Blog Posts by Oprah.com

Photo: ThinkstockFind the Right Shade of Blush

Take a very brisk walk to the drugstore or department store. When you get there, look for a blush that matches your natural flush, says makeup artist Molly Stern. Here's where to start:

If your skin is fair, pastels (like baby pinks and peaches) work best.

If you have an olive complexion, try fuchsia and orangey tones.

If your skin is dark, choose a coppery or golden shade.

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Photo: ThinkstockGet Rid of That Ponytail Crease

You know the bend that's left in your hair when you take a ponytail out of its elastic? Here's a trick for getting rid of it, from Tommy Buckett, a stylist at New York City's Marie Robinson Salon. Lightly dab a little water on the bend. Part your hair down the middle from front to back and separate each section in half. Then, with the nozzle of your blow-dryer directed down over a flat brush, run the brush through each section from roots to ends. (If you have curly hair, let

Photo: Christopher BakerBy Kath Younger

Begin with the steps below, then finish with one of the variations that follow.

Oatmeal 101
In a small pot over medium heat, combine 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup milk (cow's, soy, or almond), and a pinch of salt. Stir occasionally, until oats are thick, about 5 minutes. If indicated, stir in additional ingredients until warmed through, then pour into a bowl and add suggested toppings:

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Blackberry Pie Oatmeal
Near the end of cooking, stir in 1/3 cup blackberries.
Top with: 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts, a few more blackberries, and 1 crushed graham cracker

Pumpkin-Cottage Cheese Oatmeal
Near the end of cooking, stir in 1/4 cup canned pumpkin and 1/4 cup cottage cheese.
Top with: toasted sliced almonds and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg

RELATED: Diet Cheat Sheet: Healthy "Junk" Foods

Chocolate-Coconut Oatmeal
Near the end of cooking, stir in 1 teaspoon cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon shredded coconut.

Photo: ThinkstockFix Your Hair in 3 Minutes

It's 5 p.m. at the office, you look as frazzled as you feel, and-surprise!-you (and your disheveled hair) are expected at a cocktail party starting in T minus 59 minutes.

Pull yourself together by working a silicone-based styling balm from the midsection to the ends of your hair, says Jimmy Paul, a New York City stylist. (We love Bumble and bumble Defrizz, $25.) "It gets rid of any frizz and immediately adds shine and definition to your style," he says. (Fine-haired types, apply the balm only to your ends, since silicone tends to weigh hair down.)

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Finish Errands in a Flash

Taking a left-hand turn on a busy two-way street can be a maddening time suck-minutes tick by as you sit, idling, with your blinker on. UPS drivers avoid this by taking right turns whenever possible. The company has developed a software program that maps out delivery routes using a majority of right turns-a

Photo: ThinkstockBy Lynn Andriani

Jerusalem Artichokes

Alternately known as sunchokes, these vegetables look nothing like the artichokes we're used to; they are actually tubers, which puts them in the same family as potatoes. They have double the fiber of spuds, though, and a whopping 400 times more thiamine (vitamin B1), which is important for muscle function, the functioning of the central nervous system, the metabolism of carbohydrates, and digestion. (These numbers and other nutritional information come from the USDA's National Agricultural Library.)

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Also, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reported last year that eating foods high in thiamine can help decrease the occurrence of PMS. You can cook Jerusalem artichokes the same way you'd make potatoes: roasted, sautéed, baked or boiled. Tricia Williams, a nutritionist with certificates in holistic nutrition and food therapy, and founder of the food and nutritional counseling service Food

By Rachel Mount

Twin sisters Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Whiteford love to blend smoothies for their families. "Smoothies can be sweet-tooth satisfiers, energy enhancers, cleansing on-the-go meal replacements, pick-me-up snacks, terrific kid-pleasing shakes, and even toddies for adults," they say. Here, they share three concoctions from their new book Super-Charged Smoothies (Chronicle). They're designed to make you smarter, leaner, and healthier-and taste delicious, as well!

RELATED: Dr. Oz's Longevity Grocery List

Photo: Recipe from Super-Charged SmoothiesBlueberry Brain Boost Smoothie
Recent studies show that the powerful antioxidants and phytochemicals in blueberries may improve cognitive function. Paired with walnuts, they make a blueberry smoothie that tops the antioxidant chart. The rich nuttiness of the walnuts complements the berries, and they may work a little magic on your memory. Word has it that walnuts contain essential fatty acids that support the development of brain cells and neurotransmitters,

Photo: ThinkstockBy Leigh Newman

The Southern Coast of Puerto Rico

With a bunch of flights from the U.S. (and no need for a passport), Puerto Rico has to be one of the easiest places on earth for an American to escape to-an observation that has not gone unnoticed by the ready-to-rage 20-somethings who throng the beaches and big casino hotels surrounding the capital of San Juan. Kelly Regan, editorial director of Frommer's Travel Guides, suggests you instead check out the southern coast of the island-home to what she says are "the most beautiful and least crowded beaches, like Cana Gorda, where Puerto Ricans vacation in the summertime." Regan also recommends Ponce, a well-preserved 18th-century city that gives you the colonial flavor of San Juan without all the crowds.

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Photo: ThinkstockAmelia Island, Florida

Still considered one of Florida's secret beaches, Amelia has managed, thankfully, to hang on to its old-fashioned vibe. (Think: carriage rides,

Photo: David TsayBy Monica Corcoran Harel

NAME: Rachel Huff

AGE: 42

PROFESSION: Event coordinator at California State University Channel Islands

FAMILY: Husband Forrest A. Huff, and two children: Andie, 10, and Grant, 6

HOMETOWN: Camarillo, California

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It's 6:50 a.m., and the Huff household is in chaos. While mom Rachel coaxes her towheaded son Grant to get off the family computer ("One more minute," he's been saying since 6:30), husband Forrest fries eggs and corned beef hash for daughter Andie, who isn't even out of bed. "I don't want to be that mom who's always yelling, 'Come on!'" says Rachel, still wearing her penguin pajamas and now packing lunch boxes between gulps of tea.

Ideally, Rachel and the kids should be out the door by 7:15. Grant and Andie attend separate schools, which start at 7:45 and 8:30, respectively, and because there's no bus service in the area and her husband has to be at work earlier than she does, Mom is the

Photo: ThinkstockThe Pyramids

Everybody wants to see the pyramids at Giza, but with the hefty cost of airfares (and political changes in Egypt), you might want to consider a swap for the equally inspiring Mayan pyramids, suggests Kelly Regan of Frommer's Travel Guides, particularly those on the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. Rent a bungalow on the beaches of Tulum and tour the ruins. Then venture west to the famed El Castillo of Chichén Itzá or south to lesser-known Cobá, which Regan says is hidden within "a seemingly impenetrable jungle. It feels like discovering something no one has seen."

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Photo: ThinkstockParis

The opera, the fountains, the croissants with slabs of dark, gooey chocolate inside-there's just no substitute for Paris. But the little-known secret about this world capital is that-unlike, say, London-there are plenty of affordable, lovely accommodation options. Skip a night at the famed George V and go for a smaller, family-run