret Obsession campaign, that would be amazing."

Coty, Inc. realizes the star power of a new Calvin Klein fragrance.

"Obsession put Calvin Klein on the map in 1985 and continues to be an integral piece of the brand portfolio," added Michele Scannavini, president of Coty Prestige. "Over two decades later, we see it come full circle with Secret Obsession. While Obsession epitomized the overt glamour and sexuality of the Eighties, Secret Obsession will become the meaning of what is sexy today — more personal, sophisticated and intoxicating. Eva Mendes is a reflection of how things have changed over the past 20 years."

We're excited to wear this new fragrance, Secret Obsession. We have always loved his other Obsession. We are sure, this scent is going to go the extra distance!

For more information, visit: http://www.secretobsessioncalvinklein.com/.

Burt's Bees Is More Than Great Lip Balm

When many folks think of Burt's Bees, they are reminded of that wonderful, smooth, beeswax lip balm with the 'peppermint tingle.' But this proud American company is so much more than great lip balm.

Every beauty product Burt's Bees puts out, is natural and earth-friendly. As they say at their website:

"With Burt's Bees, what you see is what you get. To us, the word 'natural' means only one thing. It means 'harvested from nature.' And that is what we are."

We like the sound of that. And this is why we were so excited to sample Burt's Bees new Naturally Ageless skin care line. The bright red pomegranate fruit plays a key role in the creation of these fine 'ageless' beauty treatments. What's so super about pomegranate, you ask?

Pomegranates hold a lot of power in their small fruits. They are full of anti-oxidants, which in turn, battle the free radicals that damage and prematurely age our skin.

Also present in the 'ageless' formula, are more wonderful, natural ingredients to repair our skin:

White Birch Bark. The bark is taken from this tree and used in a purified , powdered extract. This bark treatment increases skin firmness.

Magnolia. This lovely flower has nice anti-inflammatory properties to it, and has the ability to reduce dark undereye circles.

Para Cress. The extract from this plant helps to smooth skin and relax expression lines.

Borage and Evening Primrose Oils. Oils from these flowers are full of Gamma Linolenic Acid. This essential fatty acid helps improve skin firmness and fight skin's aging effects.

Burt's Bees Naturally Ageless Collection includes:

Line Diminishing Day Lotion ($24.99, 2 oz.)

Firming Nite Creme ($24.99, 2 oz.)

Line Smoothing Eye Creme ($24.99, 0.5 oz.)

Intensive Repairing Serum ($24.99, 0.5 oz.)

The great thing about Burt's Bees, you can find them at your favorite stores...Target, CVS, Walgreens, and Whole Foods.

And there's a lovely scented hair care selection, too:

Very Volumizing Pomegranate & Soy Shampoo and Conditioner (7.99, 12 fl. oz.).

We love this entire Naturally Ageless skin care line. The beauty treatments are natural and feel so good being massaged into the skin. Our skin took on a healthy glow. We especially adore the Intensive Repairing Serum. That little number really smoothed our skin and seemed to soften our fine lines.

Kate Hudson Launches Eco Friendly Hair Care Line

Kate Hudson always looks red carpet-glam. And the blonde-haired Hollywood cutie never seems to have a bad hair day.

Can you have hair as shiny and bouncy as Kate's?

Yes, you can. We all can. Kate has joined forces with celebrity hair stylist David Babaii, and the two have worked for a couple of years now, putting the finishing touches on an eco-friendly hair care line, David Babaii for WildAid. We like that Kate and David love animals, and 10% of the profits will go to the animal conservation group, WildAid.

The David Babii for WildAid line has been out for just a few weeks now, and already, the buzz for the hair care products is big news.

Kate, 29-years-old, is proud of the affordable and gentle shampoos, conditioners, and styling treatments from her new hair care line. The brand is opposed to animal testing. And even the packaging is environment-smart. The hair products are packaged in 10% recycled containers.

"I'm not preaching about the environment, I'm just trying to educate people," Hudson says.

Kate, like her mom, Goldie, has a deep respect and love for animals. Kate recently filmed some commercials for her hair care line in Madikwe, South Africa, along with beautiful elephants, lions, and cheetahs.

"Watching animals in their most primal form, in their environment was an amazing experience," she says, recalling the thrill of sitting next to a purring cheetah.

David Babaii for WildAid features a 10-piece hair care line, ranging in price from $11.95 to $14.95. There's a product called, Volcanic Ash Sculpting Clay. Sounds wild and wonderful for the hair.

For more information, visit: http://www.db4wildaid.com/.

Certain Dri Really Keeps Your Underarms Sweat-Free

It's not an easy problem to bring up, especially for women. Underarm perspiration. There, we said it.

Anti-perspirants fight sweat. Deodorants tackle odor. Sometimes you might need both. But if you're really embarrassed by underarm wetness, then you need to use an anti-perspirant that is strong enough to stop excessive perspiration.

Some anti-perspirants contain an active ingredient, aluminum chloride. And a few years ago, there were a number of rumors circulating around the internet about aluminum chloride and its link to breast cancer. That frightened many women, and they quickly stopped using their heavy-duty anti-perspirant, and reluctantly went back to a milder deodorant. They still continued to sweat, but were convinced that anti-perspirants were cancer-causing beauty items.

Well, thank goodness the rumors were false. That's right...not true. We did some research on the aluminum chloride/breast cancer risk. The American Cancer Society concluded that, "none of these claims are true."

Even the highly respected Mayo Clinic did their own investigation:

Mayo Clinic Response
Current Question & Answer
Category: GynecologyTopic: Antiperspirants and breast cancer

Q. I've received numerous e-mails warning of the dangers of using anti-perspirants because they can lead to breast cancer in women. Is this true? Should I switch to just deodorant?

A. "The recent, widespread circulation of e-mails claiming that antiperspirants cause breast cancer has fueled an unfounded health myth. The e-mails also may include a claim that shaving the armpits results in razor nicks and subsequent absorption of cancer-causing substances from the antiperspirant.
The American Cancer Society states that no epidemiological studies suggest a link between the use of antiperspirants and breast cancer risk.
The e-mails may include a false assertion that antiperspirants keep a person from "sweating out toxins," resulting in the spread of cancer-causing toxins via the lymph nodes.
Sweat glands are not connected to lymph nodes. The majority of cancer-causing substances are removed by the kidneys and the liver. Lymph nodes may help to clear some toxins from the body, but they do not release these toxins through sweating.
The e-mails also may include a claim that the reason most breast cancers occur in the upper, outer quadrant of the breast is related to antiperspirant use and underarm shaving. There is no evidence to support this. In fact, most breast cancers occur in the upper, outer quadrant because this is where most of the breast tissue is found relative to the other quadrants of the breast.
You do not need to worry about switching antiperspirants. Antiperspirants are rigorously tested before being marketed, and require Food and Drug Administration approval."

Now that we can stop sweating over this ugly myth, let's get down to an anti-perspirant that truly stops underarm wetness.

Ladies, this is a superior anti-perspirant, one that is loved by hundreds and hundreds of women. The reviews at http://www.drugstore.com/, tell the story. Certain Dri fights excessive perspiration. If you've ever suffered with underarm wetness, this roll on formula will stop the sweat immediately. Yes, it contains aluminum chloride, but like we've found out, this formula is safe.

And what a bargain....only $5.99. Lasts a long time.

Certain Dri states this on their bottle:
Doctor Recommended
Prescription Strength
The most effective anti-perspirant you can buy without a prescription.In an independent test Certain Dri® Prescription Strength Anti-Perspirant proved more effective and longer lasting -- even 84 hours after application.

Directions:
Apply to underarms only.
Apply only at bedtime.
Apply sparingly.
Apply only a few strokes under each arm.

Some women like to wear Certain Dri at nightime, as directed, and in the morning, follow up by wearing a deodorant, to fight underarm odor.

You can also find Certain Dri at local drugstores like CVS and Walgreens.

Brooke Shields Likes Urban Decay Cosmetics

If you haven't heard of Urban Decay, then it might sound dangerous and sinful. In a way, it is.

Urban Decay Cosmetics are trend-setting makeup. The American cosmetics company is out there----spotting what's hot, what will be hot, and how to wear it. The makeup is feminine, dangerous, and above all, fun. Even the packaging and the names of the beauty items are very creative. And the company is cruelty-free.

And yes, gorgeous actress/model and mom of two little girls, Brooke Shields, likes to wear a little Urban Decay. You might not catch Brooke wearing their Heavy Metal Glitter Liner, but not everything is punk rock or too wild. There are lots of soft and subtle shades of makeup here.

Brooke, 43, is a working mom, and doesn't always have too much time to 'make up,' but she does have a routine, as she told In Style magazine. Fifteen minutes to get out the door. So it's usually moisturizer, mascara, and a deep lip stain.

The deep berry lip stain Brooke Shields is talking about is this one:

Urban Decay Lip Envy in Greedy ($17, Sephora and ULTA stores). This amazing lip stain is water-rich and gel-based. When it dries, you're left with a sexy, semi-matte finish. This little beauty item actually comes in its own small inkwell with applicator brush.

All you do is apply a thin layer to your lips, and let it dry for about 30 seconds. Then apply a second coat. You can layer even more for a deeper stain. You can also put some lip gloss over the stain for longer-lasting staying power.

What's nice about Urban's Lip Envy, is its vanilla scent. It's also made with excellent anti-oxidants like green tea, Vitamin E, chamomile, and gingko biloba extracts. And this one is a vegan product, which means---no animal-derived ingredients.

Urban Decay Lip Envy also comes in two more pretty shades: Envious, sheer medium pink. And Jealous, nude.

For more information, visit: http://www.urbandecay.com/

Drink Me And You Will Stay Pretty

How about a fountain of youth beauty potion? Sounds too bizarre to be real? Well, maybe not. Let's face it. The science is getting better and better each year. Look at makeup, skin care products, hair serums, and the like. Beauty items are more able to zero in on pimples, wrinkles, sun damage, dark circles, thinning hair, and so on. Beauty products have become more effective because the science has advanced.

'Drink me and you will stay pretty.' Hmmm. It's a wonderful thought. Prominent Manhattan plastic surgeon Michelle Yagoda and globally recognized chemist Eugene Gans have developed a new powder supplement called Beauty Scoop. It promises a better you from the inside out. In just 3 weeks, you will see smoother skin, shinier hair, and stronger nails($95, 21 packets).

So what's in this vanilla-flavored beauty potion? Beauty Scoop is a pure powder that has great absorption qualities to it. It is safe and effective, and its ingredients contain bioavailable lipids and peptides, essential building blocks for beautiful skin, hair, and nails. According to the website, "Beauty Scoop is natural and vegetable-based, reinforced with key vitamins and minerals that act as catalysts to correct and enhance beauty naturally from within."

What's really amazing about this beauty powder is its simplicity. All you need to do, is mix Beauty Scoop with water or milk, and drink once a day. You can even mix the powder into your favorite cocktail! Dr. Yagoda and Mr. Gans don't advocate drinking alcohol daily, but on a special night out, enjoy a Beauty Scoop cocktail. Beauty Scoop's absorption is enhanced by alcohol.

Celebrities are becoming addicted to Beauty Scoop. Just ask Ricki Lake, actress and talk show host.

"It was fantastic! It was delicious and I don't usually like shakes and powdered drinks. I prefer this to a pill as it is all natural and in a drink. It is the 'scoop' in attaining beauty. Even my facialist noticed the changes in my skin."

Alysia Reiner, a film and television actress also praises this beauty potion and was ecstatic over the results---more beautiful, stronger hair. Alysia's celebrity hair stylist, Valentina V., couldn't get over the difference.

"I saw more hair in Alysia's scalp--new growth and enlarged pores. The texture was improved and there was stimulation of new growth. I can't wait to recommend this to my clients.".

For more information, visit: http://www.beautyscoop.com/.

'Bottoms up, baby!'