Episode #5 - All About Facial Hair

Pluck it. Tweeze it. Bleach it. Or leave it.

Please take our brand spanking new listener survey. You could win an iPod nano (and so could we if you do!).

This week on episode 5 of Lip Gloss and Laptops (43-minute MP3 file, about 24.5 MB) Airdrie and Kerry Anne brought female facial hair out of the closet and into your ears, so to speak. Millions of women have facial hair, so if it drives you crazy, you're not alone.

Air went into some of the reasons for excess facial hair, and ways of removing it.

Lastly, there is a product called Vaniqa, that can be used in conjunction with other hair removal methods. Available by prescription only, it doesn't remove facial hair entirely, but does slow down its growth.

Eyebrows

• A magnifying mirror is a great tool to see all those stray eyebrow hairs. Warning, seeing your pores that close up may be slightly frightening.
• You don't need to fill in your eyebrows with an expensive brow filler. A cheap matte brown eyeshadow in an appropriate shade will do just fine.
• Powder brow fillers generally look more natural than the brow pencils.
• Pluck slowly, and one hair at a time, or you may go overboard. The best eyebrow is a natural looking eyebrow.

Eyebrow Product Recommendations

Kerry Anne loves the tweezers made by Tweezerman. They come in a variety of models and range in price from about $5.00 to $35.00. Buying a pair of Tweezermans may seem expensive, but they truly are a long-term investment. The company provides free lifetime sharpening and spring repair. Like the site says, they're the "choice of make-up artists and beauty professionals for over 25 years".

Kerry Anne's drugstore pick is New York Color's Browser ($3.99US, $4.50CA). NYC's product is dirt cheap and still does a good job. It consists of a clear wax to groom brows, a soft powder to colour them, a small stiff brush for application, and a half-decent pair of tweezers. It's drawback is that it is only available in three colours, Blonde, Brunette, and Smoke. It is a great product for someone who already has a good amount of eyebrow hair and simply wants to define and set their brows, or fill a sparse area.

The luxury brand pick for this week is the Smashbox Brow Tech. It is quite pricey ($30CA, $22US), not including the brush they recommend, Angle Brow Brush #12 ($19US). One side of the product is a clear pomade, and the other contains a natural looking powder. The salesgirl helped Kerry Anne try on the blonde colour, and it looked natural, yet more "put-together". Apply lightly for a subtle look, or with a heavier hand for a darker tone and more drama. Brow Tech comes in six shades, including grey and auburn, or you can purchase the wax alone ($22CA, $18US). For someone who has very sparse eyebrow hair, and is looking for a lot of coverage, they might benefit from one of the department store brands like this. Test the product at the counter before you buy it, most salespeople are more than willing to give you a lesson in application. When spending this much on a cosmetic, ensure that it works for you before you hand your money over.

Resources

Some useful ones we found this week are:

• eyebrowz.com - information about face shape, tools, techniques, celebrity eyebrow stencils and even "eyebrow wigs" for women dealing with facial hair loss
• Anastasia Soare - celebrity eyebrow guru
• Why Do We Have Eyebrows? - howstuffworks gives you the answer

Reality Check

We discussed the growing discomfort with body hair in North American society. This applies to men as well as women, as more men are heading down the the local spa for a good waxing.

Next week: the Makeup Challenge, and maybe an interview with Ponzi. Hear the 30-second promo (MP3 file) for episode 6, coming April 5, 2006!

All the men in my family were bearded, and most of the women. - W. C. Fields