Bizarre Celebrity Beauty Secrets
The weird and wonderful ways the A-list stay beautiful - and when we say weird, we mean it! From leech therapy to bird poo face masks, we list the bizarre beauty treatments celebrities swear by.
Rex FeaturesSpeaking to the New York Times, Gwyneth Paltrow recently admitted she has turned to bee stings as a beauty treatment.
She said: "I've been stung by bees. It's a thousands of years old treatment called apitherapy. People use it to get rid of inflammation and scarring. It's actually pretty incredible if you research it." She did later admit that, "Man, it's painful."
PA PhotosSalma Hayek revealed to Buzzfeed that she likes to raid the fridge for her hair care treatments, telling them: "You can put guacamole in your hair. Not with the rest of the stuff, but you can take avocado and put it in your hair. You can take, believe it or not, mayonnaise. Mayo is really good for your hair. Another thing that's really good for very dry hair is - Are you ready for this? - egg yolk. One thing you can do to take away some of the stench is to take the skin of the egg yolk out, and put a couple of drops of lemon, but it's still going to stink. Coconut oil! That smells good and is really good for your hair, but of course it depends on how dry your hair is. If you want shine you can rinse with apple vinegar. Apple vinegar is good for you in many different ways."
Alessandra Ambrosio/InstagramVictoria's Secret angel Alessandra Ambrosio might seem to have perfect hair, so why would she set it on fire?! It turns out the model was receiving a Brazilian treatment called Velaterapia, where split ends are burnt off using an open flame. Don't try this one at home, folks.
Rex FeaturesFACT: Blake Lively has amazing hair. But the way she gets it looking like that is kind of unconventional. Speaking to website Byrdie, Blake revealed she puts a tasty food product on her hair: "My mom taught me this really great beauty tip. She used to put oil or mayonnaise on the bottom half of her hair before she would shower. That way, when she would shampoo, the soap wouldn't strip the bottom of the hair and dry it out, making it brittle."
Rex FeaturesGwyneth Paltrow
The latest beauty craze to sweep the nation - and Hollywood - is Oil Pulling. Never heard of it before? Well, nor had we until the likes of Gwyneth and Shailene Woodley started waxing lyrical about the benefits of this ancient Ayurvedic technique for oral health.
Rex FeaturesLauren Conrad
Another fan of oil pulling? Lauren Conrad. But for the unitiated, let us give you a quick recap of this ancient technique. Said to help improve gum health, whiten teeth and generally draw toxins from the body - oil pulling is the process of swilling about a teaspoon of coconut oil around the mouth for 20 - yes twenty - minutes before spitting it all out into a bin - not the sink. You'll block it. Whilst Shailene Woodley prefers to use sesame oil, the benefits to this ancient practice are also said to be fresh breath and the prevention of gum disease, hangovers and migraines. Tried it? Tell us about your experience and tweet us @GlamourMagUK!
Rex FeaturesScarlett Johansson
Ever wondered how Scar-Jo keeps her skin so clear and glowing? You might be surprised! The actress has revealed that she cleanses her face with cider vinegar. "I researched natural skincare and found that apple cider vinegar is really effective. Using it as a toner can be harsh, but if you have breakouts it can be really healing."
PA PhotosLady Gaga
OK, so no surprises Lady Gaga has cropped up in among the words ‘weird’ and ‘bizarre’, but who knew her beauty regimes were as strange as her dress sense? The kooky pop star has a preferred method of make-up removal. No, not baby oil – Sellotape. Yup – stick it on, rip it off, and hope you still have some eyebrows left by the end of it. Make-up artist Kabuki used the stationary to remove excess black glitter from around her eyes in 2009.
PA PhotosHalle Berry
Halle Berry’s anti-cellulite treatment doesn’t come in a fancy tube or tub, but in a sealed foil bag. The former beauty queen adds ground coffee to her body wash, in the understanding that the caffeine and mild exfoliation helps to increase blood flow and smooth the skin. Great idea – just make sure you rinse the shower out afterwards!
PA PhotosEva Longoria
Baby soft skin is one thing, but using placenta to achieve it is quite another. Both Eva Longoria and Katie Holmes are said to be fans of expensive skin creams containing placenta, which is thought to boost collagen production and moisture levels. Rather them than us, we say!
PA PhotosCatherine Zeta-Jones
We all love a strawberry or two on a hot afternoon, but Catherine Zeta-Jones has another use for the tasty fruits. The actress rubs them on her teeth to clean and whiten them. “The juice or pulp of strawberries contains malic acid which serves as an astringent and can lighten surface stains,” she said. We’re not suggesting chucking away your tooth brushes any time soon, but try making like Catherine and using them on your ivories once a week. You never know, it might just work…
PA PhotosNicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman is famed for her radiant red locks, but she has a clever, inexpensive beauty trick up her sleeve to maintain them. The actress pours a cup of cranberry juice over her hair after shampooing to boost shine and enhance the colour by sealing the cuticle. Works very similarly to lemon juice on blonde hair and cider vinegar on coloured hair. Try it and see!
PA PhotosJennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt’s beauty regime is cheaper than you might think. The actress smears toothpaste on her face to dry out spots and reduce blemishes. While the peppermint in toothpaste may help to sooth inflamed areas of the skin, we definitely recommend using anti-bacterial products that are created for blemish-prone skin types. Time for a change, Jen?
PA PhotosJulia Roberts
Olive oil on salads? Yes. Olive oil as a hand soak? Julia Roberts thinks so. The actress uses the oil to soften her skin and improve the condition of her cuticles and nails. Take a tip from the actress and try it for yourself – the oil’s natural nourishing and moisturising properties are good for dry skin, hair and nails.
PA PhotosMariah Carey
Want plump, luscious lips Mariah Carey-style? Try adding a few drops of peppermint oil to your lip gloss like she does. Sounds odd, but mint is known to stimulate blood flow, which intensifies lip colour and causes lips to swell.
PA PhotosSandra Bullock
OK – we’re just going to launch straight into this one. Sandra Bullock uses haemorrhoid cream under her eyes to reduce puffiness. "I didn't realise that putting haemorrhoid ointment on your face is acceptable in the beauty business," says Sandra. "But apparently, butt cream helps lines around the eyes!" We’re not sure about this one either. One thing we are sure about is that the skin around the eyes is extremely delicate and that haemorrhoid cream is quite strong. To avoid damaging your eyes, use a cream or gel specifically designed for under eye use instead.
PA PhotosTerri Hatcher
Terri Hatcher’s boozy bath time secret is the ultimate in celebrity decadence. The Desperate Housewives star pours an entire bottle of red wine into the bath because she believes the nutrients from the grapes nourishes and softens the skin. She could have a point – red grapes in particular are heralded for their antioxidant properties – but the drying alcohol in the wine could really counter any moisturising effects.
PA PhotosDemi Moore
Demi Moore’s detox routine doesn’t involve juice, lemons or maple syrup – the actress has admitted jetting off to Austria to let “highly trained medical leeches” go to work on her, sucking the toxins out of her blood as they go. Think we’ll stick to the herbal teas, thanks.
PA PhotosGwyneth Paltrow
Ordinary folk probably use a hair brush to comb their locks, but Gwyneth Paltrow’s hairdresser uses a loofah (you know, the thing we use to scrape dead skin off our backs?) to tame her perfectly polished mane. Apparently, stylist David Babaii wraps her tresses around the loofah in order to boost volume and reduce frizz.
PA PhotosVictoria Beckham
Ever wondered how Victoria Beckham cleared and perfected her skin? Bird poo. No, seriously! The former Spice Girl is said to be an avid fan of traditional Japanese Geisha Facials, which use nightingale droppings to form a cleansing paste. Sounds gross, but works – the evidence speaks for itself.
PA PhotosAngelina Jolie
Ever wondered how Angelina stays looking so fit and healthy after all those kids? Caviar, is the answer. The actress used expensive Baerli sturgeon to reduce the appearance of stretch marks after she gave birth to her twins. The fish eggs are said to be rich in oil and therefore are a powerful moisturiser. It’s got to whiff a bit though, hasn’t it?
PA PhotosJessica Simpson
Jessica Simpson was captured on camera trying out the latest bizarre beauty craze – the fish pedicure. The actress dangled her feet in a pool of water while tiny fish nibbled dead skin from her toes.
PA PhotosDebra Messing
Now this one is REALLY strange – actress Debra Messing uses a Kate Somerville eye cream that contains snake venom to iron out her wrinkles. The poison is said to relax the muscles around the face and eyes, a bit like a lighter form of botox.
PA PhotosCindy Crawford
We put it on our cereal – Cindy Crawford spritzes her face with it. The supermodel’s bizarre beauty secret is spraying milk over her skin to keep it moist and hydrated. There is some method to her madness – milk is full or minerals, protein and calcium, all of which are essential skin health nutrients. But doesn’t it smell a bit? I think we’ll stick to our moisturiser, thanks!
PA PhotosFergie
Fergie has seriously enviable abs, strengthened through hours of dancing, training and a strict diet. But she has one belly flattening beauty secret that really keeps bloating at bay. The singer takes two tablespoons of organic apple cider vinegar (unfiltered, of course) to help relieve her tummy. “I’ve noticed a difference in my stomach,” she says. Try pouring over a salad at dinner time instead.
PA PhotosLily Allen
No fad dieting for Lily Allen! The singer put her weight loss down to hypnotherapy sessions, during which she used a therapist to program her brain to reject cravings and stunt her appetite.
PA PhotosJennifer Lopez
J-Lo is known for her slender frame and legendary curves, but she has an unusual method of curbing her appetite. The singer/dancer/actress sniffs grapefruit oil for 15 minutes to reduce cravings and stop her reaching for the donuts. She also smothers her body head-to-toe in Crème De la Mere, which, at £167 for a tiny 60ml pot, is an expensive habit indeed.
