That's Fit

I won't to lie to you -- I don't generally spend a lot of cash on makeup. I buy what you find at the drugstore, and even then, I look for a sale. My reasoning is simple -- I've never used something high end that felt like it was worth the price. If it's not all that different, why would I pay more?

There are reasons to pay more -- being particular about the ingredients is one, and of course, if it's can't-live-without-it amazing, I'm happy to save my pennies. But first, I need to know it's worth it.

I received samples of von Nature's Mineral Makeup Eye Colour, Sunset Light Face & Body Shimmer, and Magnolia Powder Foundation in the mail, and busted out my brushes immediately. For someone who is so involved in fashion and beauty, I have embarrassingly little experience with mineral makeup because it tends to cost more, and without trying it, I wasn't willing to spend the extra cash.

Most women are familiar with body scrubs, even if they don't use them. Scrubs are designed to get rid of dead skin and rough patches, leaving you with skin that's smoother, healthier-looking, and more radiant.

However, certain types of scrubs are great for your body, but not your face -- and vice versa. Additionally, if you're working on a particularly dry, scaly area of skin, like your elbows or your heels, you need a whole other level of scrubby goodness to get the desired effect.

Check out the gallery to get schooled in Body Scrubs 101. There's a little homework involved in the form of DIY scrubs, but don't worry -- a successfully scrubbed post-bath body is all you need to get an A!

As summer begins to come to wind down in many areas, you might be wondering how to keep up that sun-kissed glow you had in July. While you could, of course, use a sunless tanner, many people shy away from it for fear they'll end up orange and splotchy. If you land in that group, you should definitely add a powder bronzer to your make-up arsenal.

Bronzer isn't only for giving your face a little color, though -- it can be used on other parts of your body to add definition. But, regardless of where you use it, there are some important "hows" to address:

• Use a light touch. If you're using a loose powder bronzer, be sure to tap most of the powder off your brush before applying. You can always go back through and add more, but it can be tricky to lighten it once it's on without starting over completely.
• Find the right color for you. You don't want to get a bronzer that's several shades darker than your skin -- at best, it'll look unnatural, and at worst, it will make your face look dirty. Aim for a shade that's near your natural color, maybe a shade darker, for the most natural-looking results.
• Spread it out. Even though bronzer can be used for definition, you don't want to swipe it on in streaks. Use a fluffy brush and keep the lines soft -- the idea behind bronzer is that you don't see the bronzer.
• Beware the shimmer. Most bronzers have a hint of shimmer, and most of the time, that's fine -- it'll give your skin a little added glow. However, some of them have more than others, and unless you want to look like you're going to Prom, you might want to avoid the super-sparkly types.

It's funny how different people are about their bath time routines. I have plenty of friends who like nothing more than to soak in a hot bath for half an hour, while others want to get in and out of the shower as quickly as possible. I fall somewhere in between -- there are times when my muscles are screaming for a hot shower, and I take a little longer than normal, but there are quite a few times I'm in and out in very little time.

What doesn't change, however, is my love of good products. What's a shower (or a bath) without a shampoo that smells amazing, or a soap that's totally invigorating? And, of course, it has to feel great on my skin.

Lately I've been hearing a lot about Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps. The company has been around for 60 years, though only recently have they gone from being a cult favorite natural food store brand to being embraced by the masses. The products are completely eco-friendly and certified organic as well as fair trade certified. Besides all that goodness, there are over 30,000 words written on the labels of all the products epitomizing the founder's beliefs -- makes for good reading!

You probably know the causes of wrinkles, right? There are internal factors (age and genetics) as well as external factors (sun exposure). But did you know you can actually tell the difference by how the wrinkles appear on your face?

Wrinkles caused by internal factors will present in the form of thinner skin with less elasticity. You'll experience increased dryness and notice more fine wrinkles as well as slower scar formation.

Photoaging, or wrinkles caused by exposure to the sun and elements, will show up as deeper wrinkles and saggy looking skin. You might also notice irregular pigmentation, or brown spots, and your skin will appear rougher and more leathery.



So what does this mean for you? Well, if you're fighting your wrinkles, knowing what caused them is a good start -- if you notice that most of your problems seem to be related to external factors, you should probably invest in a big hat in sunscreen. Now. But, if you're really serious about diminishing your wrinkles, you have several choices.

While summer comes with its own unique charms -- sunny days, summer dresses, barbecues, pool parties, flip flops, etc. -- it also brings with it some unique challenges, particularly for your skin.

Though these challenges might force us to rethink our skincare game plan, by no means should they have the power to screw up our plans for summer fun. Fortunately, Real Simple came out with a list of summer skin problems and included information on how to avoid them as well as how to deal with them once they happen.

Check out the gallery below to see a few of their solutions, or click here to read the full article.

A lot of the laser hair removal commercials I hear make shaving sound like it's just the worst thing in the world. And let me be honest -- I'm not exactly a fan of shaving my legs, but I don't find it to be the horrible imposition that some people obviously do.

However, that doesn't mean I'm not open to new and improved hair removal techniques, so when I saw this article on "things I might not know about hair removal" at Shape.com, I read it top to bottom. Shape claims that some new techniques might turn hair removal into something you look forward to (I highly doubt that), but they do have some good suggestions for things to try.

Check out the gallery to see seven hair removal suggestions from Shape, and be sure to share your best tips in the comments!

It doesn't seem quite fair -- summer is when everyone is having the fun parties, and you want to look your most gorgeous, but between the sun and heat and humidity, it's hard to convince your hair to do what you want it to do.

That doesn't mean you're forever confined to bad summertime hair, though -- we've got some tips (partly thanks to our friends at Fitness Magazine) to help you get the most out of your 'do this summer. Check them out, and be sure to let us know about your best summertime hair trick or product in the comments!

Ever overwhelmed in the drugstore aisles when faced with all the lotions and potions that line the shelves? I am. I'm never quite sure what product to pick up and toss in my cart -- the easy-to-use face cleanser or the easy-on-the skin all-over body wash, the lipstick that won't wash away or the gloss that shines from here to Timbuktu. An advisor is what I need.

I'm in luck.

Prevention magazine asked a few dermatologists about their favorite drugstore finds and what they got were a bunch of great recommendations. Here they are -- 10 tried-and-true beauty bargains under $20.

• Dove Daily Hydrating Cleansing Cloths
• Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser
• RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Daily Moisturizer
• Almay Kinetin Rejuvenating Eye Treatment
• Olay Regenerist Enhancing Lotion with UV Protection
• Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash
• Jergens Ultra Healing Lotion
• Aquaphor Healing Ointment
• Lac-Hydrin Five
• Sea & Ski All Day Sport UVA/UVB Sunscreen Foam, SPF 30

Throughout your life, your skincare needs change. As you entered puberty you required certain products to combat acne, and as you entered adulthood, perhaps the acne was no longer an issue, but you started having dry skin issues. That's totally normal.

Also normal is a change in your skincare needs as you age. You experience a decline in hormone levels, which affects your skin, causing it to dry out -- these changes generally begin to take place as a woman enters her 40s. Dry skin isn't the only problem, however -- at the same time, women begin to see more wrinkles, sagging, and age spots. Needless to say, the cleansers and moisturizers you used in your 20s are no longer the most effective choice.

My friend, Debbie, had the opportunity to try out some products by Emerita geared toward the specific skin problems of mature women and was very happy with the results, which is saying something because she has sensitive skin and is prone to allergic reactions. And so, for today's Fit Beauty feature, I thought I would share her experiences with you.

When the days get longer, our shoes get strappier. Gone are our bulky boots -- summertime is all about fun sandals. But, before you slip on your favorite flip flops, take a look at your feet. Are they sandal ready?

You can get your feet in beautiful beachy shape in just a few easy steps. Sure, you could hit the nail salon and get a professional pedicure, but that's nowhere near as fun as doing it yourself at home! Grab a girlfriend and do your own pedi party -- check out the gallery for tips!

During the summer months, many women get a few extra highlights (myself included). Even if I'm not hanging out on the beach, my hair can still have that sunkissed glow ... for a few weeks, anyway, until my roots start showing. And no matter how many celebrities go around showing an inch of darkness at the root, I'm just not on board -- my hair doesn't have enough body to pull that look off.

Like many of you, I don't have the time or the money to get my hair professionally highlighted every four or six weeks, so I've come up with a way to go longer between highlights -- with a semi-permanent, at-home hair color (I personally use Natural Instincts).

First of all, I have to tell you that at-home hair coloring can be disastrous -- if you're looking to really change up your hair color, or go from light to dark, you really ought to spring for a professional. However, many of my friends and I have had great success by using a light shade to blend our natural hair color with our grown-out highlights.

How often have you seen an ad or read about a new makeup trend in a magazine, only to think, "That looks great on her, but I'd never pull that off with my skin tone?" While it's true that some trends look best on women of particular ages or with certain skin tones, if there's a trend that intrigues you, there's probably a way to make it work for you.

Click through the gallery to see how Fitnessmagazine.com tailored five current makeup trends for specific skin tones -- you might find your new favorite look!

Is there anything more frustrating than making a real effort to lose a certain amount of weight before a big event, like a wedding or class reunion, only to come up short when the big day rolls around? But you're out of time -- what can you do? Let me tell you -- the right clothes can make all the difference.

You've probably heard of Spanx and Assets, which are great. Hey, if it's good enough for celebrities on the red carpet, it's good enough for me. However, a new line of clothing has come out, and it has what you need built right in -- ShapeFX.

ShapeFX has all kinds of slimming items designed to "make the body you have look like the body you want." They offer shaper pieces to wear underneath (they even have Shaper Shorts with a Butt Lifter!), but they also have dresses, pants, tops ... pretty much anything you would ever want to wear. And every piece has uses at least one of three approaches to slimming you down and hiding flaws: control, fabrication, and design.

Whether your (bra) cups runneth over or the only cleavage you are able to show is with your toes, you still want to have the best breasts possible. And no, I'm not suggesting implants or augmentations -- this post isn't about surgical enhancement. I'm talking about simple things you can do at home to get "wow" breasts, and according to Fitnessmagazine.com, it only takes three steps!

You might not be planning to wear tops cut "down to there," but chances are good that sometime this summer you'll find yourself in a top with a neckline that shows at least a little bit of your chest. And when that day comes, you'll be glad you've been taking care of the "girls," believe me!

• No more zits! Did you know that the skin of your decolletage has just as many oil glands as the skin on your face? And, be honest -- even if you wash your face every night before you go to bed, how often do you wash your cleavage in between showers? I don't know about you, but I can truthfully say never. If your chest is prone to breaking out, use an anti-acne body wash with 5% benzoyl peroxide once a day. And, when you work out, wear fabrics that breath and wick away sweat. You can also treat trouble areas with a 2% salicylic-acid body spray after exercising to banish bacteria.