Me smell good

Take rock. Rub rock under arms. No smell bad. This could be the ad campaign for crystal deodorant—the latest way to naturally smell nice. It’s made of 100 percent pure mineral salts, and that may seem kind of primitive, but it’s actually pretty revolutionary. Instead of preventing perspiration or masking body odors with synthetic chemicals—like […]

Learn to love

When you pick out a car, you expect it to have certain features—doors, an engine, a gas tank—for it to run smoothly. The same is true, says local relationship coach Marya Choby, when you pick out a mate. Among the pearls of dating wisdom Marya Choby shared with SUGAR: “Date for fun and practice.” Every […]

Lashing out over Lumigan

Not since the PETA folks learned that Jennifer Lopez likes to use real fox hair for her false eyelashes has there been such an uproar over the eyelash. You might know that cosmetic surgeons and dermatologists have recently prescribed Lumigan, a prescription medication for glaucoma, to patients with healthy eyes who just want to benefit […]

The global look

Lindsay Baron cites her four passions as “research, writing, nature, and researching beauty products with a scientist’s fervor.” The result? Her earth-friendly beauty blog, ecopretty.blogspot.com. Baron uses her experience as a freelance writer and former Sephora employee to address the modern woman’s need for better beauty products. As she very rightly says, “gone are the […]

Island rhythms

Longing for a deep massage that offers more than one-day relaxation, but wary of the “no pain, no gain” approach? Say “aloha” to lomilomi massage, which has come to Charlottesville all the way from the Hawaiian islands. Practitioner Gabe Gavin spent eight years living in that balmy place (he just made it through his first […]

Zap me!

Unwanted body hair got you down? A laser might hold the answer. Using pulses of high-energy light to make hair follicles inactive, laser hair removal is touted as a permanent fix for your smooth-leg dilemma. However, says Charlottesville Skin & Laser Center’s Laser Technician Stephanie Snell, results really depend on the person. “Things like hormones […]

Spring cleaning

The master cleanse is a fasting technique that cleanses the body of all toxins, and—proponents say—makes you happy, healthy and energetic like you’ve never known. Online research of testimonials suggest that it’s a love-it-or-hate-it experience. Few people deny that they are healthier, look better, and feel lighter—but all stress that it takes dedication to complete. […]

The new backup

As we all know, our first choice for contraception doesn’t always work as intended. Virginia has been a little behind getting on the emergency contraceptive bandwagon, but since 2006 there’s a new option. Should you wake up to a worrisome morning after, here’s a possible fix: Plan B is available statewide. Basic info is at […]

Deep-down workout

Many women don’t know much about Kegel exercises—unless they’ve been pregnant, in which case, they probably received cursory instructions about restrengthening their pelvic “floors” after childbirth. Well, it turns out that some of that information may be wrong, or at the very least, a lot less comprehensive than it should be. Passages Physical Therapy offers […]

Fat days: Nope, you’re not crazy

Finding a good pair of pants is the shopper’s equivalent of playing Goldilocks. Some are too big, most are too small, and a few (if you’re lucky) are juuuust right. But, catch a woman on a “fat day,” and even the formerly good pants are cast aside in favor of sweats. But wait—a “fat day”? […]