beauty blooper

In May, I decided to buy a package of laser hair removal treatments. It was time for me to get my body bikini-ready for Memorial Day and I figured that would give me ample time. I went in raring to go, but my goodness—the pain of laser removal is just unbearable! During every treatment I whimpered and vowed that I would never return, but because of all the money I spent on the package and because I wanted results, I continued to go back again every week and endure more torture.

At least my numbing remedies would vary. One week it was a couple shots of Jack Daniels, another week I actually tried rubbing the JD on my body to numb it, but nothing seemed to work. A friend recommended a product to me called Topicaine. What this does is numb your skin if you put it on an hour before your treatment.

I've never been more excited to run to the drugstore. I thought this was the product to save the day... until I got so Topicaine happy that after I applied it to my upper lip, by accident, I licked my lips!

The second I did it, I knew the error of my ways. Everything went tingly...and then it went numb. I couldn't feel my tongue, then my throat. I showed up to my appointment slurring my words (as if I just had Novocaine), but at least I was confident that this treatment would be pain free.

What a disappointment. The cream didn't numb the pain at all. Somehow, it actually felt worse. As I lay there with a numb mouth, all I could think about was Jack Daniels. I only went to one more appointment but I'd say I have about a 75% reduction of hair. No biggie, the remainder is nothing my Schick Quattro can't handle.

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Hey everyone! I just want to remind you to keep sending in your beauty bloopers. Help me help your fellow beauty addicts learn from your mistakes and mishaps! Today's blooper involves one anonymous reader's spray tan slip-up.

"I decided to try spray tanning a couple of months ago for a wedding I was attending in the Bahamas. As a first-timer, I diligently watched the video, applied the barrier cream in all the right places and held my breath for 30 seconds like I was instructed. When it was over, I began to towel off until I noticed drippings falling from the shower cap onto my face. I frantically blended them for fear of splotches, and at the same time, I was intermittently wiping off my hands so they wouldn't stain and give away my secret.

"Because I was so concerned with my face, I completely skipped out on rubbing in the self tanner on the backs of my arms, shoulders and back. Four hours later I took a shower and didn't notice a thing.

"In the morning, I hopped on a plane to the wedding where I was excited to show off my new tan. However, just as I was getting jiggy on the dance floor, a bridesmaid came over and gently pointed out that my back was covered in little orange spots. I was so totally mortified that I spent the remainder of my time at the wedding in the bathroom trying to fade the tan spots with lemon juice."

Lesson learned: Be patient and meticulous if you are going to get a spray tan, since there is nothing worse than an obvious, cheetah-print faux glow!

Hey everyone! It's that time of the week again for another beauty blooper. Hopefully these little anecdotes from anonymous readers help prevent future beauty mishaps for many of you! This week's disaster is about eyebrows:

"About a month ago, I was preparing to go on vacation with my family and realized that my eyebrows needed some shaping. I passed on a professional treatment and instead bought a DIY Sally Hansen Wax Strip Kit ($6.59). The left side came out perfect. I was meticulous in my application and I was excited about saving myself a few bucks. Then I applied the strip to my right eyebrow, but I was cocky and not nearly as careful.

"When I looked down at the strip, there was way too much hair there. I reluctantly looked in the mirror and saw that I had taken off the middle of my brow. I have dark, thick hair, and this looked like a reverse mohawk on my eye!

"After a consultation with my sister, I ended up making an emergency dash to Sephora for an Anastasia Brow Pencil and Stencil. It's been a while and all I really need now is some powder. Looking back, the whole incident is very funny, but at the time I was horrified."

Lesson Learned: Pay attention when using hot wax on your body, and know when to turn to a professional!

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Here's a lesson for all of you out there who are looking to dye your hair dark. Thanks to a brave anonymous BellaSugar reader, you can consider yourself all the wiser about double-dying!

"My brother's girlfriend convinced me to dye my hair black. I didn't like the way it turned out, so I tried to dye over it—only to find out that you can't dye over black like you can with other colors.

I was told to go to a beauty supply store to buy something to remove the color. It turned my hair blond at the roots and orange in the length. It looked horrible.

Also, you are supposed to wait a couple of days once you strip the color away to begin dying again. I endured this humiliation, wearing a baseball cap around town for three days, until I tried to fix the color...but to no avail. It didn't take, and it left my hair looking like a wet Barbie doll's—gross!

Finally, I went to a hairdresser for a professional treatment, and we decided the only salvation was to cut all of my hair off. It's been a whole year and finally my hair is just getting back to normal. I will never again do anything to my hair myself again!"

Moral of the story: If you're planning a drastic change, a professional colorist is your best friend.

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This one's for all of you who out there who love the beach and think that because you have a mid-summer base tan, you can cut corners with your sunscreen. Think again! Just last summer, towards the end of July, I had a really big party to attend. I decided to spend the day at the beach so that I could beef up my tan and have a fresh sun-kissed look for the evening.

I figured that by using an SPF 15, I'd be well protected. Like I said, I had a pretty nice base tan already and I was sure that as long as I reapplied every few hours, I'd be golden! I even bought a self-tanning oil with SPF 15 because I wanted to my skin to be feel extra-soft and moisturized.

I was sorely mistaken! And boy, do I mean sorely. My entire body was sensitive and sunburned to the max. How could this have happened? The bottle said that I would be protected 15 times longer in the sun than if I wasn't wearing anything at all. It should be needless to say, my night was ruined. I couldn't go to the party—I couldn't even put on a bra. I spent the night in an oatmeal bath drinking water and taking aspirin. So what's the lesson learned? Make sure that you are wearing adequate sunscreen and that you steer clear of oil if your body can't handle it—otherwise, you're only asking for trouble.

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Welcome to the second installment of Beauty Bloopers. A beauty blooper can be anything from a brow wax gone wrong to having lipstick on your teeth. So don't be shy—share your stories and I'll post some of them here on BellaSugar (anonymously, of course).

Since it's The Honeymoon's Over week here in Sugar-land, I thought it would be appropriate to share a "couple" incident. I'll let our anonymous newlywed take it away...

I love taking baths to relax and unwind, and I like trying unusual and colorful kinds of bubble baths. My husband, however, is more into showering, so usually he lets me bathe alone. One day he thought it would be romantic to take a bath together, so I directed him toward my bath supplies and let him run the tub. But we couldn't have known the disaster that would ensue...

To find out what happened, read more

Welcome to BellaSugar's new feature, Beauty Bloopers. A beauty blooper can be anything from a botched wax job to a haircut catastrophe to going out in the sun after using Retin-A. I've got a slew of my own, but I'd love for you to share yours with me and the rest of the world (don't worry, you'll remain anonymous).

Submitting your stories is a cinch. If you aren't already a TeamSugar member, all you have to do is join here and send me a private message. This is your chance for some real down-and-dirty girl talk—and who knows, sharing your beauty misfortunes might even save another gal from her own glam trauma!

To read my personal anecdote to get the ball rolling, read more