Bizarre Hollywood Beauty Secrets
By Jené Luciani
A-list celebs have unprecedented access to cutting-edge beauty treatments the rest of the world could only dream of. But sometimes those beauty secrets sound more like a nightmare than a dream. Remember when Demi Moore revealed she was using blood-sucking leeches to "detoxify?" Or how about when Madonna was reportedly using a face cream made out of human placenta?
Think it can't get any stranger than that? Think again! Here's our roundup of the latest and strangest Hollywood beauty secrets.
1. The Bird Poop Facial: Yes, you read it correctly. It's a facial… using bird poop as its main ingredient. And celebs are 'flocking' to spas to get the odd treatment. Also referred to as the Geisha Facial because of its Japanese origins, several high-end spas are charging hundreds of dollars a pop to slather on this 'unique' ingredient, which is said to leave skin shiny and smooth. Both Victoria and David Beckham reportedly indulge in the facials that use a mixture of Nightingale excrement, rice bran, and water.
2. Synthetic Snake Venom: Gwyneth Paltrow, Katie Holmes, and Debra Messing are all reportedly opting for a "muscle shocking" synthetic snake venom-based product called Syn-ake. This anti-aging treatment supposedly acts like a topical Botox, smoothing out wrinkles and relaxing facial muscles.The theory is that when snakes attack, they paralyze their victims with their venom. Swiss beauty chemists soon realized by copying the venom, they could hope for the same effect in humans.
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3. Vodka Mouthwash: When Listerine just isn't cutting it anymore, some celebrities are turning to a mixture of vodka, mint sprigs, and lemon or cinnamon, says Manhattan-based celebrity dentist Jennifer Jablow DDS, who works with several of the Victoria's Secret supermodels.
Dr. Jablow says some patients are turning to this homemade concoction believing it freshens breath and prevents staining, but in actuality, it will "dry out the mouth and give more bad breath." Breath mints anyone?
4. Earthworm Poop Wrinkle Cream: Stars will try almost anything before a red carpet event, apparently even a skin cream that uses the excrement of Earthworms. Recently featured on the TV show The Doctors, the product purports to reverse the aging process and even cure skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema. While its creator, Fresh Beauty Market, won't reveal which celebrities are ordering the earthworm casting-based Wrinkle Butter, they say at least a dozen are slathering on the wormy-cream.
5. Vajazzling: Actress Jennifer Love Hewitt isn't shy about her biggest beauty secret. Brazilian wax? That's for novices. J-Love gets "va-jazzled," the process of applying Swarovski crystals to your, you guessed it, va-jay-jay. She credits it for 'perking her up' after a big breakup. In fact, the Client List star has been so open about her affection for the body bling that the spa that made the treatment famous has even named a design after her, says Alexis Wolfer of TheBeautyBean.com, who has also tried the down-there décor.Once I heard about this, I sent a daring friend into New York City's Completely Bare Spa, owned by former Real Housewife Cindy Barshop, to try it out for herself and report back to me (call me a prude, but I'm not so keen on blinging out my lady parts). She loved it!
The treatment even has an entire website dedicated to it, and the term "vajazzle" has been added to the Urban Dictionary. As for Love Hewitt? She recently complained that women now come up to her and pull down their pants to show off their bedazzled designs. Eek.
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6. Fish Pedicures: Whatever happened to using a pumice stone to get rid of dead skin on feet? Now, places offering fish pedicures are popping up around the world. Literally, you dip your feet into a vat of fish and "relax" as they dine to their heart's content nibbling off all of the dead skin. As if a celeb trying this isn't bad enough (we're talking to you, Jessica Simpson), Angelina Jolie told Vanity Fair last year that she sent her young sons for this bizarre foot-bath.
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