What Is This On My Face? Lotions To Ease You Through Those Embarrassing Situations

A few months ago I developed a rather embarrassing skin problem on my face – above my upper lip to be exact. Thank goodness for good girlfriends because I never would have noticed it on my own! Overtime I had developed hyperpigmentation or a pigmentation issue with the skin above my upper lip. I can't tell you why (tanning too often might be the culprit here) but I blame hormones. Either way, it's not something I noticed until a girlfriend pointed it out. Then it was all I could see! When I looked in the mirror or when I saw myself in pictures I was mortified. I exfoliated, scrubbed, tried bleaching – but since it's not the hair that is the problem, bleaching wasn't the solution. It's actually the color of my skin! I searched high and low for something to help and just recently found my miracle product - Proactiv Skin Lightening Lotion

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Not only does this skin lightening lotion work for pigmentation issues like mine, but it will lighten acne scars, age spots, brown spots, and sun spots. It's an oil-free product and made my skin tone nice and even.

Other products out there for lip pigmentation problems can also help decrease the loss of collagen that happens overtime and lighten the fine lines that form from facial expressions. Bliss Spa makes a product called Stiff Upper Lip that does just that. It is formulated with a powerful retinol agent, a skin lightener, and GABA, known for its ability to smooth facial lines.

Get Proactiv Skin Lighten Lotion for just $21.95 from qvc.com and Bliss Stiff Upper Lip for $48 from Saks. 

SheFinds Guilty Pleasure: Forever 21

Remember when Forever 21 was a crappy clothing phenomenon exclusive to the suburban mall, like Gadzooks or Wet Seal? Well, I do. And that's why my newfound love for the store qualifies as a particularly embarassing guilty pleasure. But Forever 21 has changed since its years as a third-rate H&M for tweens. These days the clothing is still cheap, yes--which some (though not me) would consider a negative--but it's also become really quite stylish! On Friday I wore a Forever 21 garment to work (as a tunic over jeans) and then out on a date (without the pants, as a short dress). I got so many compliments--from my boss, my date, and my coworkers--that I've decided to shed my guilt and share my secret.

I love the woven silk pattern of this Armarie Lace Blouse ($24.80) in grey. Details like the decorative trim along the waist and matching waist tie (not seen) give this top an awfully chic look--and no one needs to see the pricetag.

The metallic embroidery on this Anna Floral Dress ($22.80) gives it a Mexican flair, as well as a flattering hint of shape beneath. Cinch it with a belt for a cleaner look, or let it flow free to embrace your inner flower child.

This edgy Wrap Tunic ($29) is indicative of Forever 21's changing image as a fashionable company. There's nothing cheap about the clean lines and soft wool of this tunic. The leather waistband buckle trim is faux--but at $29, do you really mind? The store is full of good-looking garments for both casual and semi-formal occasions. And with such absurdly low prices, a shopping spree at Forever 21 will fill your closet without breaking the bank.

Get Yours at Forever21.com

He Loves Me Not: Share Your Worst V-Day Presents And Win

It's the thought that counts, right? Wrong! Sometimes loved ones just overthink those Valentine's Day gifts (or don't think about them at all!) and come up with choices no person should ever be subject to. Well SheFinds wants to lighten the mood by holding a Worst V-Day Gift Contest. Share with us your most embarassing, ugliest, impractical, or just plain awful Valentine's gifts for the chance to win a box of goodies from the SheFinds beauty closet. Take a look at our Contest for the Worst Xmas Presents and see if you can top those disasters!

In the comments below, list the worst present you received last Valentine's Day (add a link to a photo or info on where it can be purchased, if you know). The contest ends on Feb. 14, so hurry up and share!

Read The Shocking Worst Christmas Present Ever Entries

Wow. We thought we'd received some bad gifts, but some of the entries in our Worst Christmas Present Ever contest shocked us. The unromantic gifts abounded (thanks for the vaccuum, honey), but the truly amazing were the truly nasty presents. Honorable mentions go to the at-home colon exam kit (we thought this couldn't be for real, but it is), the expired steak sauces, and the real kicker--nothing because her husband spent her gift money on a trip to visit his parents, who hate her.

But our winner's entry really made us squirm.  Check it out:

"Would have to be the g string from my mother-in-law. I picked it up to look at it as she tells me, 'I hope you don't mind. I tried it on because I never owned a thong.' Yikes! I couldn't drop it fast enough. The whole package went into the fireplace when I got home."

Congratulations, Melanie! Your gift was so awful that you are the winner of a box of the best beauty brands featured on SheFinds. We hope this helps erase the holiday horror.

Be sure to read the other entries for a good laugh, and stay tuned for our Worst Valentine's Day Ever contest coming up next month.

And, in the meantime, buy yourself something nice. After a holiday like you all had, you certainly could use a little pick-me-up. 

SheFinds Asks: Do Sexy Makeup Names Turn You On?

We know, we know, sex sells. It seems that's especially true with cosmetics, and for good reason: the very purpose of makeup is to enhance our features, with the ultimate goal being to attract a mate. And whether or not we're acutely aware of the evolutionary implications of cosmetics, the bottom line is this: amping up what nature gave us makes us feel sexy.

Marketers and cosmetics gurus are embracing this and coming out with racier and more scandalous names for their products. Whether they aim to stand out in a sea of color-cued monikers, or they're just going for shock value, some beauty products can make us blush — naturally — just by reading their names. Take for example:


1. NARS The Multiple in Orgasm ($36.50). This all-over shimmer stick re-creates that inner glow that can be naturally obtained with a marathon sack session.

2. Plump Your Pucker lip gloss in Bing My Cherry ($14). Cop a killer pout, ripe for the kissing, with this maraschino-red plumper.

3. Playboy Beauty's Mile High Mascara ($16.50). We knew airplane bathrooms were the best places to tweeze our eyebrows; who knew they were ideal lash lengthening locales, too?

4. MAC lipstick in Pervette ($14). Top this opalescent pink 'stick with MAC's Lipglass in C-Thru ($14) and you're putting on quite the peep show.

5. Booty Parlor Sex Bombs ($45). This threesome features Don't Stop solid perfume (packed with pheromones, natch), Get Flushed cheek and lip tint, and Dust Up body shimmer that smells and tastes like bubbly champagne.

6. Too Faced Cosmetics eye shadow duo in Full Frontal ($17). What about this duet of deep chocolate brown and sexy spiced orange shadow shades screams unabashed nudity? What doesn't?

7. BeneFit Thrrrob ($28). This "turned on" face powder mimics "the natural flush you get when your heart races."

8. Demeter Pick Me Up Spray in Between the Sheets ($20). Sometimes a fruity, drink-inspired fragrance is all you need to wear to bed.

9. The Balm Shady Lady eye shadow in Kinky Katie ($15). Acid yellow and super-shimmery, this shadow is as daring as its experimental namesake. Some of Katie's companion shades include Just This Once Jamie and Caught in the Act Courtney.

10. Lippmann Collection nail lacquer in Makin' Whoopee ($15). Tee hee if you will, but what's next? A polish simply called Having Sex?


Dishonorable mention: Urban Decay has their fair share of risqué beauty loot (e.g. their Afterglow bronzer in Fetish, $17), but they really push the envelope with drug-referenced products. Color names include Roach, Blow, Blunt, Toasted, Loaded, Baked, Mary Jane, Yeyo, X, and the obvious Narcotic. For a line geared toward younger girls, we think this is a big no-no.

What do you think? Do scandalous color names make you perk up and take notice, or are they a tacky ploy to get your coveted cosmetic dollars? Does wearing slightly NSFW makeup make you feel oh-so-sexy, or do you break out in a fit of the giggles whenever someone asks what color you're wearing? Let us know what you think in the comments.

P.S. Feeling all hot and bothered after reading this post? Check out our guide to other sexy bedroom booty you may want to stock up on.

Vote Which Bizarre Beauty Treatment Scares You The Most

We're all for doing whatever it takes to look your best. But there are some treatments that go one step to far even for us. Take a look at the top five treatments that freaked us out during 2007, and vote which one you think is the most disturbing.

1) Embalming fluid is used as a hair straightener. 

2) Anal bleaching makes bikini waxes sound down right civilized. 

3) Deveining hands helps keep older celebs looking young (and makes us cringe every time we think of it). 

4) Skin eating fish bring a new kind of exfoliation to the spa scene.

5) Press on pedicures let fake toenails replace a trip to the nail salon.

Oh The Horror! Compare Your Worst Christmas Presents And Win

As much as your friends and family may love you, someone is guaranteed to strike out in the gift department every year. Crazy Santa-themed socks? Strangely colored lipstick? It's all been done before (and will be again), so we thought we'd let our gripes out in public.

In the comments below, list the worst present you received this year (add a link to a photo or info on where it can be purchased, if you know).  We'll give you guys a week to compete and then pick a winner next Friday. To make up for your awful holiday, the winner will receive a box of goodies from the SheFinds beauty closet. 

Why don't I kick this off? I love LL Bean for lots of things, but their cardigans have never topped my list of favorites. That said, I am now the proud owner of a lovely embroidered fleece sweater. You shouldn't have, Mom. Really, you shouldn't have. 

Get Ready To Reveal Your Worst Christmas Present And Win

What: The Worst Christmas Present Contest

Why:  If you've suffered through gifts this bad, you deserve a pick-me-up. Take a look at the contest MomFinds is running now, and then tune back in to SheFinds on December 26th to report what kind of awful gifts you made off with this year. We want to hear about the ugly sweaters, embarassing personal grooming devices, and Santa-themed socks your family gave you. Just to sweeten the deal, the winner will receive a packed goodie bag full of some of the best products we've got stashed away in the SheFinds beauty closet. Hopefully that will help ease the pain of yet another year of self-help books from your overly nosy Grandmother.