Looking back - origin of the 'Poodle Cut'

Jan at the Poodle (and Dog) Blog posted a great explanation about the origin of the canine hairstyle known as the "poodle cut." Here's Jan's theory ...

This doesn't sound relaxing to me

An Israeli health and beauty spa is offering a snake massage for its customers. Ara Barak claims her pet snakes make the ideal masseurs as their slithering causes a massage sensation when placed on a person's skin. Ms Barak said she discovered her pet's 'therapeutic value' after noticing her friends became more relaxed after holding them. No, thanks. Source: Daily Mail (via Life in the Fast Lane)

A fishy story

Ready for the latest in spa pampering? Prepare to dunk your tootsies in a tank of water and let tiny carp nibble away. Fish pedicures are creating something of a splash in the D.C. area, where a northern Virginia spa has been offering them for the past four months. John Ho, who runs the Yvonne Hair and Nails salon with his wife, Yvonne Le, said 5,000 people have taken the plunge so far. The fish are called garra rufa but typically known as doctor fish. They were first used in Turkey and have become popular in some Asian countries. Source: Boston.com

Hair hats

Check out the "creations" at hair hats. I think I would kill my hairdresser! (via cute with chris)

Would you?

Some women in New York are paying big bucks for a facial containing bird excrement. The Geisha Facial, available at Shizuka New York for $180, contains nightingale excrement. The Japanese powder, also known as uguisu no fun, is rich in the amino acid guanine, said to brighten and cleanse skin. In the 18th century geishas and kabuki actors used the powder to clean heavy white makeup off their faces. "I was a little tentative at first," said Andrea Nieto, who recently received the treatment. "But there was no smell. It was creamy and rich." Yeah, right. Source: Reuters Photo: Futamer

So what’s in your bottle of perfume?

Civet is a fundamental French perfume material, a historic girder of the industry and the quintessential scent of France. It happens to come from the anal gland of the civet cat. The perfume material from the anal gland is found in both males and females. And it smells — quite simply — like anus. Since civet is hugely powerful and long-lasting (cats use the odor to mark their territory,) and since these are qualities valued by perfumers, it’s not surprising that civet is one of the fundamentals of French perfume. Talk to any perfumer, even American ones, and they’ll say that civet, used in tiny quantities, breathes astonishing life into perfumes, giving them weight and depth. Civet is like adding whole cream to soups or sauces: what could make you gag taken straight up and raw becomes, when underpinning the greater mix, golden and sensual. Photo credit: MSNBC, which is also an interesting read, Civets, other wildlife off the Chinese menu.