Last night, I recruited my friend Bruce (and co-creater of The Living Room Chef) to come over and help me demonstrate the Tria At-Home Hair Removal system so that we could show you how easy it this DIY job can be.

Before you dive into the video demonstration, let me give you the quick and dirty on how to start your laser hair removal experience at home.

Prep Your Skin: It’s recommended that you don’t pluck or wax 6 weeks before you start the Tria system, or any laser removal for that matter. When you’re ready to start your at-home treatment shave the area you want to treat and remember to clean your skin of any lotions or creams — the surface needs to be totally clean.

Activate the Tria: This thing is pretty smart when it comes to usage — safety first! It comes with a skin sensor unit that must be used to test the skin beforehand. The sensor detects skin tone and will let you know if you’re too tan or dark. If you get a green light, you’re good to go; red light means no go and you have to test your skin before every use.

It’s Laser Time! After the skin sensor gives you the thumbs up, you need to wave the sensor in front of the base unit to activate it. Set your preferred power level (1 – 3) and start zapping! It’s recommended for best results to laser the area you’re working on in 1/2 inch increments. While we didn’t do Bruce’s whole leg, I’d imagine that we could get the job done on both of his lower legs in maybe 30 minutes or so.

Now for the video demo – just press play! And please excuse the mess, we were hanging out in the garage watchin’ TV and having a grand old time!

The manual says you can do subsequent sessions within 2-4 weeks, but when I spoke to the folks at Tria, they actually recommended that I wait closer to 4 weeks. So check back then where I’ll follow up with Bruce for the next edition in Adventures of Laser Hair Removal!

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Things are getting a little bit better this week; I’ve lost a total of 2.2 pounds so far. I think I could have done much better but I really indulged in the food over the weekend (hello, Garlic Festival?!) and drank with my friends nearly every night. I’ll spare the alcohol details, but won’t hold out on the food. My goal for this week is to incorporate one workout and eat more soups as you all have commented. I had a small bowl of this Vietnamese-style hot and sour soup on Monday and it was filling and delicious!

As for the workout, this Sunday the Boyfriend and I have a date with some friends to hit the tennis courts. I’ve never really played so I hope this workout will kick my butt.

Now for the food…

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My fellow San Franciscans, have you noticed that our weather has been a little chilly these past couple of days? Saturday was gorgeous but Sunday and Monday have been horribly overcast and chilly. I had to pull out my winter sweaters to find an outfit for work — I hate when I have to do that in the middle of sundress season. How’s a girl supposed to get her tan on in the middle of all this overcast?

Today, like a sign, I opened up my Daily Candy and found Glow a Go-Go, a sunless spray service that comes to you! No more scrambling through city traffic to North Beach, the land of no parking, because their mobile service now comes to you!

Make an appointment and one of their state-licensed cosmetologists will come to your home, work, anywhere you want, and work their instant spray tan magic on you.  From start to finish, you’ll have a healthy and safe glow that lasts for one to two weeks in just 30 minutes!  So even if I can’t get my warm sunshine in San Francisco’s fickle micro-climates, I can certainly create my own destiny and at least pretend that I just got back from laying out all week in Cabo!

Check out Glow a Go-Go in San Francisco at 1318 Grant Avenue at Vallejo Street or call (415) 335-5716 for more information.

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Lancôme is pre-releasing their hot, new mascara for one day only this Thursday, July 31st, at select locations. Ôscillation is the new kid on the block as the first vibrating mascara. Can you believe that all you have to do is push a button and you could obtain lengthy, luscious, and defined lashes?

Ôscillation has a battery-operated brush that works to provide 7,000 micro-oscillations per minute. Sounds scientific but you’re probably wondering, “How does it work?” Application on this is pretty gosh-darn simple – hold the button on the wand to start the oscillation action and apply in straight, smooth strokes rather than in a zig-zag motion. What you’re left with are gorgeous, glossy lashes that are sure to make your man come hither at the bat of an eye.

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