It’s no secret that women (and men) will go to great – and sometimes strange – lengths to get gorgeous. From sanding off unwanted hair in ancient Babylonia to Arabian women of the past dipping their hair in camel urine for sleek and shiny locks, bizarre beauty products and treatments are nothing new. These are five of today’s craziest get pretty trends; most definitely not for the faint of heart.

Placenta Face Cream: Using either sheep or lamb placenta, the face cream is said to erase fine lines and wrinkles, improve elasticity, and bring back a youthful suppleness to skin. Also known as “living cell therapy,” the skin care product is nutrient rich and safe for sensitive skin – not sensitive stomachs.

Snake Massage: If you find yourself in Israel, in need of a massage, and possessing a little extra bravery, a snake massage might be just the thing you’re looking for. Heavy king and corn snakes slither up and down your body and over your face giving you a deep tissue massage. Don’t worry though, they are non-venomous.

Snail Slime Cream: Containing snails’ mucous secretion, this bizarre beauty product is said to be a miracle acne treatment, burn healer, and spot and scar fader. The gooey goodness is a glycolic acid and elastin powerhouse; perhaps that’s how French women stay so young?

The Geisha Facial: Don’t be fooled by the demure name of this wacky spa treatment. The Geisha Facial – aka the bird poop facial – uses powdered nightingale droppings for softer, brighter, more nourished skin. Sounds gross, but if it can give us the crystal clear complexion of a geisha, it may be worth it.

Bull Semen Hair Masque: Salons all over the globe are offering this deeply conditioning treatment claiming to leave hair soft and shiny. The bull semen is protein rich, non-greasy, and stored in the refrigerator. Looks like Cameron Diaz in Something About Mary knew what she was doing!

How far would you go to get lucious locks and a crystal clear complexion?

Nothing makes a girl feel like a million bucks like a fresh manicure…or maybe a wardrobe full of Chanel. But since most of us won’t experience the latter, we want to make sure the manicures we spend our hard earned moolah on last as long as possible. Follow some of these guidelines to extend the life span of your colored nails regardless of what you have to do afterwards.

Pre-Condition
Before you paint your nails, make sure they’re ready for polish. In other words, keep them healthy—moisturize and clean cuticles. We really like Calvin Klein's Nail Treatment Splendid Condition Moisturizing Cuticle Cream Treatment, which is designed to strengthen your nails and soften your cuticles pre-manicure. Let is soak in about an hour or so for the full effect.

Get Rid of the Oils
The biggest hurdle between you and a long lasting mani is the natural, non-visible oil on your fingernails. These oils prevent the polish from sticking, so you want to make sure your fingernails are completely dehydrated before you manicure them. One way to do this is by using an old, dry toothbrush to scrub the oil off. Or you could use polish remover or even vodka to dry out our nails.

Use a Base Coat
You’ve heard it a hundred times before: use a base coat, but the reason why is less well known. Simply put, a base coat sticks better to the nail that lacquer does; it also prevents bright colors from staining your nails.

Let ‘Em Dry
The biggest manicure faux pas? Not giving your nails enough time to dry. Despite the special heat lamps and drying sprays many spas offer, the best way to truly dry your nails is with good old-fashioned time. Sure, it can be dry to the touch, but nail polish takes an hour to dry completely. If possible, avoid putting your nails under heat for 24 hours after your treatment—keep water temperatures cool and mild so not to melt the layers of your polish.

Have any great tricks for making your mani last? Tell us in the comments! 

The key to beauty is knowing when to take on a trend, and when to leave it on the runway:

LEAVE IT -- The spring runway's "bare face" was simply gorgeous!  We are all for fresh faces glowing with bronze skin and nude shades.  But no mascara?  No way.  That simply doesn't translate well on street...or even the beach.  Makeup artists reveal that eyes simply don't pop without mascara; even one coat of waterproof can help delicate lashes stand out.  And don't forget an eyelash curler!  It takes just one squeeze to boast uplifted fringe.

LOVE IT -- Finally, the antidote to maximal dressing is here!  Minimalist looks were prominent on the runways, and are key for spring/summer 2013.  Chic black and white looks appeared casual (by Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang, and 3.1 Philip Lim) and glam (Oscar de la Renta, Valentino).  Prada is jumping onto the trend with a summer capsule collection of "breezy patterned dresses and accessories in the graphic color combination" now in stores.  No matter what your style, less is more this season!

LOVE IT -- While the thrill of a new scent is fantastic, we clamor for classic summer fragrances that take us back to summers' past.

*  Calypso Violette makes us reminisce about beach vacations, hearing the sounds of the ocean waves crash along the shore.  With an overall sweet floral bouquet, Violette captures the heady combination of rose hip, bergamot, and violet, followed by down-to-earth sensual base notes of sandalwood, tonka bean, and honey.

*  Burberry Summer captures the essence of summer's carefree nature, reminding us of afternoons lingering by the water and cool evenings with friends. Sweet, light, and fresh, Burberry Summer features florals like rose, waterlilly, and freesia, which are complemented by fruity notes of citrus and green apple.

*  Bulgari Green Tea, a unique blend of green tea extracts combined with jasmine, citrus, and rose, invokes incredible memories of summer travels.  Whether going to the Hamptons, Capri, or wherever your wanderlust takes you, this unisex scent will contribute to the joy you feel.