Bizarre Beauty Routines Of The Rich And Famous
Celebrities partake in some incredibly odd, expensive, and downright disgusting beauty regimens. Vampire facials? Kitty litter face scrub? Find out who does what to look and feel their best.
Jennifer Aniston's cupping
See those marks on actress Jennifer Aniston's back? According to E! News, those painfully obvious splotches spotted on the red carpet are cupping marks. What is cupping? It's an ancient Chinese practice that utilizes suction cups placed on the back to help detox the system, stimulate circulation, and calm body aches. The circles are a somewhat unsightly and temporary symptom of the treatment. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow is also a fan of the procedure.
Justin Bieber's cupping
Aniston and Paltrow aren't the sole A-listers to get their cup on. Pop prince Justin Bieber is also a fan of the calming procedure and should probably utilize it more often considering how much drama he stirs up in his life.
Kim Kardashian's vampire facial
Oh my! Kim Kardashian's so called "vampire facial," documented on an episode of Kourtney & Kim Take Miami, elicited more than a few "Ews!" from audiences. During the treatment, blood is drawn from the patient and then injected under the skin. What's the point of this plasmatic recycling? The injected blood reportedly leads to a healthy glow, improves skin texture, and can help eradicate fine lines and wrinkles. That's lovely, but we just enjoyed seeing Kardashian's pretty face smeared with platelets like a zombie-in-training.
Kylie Jenner's marathon manis
#NailArt is huge in the beauty world, and reality star Kylie Jenner takes the concept to the next level. The crazy shapes, bling, and designs on her digits can take hours to create. "I get my nails done every week," she told People. "I've sat literally for four to five hours doing them. I used to spend so much time doing the craziest artwork." Five hours is a pretty big time investment for nails. #JustSayin'.
Gwyneth Paltrow's vagina steaming
Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow is often criticized for the Bourgeoisie diet, beauty, and shopping recommendations she shares on her Goop lifestyle site, but perhaps there is nothing more bougie than her exultation of vagina steaming. Paltrow explained the process on her site. "You sit on what is essentially a mini-throne," she said, "and a combination of infrared and mugwort steam cleanses your uterus, et al." Paltrow was quick to point out that the V-steam is not just a "steam douche." It also an "energetic release" that balances female hormones. "If you're in L.A., you have to do it."
Alessandra Ambrosio's candle cutting
Supermodel Alessandra Ambrosio practices velaterapia, a process which eradicates split ends from hair by burning them with a candle. It's also known as candle cutting and allows customers to ditch ragged ends without losing length. Wait...setting fire to hair? Have you ever singed a strand accidentally? It smells like death, but beyond that, this Brazilian practice seems incredibly dangerous.
NYC stylist Ricardo Gomes explained the process to Today. "A lot of people get confused about the treatment because they think it has to do with the wax of the candle," he said. "But it actually involves just controlling the flame." This is the type of Pinterest project best left to the professionals.
Lauren Conrad's oil pulling
The Hills' star Lauren Conrad supports a process known as oil pulling—swishing a tablespoon of coconut oil around in your mouth for approximately 20 minutes. It's an ancient Indian detox remedy, Conrad explained on her blog. Believers say the oil draws out bacteria that causes annoying oral hygiene issues such as plaque, gum disease, and bad breath.
"I have definitely noticed that my breath is fresher, my teeth are a bit whiter, and I actually noticed that I broke out less around my chin and jawline," Conrad said. "The sensation of swishing an oil around in my mouth for 20 minutes felt very strange at first, but after a couple days I got used to it and actually looked forward to detoxifying being a [part] of my morning routine."
Victoria Beckham's bird poop facials
There are no words! The former Spice Girl and designer reportedly engages in special Japanese facials that utilize bird poop. This does exist. Nightingale excrement is reportedly dried under UV lights and applied to the face to combat acne and rejuvenate one's complexion.
New York facialist Shizuka Bernstein explained the process to the Daily Mail. "The nightingale poo acts as an exfoliate that brings out the dirt and dust that builds up in the skin and leaves the customer feeling refreshed," she said. "In addition, it is thought that the bird poo contains guanine, which actually occurs in pearls. Because of this ingredient the bird poop facial leaves people feeling that their skin has a healthy shine to it."
The Kardashians' fish pedicure
Kim Kardashian, she of the blood facial, freaked out while getting a fish pedicure in Greece. Basically, you soak your feet in a pedicure bath while tiny fish nibble the dead skin off your soles. Gross...but probably effective.
Demi Moore's leech therapy
Actress Demi Moore has indulged in—if you can call it that—leech therapy. That's where blood-sucking worms do their thing to supposedly remove toxins. Maybe Moore never saw that scene in Stand By Me? The actress admitted during a 2008 appearance on The Late Show With David Letterman that she was doing a cleanse in Austria and partook in this procedure to optimize her health.
Don't worry, guys. Moore said her leeches were legit. "We are talking about highly-trained medical leeches," she said. "These are not some low-level scavengers; we're talking high-level blood suckers." Moore described the process in graphic detail. "You watch it swell up on your blood, watching it get fatter and fatter. Then when it's super drunk on your blood, it just kind of rolls over like it's stumbling out of the bar." Ack!
Bar Refaeli's liquid gold facial
Leonardo DiCaprio's former squeeze, model Bar Refaeli, got a liquid gold facial. It looked like her face was being molded for a mask, but these hoity toity treatments reportedly help with bacteria, pigmentation issues, and acne and are sometimes coupled with caviar ampules.
Katie Holmes' snail slime
Actress Katie Holmes reportedly uses snail slime as a facial moisturizer. Stimulated live snails supposedly produce a fluid that helps fight wrinkles and scars, leading to smoother, more younger-looking skin. Refinery 29 reports, "the sticky serum is quite popular in places like Korea and Africa, and the interest has reached the States," or at least it's reached Hollywood.
Snooki's kitty litter facial
It's important to exfoliate, removing dead skin cells to reveal a glowing, more beautiful you! Jersey Shore star Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi was well known her pompadour and perma-tan, but did you know about her skin regimen? While promoting her book, Confessions of a Guidette, on Access Hollywood, Polizzi said she uses kitty litter for facials. "If you want a good facial and stuff like that, it actually really works," she said. "It has to be clean kitty litter. It can't be like poo." Thanks for the clarification, Snooks.