As plastic surgery becomes as commonplace as a yearly physical, more and more people are opting for absurd procedures in the name of vanity and pop-culture adulation. And with advances in technology come new, diabolical ways to alter our appearance. If it’s Beyonce’s booty we covet, we can opt for a “Brazilian butt lift.” You say it’s a slimmer waist you need? Screw the thousand daily sit-ups -- just get a couple of ribs removed. All of these options to change our looks has left us suffering from some type of mass delusion about what actually looks good these days. So it shouldn't surprise that a woman in London decided that it was a good idea to go to Panama for a procedure that would permanently turn her naturally dark brown eyes an alluring shade of Barbie blue?

The ultimate red carpet accessories aren’t diamonds or daring décolletage; they're long, luscious lashes. J-Lo started the lash trend a while back -- remember those mink lashes from the 2002 Oscars? When done right, as in the case of Kim Kardashian and Eva Longoria, the effect is stunningly glamorous. But when stars get a little lash-happy (hello, Tyra Banks), the result is more scary than sultry, more drag queen than diva. Guess we should give her credit for trashing her weave; we'll let her keep her lashes. Truth is, though, that the easiest, cheapest way to emulate this bombshell look is simple: use a good, black mascara.

Despite accolades for her fashion work, the tabloids haven't been kind to Mary-Kate Olsen. To be fair, they’re not really kind to anyone, but they’ve been especially cruel to her. It’s almost as if they want to push her back over the edge into full-blown anorexia so they can do another eight months of “Scary Skinny” coverage and speculate about how low her weight has dropped this time around.

Ladies tend to do a lot for our skin. Our menfolk? Not so much. It’s an effort to get him to wear sunblock every day, and we can just forget about any type of eye cream. But a good shave -- one that helps eliminate painful ingrown hairs and razor burn -- is something you’ll both appreciate. So check out and share these tips from Anthony Sosnick, the grooming guru behind Anthony Logistics for Men, on what every guy needs to know about how to achieve the perfect shave. Your man may actually thank you.

At the urging of Fadela Amara, the French minister for Urban Regeneration, to whom burqas represent "the oppression of women," authorities kicked a woman known in the press only as Carole out of a public pool for wearing a “burquini,” a head-to-toe Islamic swimsuit. The week before Carole was so unceremoniously booted for supposed hygiene reasons, Amara, who happens to be Muslim herself, called for a ban of burqas in all of France.

One small image from the September issue of Glamour -- a nude woman sitting pretty in all of her non-anorexic glory -- has gotten tons of feedback. And unlike most feedback for magazine images which tend to feature obviously photo-shopped, ego-destroying models, the response to this particular shot has been overwhelmingly positive. And why? Well, just look at her. Twenty-year-old model Lizzi Miller looks absolutely joyous in this photograph, and that’s the point. Unlike a lot of stories with images of normal-sized women in fashion magazines, this one isn’t about hiding your flaws, or finding clothes to make you look thinner: It’s a story about how harshly we judge our own bodies, and why we need to cut that shit out.

Lindsay Lohan must have been feeling a little too classy these past few weeks: no public screaming matches with Samantha Ronson, no invites to appear on Springer with the whole Lohan clan. So! LiLo joined the blowfish-as-beauty-3icon brigade, got herself a big old pair of puffed-up smackers, and caused a general disruption while shopping in SoHo. Lindsay has been hanging out with Britney again, so she knows the makeover wouldn’t be complete without a ratty mess of blond hair extensions.

Summer's drawing to a close, and maybe you’re going to spend one last weekend stalking the Obamas in Chilmark or going buckwild with the meatheads at the Jersey shore. Wherever you’re going, you want to look good. Now I know we shouldn’t be superficial at the beach -- protecting our precious skin and hair from the unrelenting sun is obviously the priority. As if. Strutting around in a bathing suit under the (real or imagined) critical gaze of strangers is exactly when you want to look your best. Remain vigilant about sun protection with these products that protect your skin while stroking the ego.

Bellasugar wrote yesterday about some of the statistics regarding tattoo removal, and I’m definitely part of the 16 percent of people who regret getting inked. It’s not that I don’t like tats on all; some people have beautiful work done that really is art, that they’ll love forever. Not me. I got inked on St Marks when I was at NYU for Freshman orientation immediately after I had gotten my heart thoroughly destroyed by a boy whose name I barely remember, much less pine for. Johnny Depp feels my pain; his well-intentioned “Winona Forever” tattoo morphed into “Wino Forever” after their breakup.

Generally, the nuggets of wisdom gleaned from Tyra Banks’ twitter feed are better suited as punch lines on The Soup, but I have to give Tyra a little credit for this one:

Guess What! I'm rockin' my REAL hair on my talk show September 8th. No fake hair at all! Will be the hair coming out of my scalp! 4 all 2 C!

Cheers to the sentiment, but not 4 the ridiculous dance routine performed yesterday in Union Square Park in celebration of casting off her weave.