That's Fit

Follow these three tips for buying better makeup brushes to give your beauty routine a boost and help the planet at the same time.

Ever hit the sack without washing your face? You might want to rethink your habits.

It can be hard to be a female athlete, especially one who is really serious about her sport -- she's tough on the court, but that doesn't mean she can't be feminine in her everyday life. And as far as the WNBA is concerned, their girls should be more girly because it'll boost attendance.

Women's sports aren't as popular as men's, but the WNBA is hoping that by helping its athletes learn to apply makeup and look sexier, it will draw more fans. If, instead of only drawing crowds made of girls who dream of playing pro sports the league can bring in the male demographic that attends NBA games, they can increase their profit, and therefore expand the league, giving more girls the opportunity to play ball professionally.

I have no problem with looking girly while working out harder than the boys, but I don't like the idea of it being forced upon anyone. Rookies entering the NBA will receive makeup and shopping training along with financial coaching during their orientation, and while I'm sure some players will be excited about the opportunity, I know a lot of the girls I played ball with would resent anyone trying to make sexier. What do you think?

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!

We talk a lot about reading labels here at That's Fit, like how whole wheat bread isn't always whole wheat, and "natural" and "organic" can mean several things. However, more than just your food is labeled -- so are your cosmetics.

In honor of Earth Day this past Tuesday, I wanted to tell you a bit about how you can find cosmetics and beauty products that are truly cruelty-free. After all, causing pain for an animal just isn't pretty.

Companies use several different types of wording to make the extent of their animal testing ambiguous. For example, if the label says Final product not tested on animals, that means that while that particular lip gloss might not have been put on an animal, the ingredients going into it might have. Or, if it says This brand does not test on animals, it could mean that a supplier or lab that brand works with tests on animals.

Generally speaking, if I go to the gym, I try not to plan anything immediately afterward. Ideally, I like to go home for a shower and get ready in my own bathroom, or at the very least, I'll take a full shower at the gym and get ready there. Either way, it takes some time for me to go from hot, sweaty mess to looking hot (or at least not scary).

But then again, there are those times when you get out of work at 5:00, have plans to meet a friend around 6:00 or 6:30 for a bite to eat, and while your house is on the other side of town, your gym is between work and the restaurant. It would be a shame to miss out on a quick workout just because you don't have time to wash your hair and get all dolled up, right?

In that case, check out the suggestions below for overcoming common post-workout beauty complaints (courtesy of FitnessMagazine.com, with a few of my own suggestions added in for good measure).

It seems so simple, getting ready in the morning. How many mistakes could you possibly make? But according to Real Simple, many of us are making common beauty blunders. Fortunately, they're easy to fix.

For instance, if you put on your foundation without giving moisturizer a chance to dry, you can end up with splotchy or poor coverage (guilty as charged!). And if you wait until you're dressed to spray on your perfume, you could leave stains on your clothing. Instead, find something else to do for the 1-5 minutes it takes your moisturizer to soak in and spray on any fragrance while you're still in the buff.

What kind of beauty blunders do you find yourself making?

It's a fine balance, trying to look young and feel your best at work while still being professional and not looking overdone. Not to mention you don't want to have to keep up with a lot of reapplications or maintenance throughout the day, but you don't want to look like a slowly disintegrating mess as the hours go by. Makeup has been a love/hate relationship for women since it was invented, and finding a look that can go easily from day to night is just one piece of the big and sometimes frustrating pie.

The thing that always gets me about makeup is that it's so simple, yet so complicated!

Do you use your cosmetics responsibly? In other words, no sharing and keeping those containers closed tightly when not in use? I hope so -- you never know where that bacterial infection is going to come from.

Sharing cosmetics -- from lipstick to mascara -- can spread bacteria from person to person very easily. While most women don't share their cosmetics, many do. Unless you know where that lip or face has been, you're putting yourself at risk of infection by opening up your makeup case to someone else.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggests these tips:

• Never allow other people to borrow your makeup, which can spread bacteria and other germs.
• When trying on makeup at a store, always use a new applicator, or ask the salesperson to clean it with alcohol before using.
• To prevent bacterial growth, keep your makeup closed tightly, and store it in a cool, dry place. Avoid exposing makeup to sun and other forms of direct light and heat.
• If you have an eye infection, stop using makeup until the irritation clears. Discard any makeup you used when you had the infection.
• Throw away old makeup, and any makeup that turns color or develops an odor.
• Try not to inhale powders or aerosol products, which can irritate or damage the lungs.

Beginning January of this upcoming new year, adding mercury to cosmetics will be a thing of the past. At least in the state of Minnesota. They are the first state to lay down a law banning the intentional adding of mercury to makeup, among other products (such as eye drops, nasal sprays and toiletries).

The reason mercury was ever in certain cosmetics to begin with was because it was used to preserve the product and kill germs. A group called the Personal Care Products Council out of Washington believes an amount that small wouldn't end up hurting you. However Sen. John Marty, who sponsored the ban, thinks otherwise. "Every source of mercury adds to [potential damage]. We wanted to make sure it wasn't here," he said.

Mercury has been known to cause complications in the nervous system, but it usually needs to be ingested. And I'm not sure which form they're talking about, but even some mercury compounds would need to be absorbed via the gastrointestinal tract to do significant damage. Either way, so long as women (especially pregnant ones) aren't eating their makeup in the morning, you shouldn't be scared to use your old products that may or may not have mercury. After all, if your mascara hasn't killed you by now, no need to panic!

Depending on what you do for a living, if you're a woman chances are you wear makeup to work. Very few of us look good or normal with absolutely no makeup on at all, so it becomes a huge part of how we present ourselves to the world. What if that big part of how you present yourself, of how you work to make yourself look better, was actually making you look worse? What if it was adding years to how you look instead of taking them off? What a shame to work so hard to stay a healthy weight and keep in shape only to sabotage yourself with your makeup!

Now of course no amount of bad makeup can equal the negative impact of being overweight or unhealthy, but there is something to be said for the magnifying power of how you do your face. You can either magnify the good things or you can magnify the bad things: anybody up for some painfully obvious wrinkles?

Here are 6 beauty blunders to avoid, unless of course you're going for an "antiqued" appearance:

When it comes to looking younger, plastic surgery isn't the only route -- there are plenty of natural ways to look fresh using products that you can find close to home. Glee Magazine recently assembled a few tips on how to look younger using what's in your medicine cabinet:

• Moisturize. If your skin looks hydrated, it looks years younger. Try to get something lightweight that won't clog pores but will keep your skin supple for hours.
  
• Toss the powder. A creamy foundation will not only keep your skin hydrated, but it won't settle into wrinkles like a powder will.
  
• Go matte. Don't use shimmery eyeshadow too often -- it can give your eyes a crepe-like effect.
  
• Colour your cheeks and your lips. It will make you look years younger.
  

How do you defy age with Make-up?

I know that we all have the best of intentions when we're attempting to stick with a healthy eating plan but obviously it's impossible to be perfect all the time. There are always going to be days when you want to eat or drink someting that doesn't fit into your diet. The key is not to give up altogether on those days by continuing to eat unhealthy food.

What's the best way to make up for a bit of overindulgence? This piece is pretty useful as it gives suggestions for what else to eat on days when you've fallen off the wagon. For example, if in a rush you choose to have a greasy, fast food meal for lunch, the article suggests making up for it at dinner by eating a big salad topped with chicken (to keep you full), beans (they're full of fibre) and oil and vinegar for dressing (low in sodium unlike the burger and fries at lunch).

Or, if you've used up much of your daily caloric intake at breakfast with a high-cal muffin and full-fat latte, for lunch you should try a turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with lots of veggies. It's low fat and the the fibre in the bread and vegetables will make up for the lack of fibre in the muffin and latte.

It's best to remember that one little slip isn't an excuse to ruin your healthy eating plan for the rest of the day as well. For more suggestions, check out the article in full.

Most of us are aware of health risks associated with the foods we eat and the ingredients in them, but I suspect that many people are in the dark about the dangerous ingredients in cosmetics, since, unlike foods, we don't ingest them. But cosmetics can be scary too, and here's a prime example: The FDA has recently approved a black pigment to be used in cosmetics that contains small, but supposedly safe, amounts of carcinogens.

D&C Black No. 3 is also known as bone black, which is interesting considering where it comes from -- it's made from cattle bones that are heated to over 700 degrees. Mmm, sounds lovely, huh? But regardless of how gross it is to make makeup out of charred cow bones, I have to ask -- is there any amount of carcinogens that are safe? What do you think?

(via The Beauty Brains)

Makeup is supposed to accentuate beauty, but if you don't practice good product hygiene, it could end up making you look worse. Cold sores, rashes, and other unsightly bumps are just a few of the consequences of makeup gone bad. Here are a few rules for keeping makeup safe, including:

1. Friends don't let friends share makeup (or germs).
2. Out with the old, expired make up, in with the new.
3. Replace applicators frequently to get rid of freeloading bacteria.
4. Never thin clumpy make up with saliva or water.
5. Cars are for driving, not for applying makeup and possibly scratching your eyeball.
6. Put a lid on it, and keep make up sealed tightly.
7. Natural makeups may not contain preservatives; check expiration dates!
8. Go to bed with a clean face.

Want to learn more? Check out this article for more details on keeping your makeup safe and clean, and you skin clear and beautiful!