I Tried Weird Period Products So You Don’t Have To

I’ve been surfing the crimson wave since I was 9 years old (really. NO REALLY) so I’ve tried just about every period product out there — starting with maxi pads the size of a five-subject notebook. Necessity became the mother of my period experimentation. Any given month, a shortage of pads or tampons would leave me holding some strange, reusable product at the pharmacy and wondering, "What if I never had to buy tampons or pads againt?" So, for your information and reading pleasure (or just to distract from the cramps), a summary of my adventures in reusable period products:

The Soft Cup

This lady device looks like a pink jelly bracelet with a little pouch. There’s a reusable one that lasts your whole cycle and a disposable one that you toss out after 12 hours. Gotta love choices. Since I use the Nuvaring for my birth control, this ring didn’t seem too intimidating, but after my first failed attempt, I ended up watching the tutorial to get a better sense of what the heck to do. After I figured out exactly how to get it in, the Soft Cup felt comfortable. Best of all — no leaks — way better than those supposedly SUPER HEAVY tampons (There’s nothing super about you, tampon). Like I said, it can stay in for 12 hours, then I just rinsed it with soap and hot water and reinserted. And if you hate when your period cock blocks you, you can even have sex while wearing the Soft Cup. Bonus.
Price: $8
Grade: A-. What it lacks in ease of use it makes up for in being able to have clean sex on your period.

The Moon Cup

When I first saw this clear silicone cup, I thought to myself, "How is that going inside of me?" You’re supposed to fold it into a C-shape, pop it in, and leave it for 12 hours. There’s a trim-able stem at the bottom that’s like the string at the end of a tampon. I had no problem inserting it. Great! But then I had to remove it. The instructions say to gently pull on the stem and then pinch the bottom of the cup with your thumb and forefinger. (You need to pinch to release the suction of the cup. DON’T BE SCARED. GO WITH ME.) Of course, I did the exact opposite thing and yanked on the stem repeatedly. Nothing. Then panic set in when I thought I’ll never getting this out or have sex again. The thought of a celibate life motivated me to calm the eff down and try again. I took a few yogic breaths and pressed down with my pelvic muscles, tilted myself downwards, and pinched the bottom. Success! I used a pantyliner in case there are any leaks, but there weren't. Not one red dot. Plus, I like the set-it-and-forget method of leaving it in for 12 hours because I’m lazy.
Price: $35
Grade: A, after momentary panic attack. Less leaks and less commitment than tampons.

GladRags

Don’t you hate when guys in high school used to say to you, “What’s wrong with you? Are you on the rag?” WHY YES I AM. Don’t mess with me or I’ll do this. 

Seriously, guys, just leave us alone.

GladRags are cotton pads that you wash and reuse. They come in pretty colors and fabrics. Mine literally had a bird on it. The basic gist is that you wear it, wash it, and use it again. They come in pantyliners, day pads, and night pads. The day and night pads have removable liners that fit into a cotton envelope so you can make it as thick or thin as you need. Pile on the liners if you just want to sit in front of your TV/laptop, binge watching Orange Is the New Black with a pint of chocolate ice cream dotted with chocolate chips covered in chocolate. I used mine as pantyliners when I wore the Moon Cup. GladRags were totally easy to hand wash and dry. I did wash a pad with red roses on it for a while, thinking, "Why aren’t these stains coming out?" so, um, maybe don't get the ones with red patterns. But the main thing I loved was the no-itch factor. You know what I’m talking about. You’re in a nice restaurant and you’re trying not to itch your vag because that stupid pad is all up in your business. With the cotton liners, there’s no itch. I barely even felt it. And they’re so pretty.
Price: $15 to $20
Grade: B. Comfortable and cute, but a tiny bit gross as a full pad.

The final verdict: I’m a convert. Really. Actually. I'm going to use these things. I’ll be using the Moon Cup as my regular monthly with a GladRag pantyliner, and the Soft Cup if I want to get frisky. This is not an exaggeration.

Jennifer Chen is a freelance writer who lives in Los Angeles.

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Photo credit: NBC

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The Bird Poop Facial—Yep, We Actually Tried It

This is pre-facial. #Selfie

I've never had a facial before. So I decided, why not make my first one shitty?

I will do just about anything in the name of beauty. When I heard that bird poop facials were a thing, I obviously had to try it. You guys already know. I will try anything. In the past I've had someone wash me from head to toe, and I've also paid for a nap. Ugh. Trying all these luxurious treatments are sooo exhausting. But someone's gotta do it! :)

The proper name for the treatment is The Geisha Facial and it is currently only found at NYC’s Shizuka New York Day Spa. When I read about it, I immediately booked an appointment. I was ready to have my face lathered with Japanese nightingale droppings.

At the spa, I stripped down to my skivvies and put on a Geisha-like robe and cotton slippers. It was part of the entire experience.

I was ushered to a room and laid down on a super-comfy bed. As soon as celebrity facialist Shizuka Bernstein got started, I said, "IS THIS THE BIRD POOP?!" I was kind of excited. She assured me that she would let me know when she was rubbing the poop all over my face. Shizuka told me that the bird poop really isn't the main part of treatment, it's just one of the steps. Oh, poop. I was expecting to spend a whole 60 minutes with bird feces caked on my face.

Anyway, the bird feces is the third step in the treatment. First a clay is applied to your face, then your face is cleansed, and then...Shizuka first mixes the bird poop with a rice bran to mask the shitty scent, and applies it to your face with a brush and then scrubs your skin to exfoliate.

The formula feels a little gloopy, but doesn't smell bad. It kind of smelled like oatmeal.

The bird poop comes in the form of a powder. It turns out that Japanese nightingale droppings are manufactured in Japan, where they are sanitized with UV rays and turned into a powder. I envision an entire warehouse of birds shitting into trays and it being someone's job to go scrape it and then pass it on to be sanitized.

When asked why bird poop, Shizuka says, "The bird poop actually has a natural enzyme in it that will cleanse the skin. It also has guanine, which is found in many makeup products that help produce shine."

After the bird poop part of the facial a few more steps follow, including extraction. Once she was done, my face felt as smooth as a baby's butt. I think I'd do it again.

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We Tried On Beyoncé's Hand-Picked Outfits for<br />Rent The Runway

When I heard Beyoncé aka Mrs. Carter hand-picked outfits for Rent The Runway, I squealed and thought OMG. SIGN ME UP LIKE RIGHT MEOW. Could The Beyoncé Boutique finally be my chance to get styled by Beysus?! The collection is very eclectic, snug-fitting, and sparkly—just like Bey's style. And as the resident Beyoncé super-fan here at Cosmo, the outfits could only be reviewed one way—in person.

With Queen B's music blasting in the background and a dressing room filled with some of her selected pieces, I did the Uh-Oh and put on my best Diva face as I tried on sparkly and bright frocks that were Beyoncé approved. Here are my favorite looks:

Hypnotized by You Romper, $60, renttherunway.com

Crimson Scalloped Dress, $75, renttherunway.com

Olive Peep Dress, $75, renttherunway.com

Lillian Cocktail Dress, $150, renttherunway.com

Chained to You Dress, $75, renttherunway.com

Wild Privet Sheath, $100, renttherunway.com

Riding the Wave Sheath, $50, renttherunway.com

Pitch Black Sheath, $65, renttherunway.com

And since you haven't seen enough pictures of me...

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Role Play Ideas You've Never Tried Before

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We Tried the Leather Nails Trend!

Meet the Beauty Bloggers

Carly Cardellino: I'm the beauty and fashion editor here at Cosmopolitan.com. I'll try just about anything once (I have the crop cut—my hair used to be super-long—and body wave to prove it) and then report back. I'm obsessed with hair products, like volumizers and salt sprays, as well as mascara, nail polish, a good foundation (right now I'm using Tom Ford Beauty Traceless Foundation SPF 15), and blush (it literally changes the way you look in seconds)—hopefully you can see why I'm in this business. I also love picking out head-to-toe outfits for friends whether they're going on a date with their guy or a black-tie wedding—so feel free to click on that "contact" link below and send me a question.

Leah Wyar: Ladies, I’m the DIY beauty guru. My specialties? Spray-tanning and mastering the at-home manicure. I’ve tried dozens of spray-tanning formulas and have mastered the art of the self-tan (don’t worry, I’ll share!). Plus, I paint on the hottest nail trends every week (currently I’m obsessed with the glitter and dark polish trend). Follow me as I branch out and perfect my DIY skills (up next: waxing!).

Marta Topran: I’m obsessed with making my skin as glowy as possible. That means trying out every anti-aging potion out there and never leaving the house without some sort of shimmery highlighter on my cheekbones. I’m also the resident brow and lash addict. Right now, I’m rocking super long lash extensions that I can’t believe I ever lived without.

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