Blog Posts by The chicks at TotalBeauty.com

In an age where children are being raised in SpongeBob SquarePants' hyperactive sea instead of Mister Rogers' calm neighborhood, it's no surprise that Generation Y has a very short attention span -- and zero patience.

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At least that's what I'm blaming for my aversion to exercising. It's not my fault running on the treadmill and doing the Downward Dog bores me -- it's my upbringing! (Although, truth be told, SpongeBob came after my youth.) Yet no matter what I point my lazy finger at, the result is the same: I can't seem to lose weight.

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So I decided to do something about it. I channeled my energy and resources into finding out how I can lose 5 pounds fast. Did I succeed? Not only did I find a quick fix, I found a routine that has a good shot at keeping the weight off.

And no, there's no starving or feeding myself through tubes. Check it out:

SLASH YOUR SODIUM

Who knew your favorite

I have a co-worker who walks into the office looking like she stepped out of a magazine spread. She takes fashion risks that never fail, changes her nail polish color every other day so she's always on-trend, and wears the cat-eye spotted on last night's red carpet.

Related: 8 Daring Color Trends Everyone Can Pull Off

I've tried to mimic her chameleon ways, but I simply can't catch on. It takes me weeks to master a new eyeliner look (which is why I always resort to the same-old basic black eyeliner and nude lip). So by the time I get on board, the trend is already so last season.

Related: The Best Makeup Picks for Your Skin Tone

When the pastel makeup trend was taking off, I longingly looked at my co-worker's gorgeous lilac lips and minty green eyes and wished they were my own. So I decided to ask celebrity makeup artist Geoffrey Rodriguez how to pull off this trend -- and he told me anybody can wear pastel makeup. Why? Because there's no technique involved. You just

Summer is just a few weeks away, and while this should inspire serious excitement, I have to admit I'm dreading the warmer weather.

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Don't get me wrong -- I'm psyched for all of the weekends I'll spend poolside and at barbeques and the beach. But thanks to a winter and spring spent dodging the gym, I'm not as eager about the bikinis, short shorts, and skin-baring dresses that come along with the sunny season.

If you're like me and have also been procrastinating on your attempts to get "bikini-ready," here's some excellent news: Toning your butt, thighs, and legs can happen more quickly than you think, says celebrity trainer Ky Evans. "Since the muscles in your legs and butt are the largest in the body, you'll blast calories when doing leg exercises," he says. Translation: You'll see fast results.

Related: 6 Best Butt Workouts for Women

Check out this easy routine created by Evans and nutrition and fitness consultant Ashley

Admit it: You're still skeptical of eco-friendly beauty products.

Maybe you're afraid they'll make you smell like your patchouli-loving freshman-year roommate. Or you don't believe they'll work as well as your current favorites.

Related: 10 Best Natural Beauty Buys at the Drugstore

Well here's some news you might be shocked to hear from us: We're afraid of eco-friendly products, too.

Don't get us wrong -- we know that natural beauty products are good to the earth and to our bodies, and the growing evidence about why we should be greening our beauty routines is compelling. But we also realize that it can be tough to find an "eco-friendly" hairspray that'll keep your beachy waves in place or an "all-natural" lip gloss that doesn't taste like dirt.

Related: 8 High-End Hair Products Worth Every Penny

Enter our latest road test, where we took on the task of testing every eco-friendly product on the market. The result? We're newly addicted to these 7 eco-friendly

I have a friend who will pop a pill at the slightest hint of discomfort. If she has a headache, she'll down ibuprofen. Allergies? A corticosteroid inhaler and two antihistamines. And when it comes to menstrual cramps, she turns to a whole cocktail of medication to get her through the day.

Related: How to Ditch PMS for Good

While pills are necessary when dealing with chronic pain, I think my friend is just a wee bit addicted, which is why I decided to stage an intervention. I talked to Ashley Koff, RD, Los Angeles-based celebrity dietitian and author of "Mom Energy," who says that you can actually aid the effectiveness of pain-relievers -- or even eliminate the need for them -- by eating foods that are proven to alleviate pain.

One (bummer) warning: a diet that's high in refined starches, sugars, saturated fats, and trans fats can actually worsen pain. So lay off those and see the foods that can help you lighten your own grip on the pillbox now.

For someone who loves eating healthfully, I'm a terrible cook. If a recipe calls for more than five ingredients or uses a word like "julienne," I bail and curl up with a bag of baby carrots on the kitchen floor, rocking myself.

Related: 7 Simple Diet Secrets You Can Start Today

So for me, the frozen foods aisle at the grocery store can be a savior. The only problem? A lot of frozen meals have hidden health horrors.

"Most frozen meals are high in sugar and sodium, contain tons of preservatives, and don't have much to offer in terms of fruits, vegetables, or fiber," says Laura Cipullo, a registered dietician and certified diabetes instructor in New York City.

Related: Road Test: Check Out the Crazy Detox Diet Our Editor Tried ...

So what's a healthy-eating, recipe-averse, busy-girl-on-the-go supposed to do? Choose the healthiest frozen meal option, of course. Because for every chemical-laden, fat-filled frozen meal, there is a comparable option with better

There is only one thing that gets me more excited than finding a coveted Choo on sale in my size, and that's getting a "new" beauty product that is actually new. And I mean new as in never-seen-this-kind-of-thing-before new. It takes a lot for a beauty editor like me to get excited about yet another lip gloss, foundation, or curl cream. I've seen them all.

Related: 12 Beauty Breakthroughs You Must Try in 2012

But this season the beauty world is wowing and amazing me -- and these six spankin' new beauty products are the most incredible I've seen in a while:

1. It Cosmetics Brow Power Perfector 5-in-1 Powder Gel Pencil Duo, $48

From the makers of the Universal Brow Pencil that won our Total Beauty stamp of approval in our 2011 Beauty Awards, come four new colors that have an even better brow brush attached.

2. Sisley Hydrating Long Lasting Lipstick in Rose Fuchsia, $55 Did you know that fuchsia is not only one of the "it" colors of the season, but it's actually

Like the rest of the world, I've recently started to get a little more eco-conscious.

I've got a cute, reusable grocery bag I tote to my local farmer's market. I turn the lights off when I don't need them and have started taking shorter showers. Heck, I even just bought a pair of recycled denim jeans.

Related: Are Your Products Killing the Planet?

So of course, I've also started using eco-friendly beauty products. But here's the rub: While organic food costs a few bucks more than the conventional kind and my new eco-friendly energy efficiency is actually saving me money, greening my beauty routine has been seriously spendy. Tata Harper's organic face moisturizer may make my skin glow, but at $100 a pop, I don't have any cash left to buy an organic banana.

Related: Cheap Swaps for High-End Makeup

Which is why I called Alexandra Spunt and Siobhan O'Connor, eco-conscious beauty junkies and co-authors of "No More Dirty Looks." They filled me in on these 10 best