Blog Posts by Good Housekeeping

Break these 12 beauty rulesRules were made to be broken! Update your routine with these new and improved beauty standards.

Old rule #1: Steer clear of blue shadows.
Blue shadows get a bad rap for looking tacky. Sure they're harder to pull off than neutral shades, but it can be done - and with beautiful effect. For fairer complexions, a sheer wash of pastel blue with hints of gray can help enhance eyes, says Petra Strand, founder of Pixi cosmetics. Olive and medium skin tones can handle bejeweled-laden lids, while darker skin tones can get away with rich, vibrant pops of statement blues. Experiment with a palette, like Yves Saint Laurent Ombres 5 Lumieres 5 Colour Harmony for Eyes in 5 Riviera ($51, amazon.com), that houses a wide range, from dusty blue to navy.

If you've got a stunning pair of baby blue eyes, avoid matching the shadow to your irises. Pair a pastel with dark blue eyes and navy with lighter eyes for contrast.

Related: 6 Rules For Wearing Red Lipstick

Old rule #2: Wear bronzer only in summer.

Cheese can plop a hefty amount of calories onto a bed of greens, so use it sparingly.A healthy trip to the salad bar can quickly take a bad turn once you pile on fatty, sugary, calorie-laden toppings. Here, Samantha Cassetty, MS, RD, the Good Housekeeping Research Institute's Nutrition Director, shares which ingredients to steer clear of.

1. Cheese
America's favorite dairy product can plop a hefty amount of calories onto a bed of greens, so use it sparingly, says Cassetty. Resist piling cheese on your salad - just small quantities of bleu, feta, or Parmesan cheese will add a big boost of flavor.

2. Croutons and crispy noodles
Though these often-fried accoutrements give great crunch to a plate of romaine, the extra texture comes with calories and carbs, says Cassetty. Drizzling one-half cup of crispy noodles will add 117 calories to your dish, and the equivalent amount of seasoned croutons will tack on 93 calories.

Related: Healthy Salad Recipes

3. Candied nuts
Calorie counts can skyrocket when you adorn salads with sugar-coated pecans and walnuts, says

Follow these tips to know when it's time to toss it in the wash.Have you ever wondered how long you can go without washing your sheets, pj's, or jeans? Simply smelling or looking at them doesn't always do the trick. On the other hand, washing something too often can shorten its lifetime. Here are some helpful tips on when it's time to toss your pillow and other things into the laundry basket.

Bed sheets should be washed at least every other week. If you sweat at night, wash your bed sheets weekly. On the other hand, pillows and comforters can be cleaned 2 or 3 times a year. An easy reminder: Wash them when the seasons change. After someone's been sick, throw all their bed linens in the washer.

Related: How to Wash Delicates

After a few good nights' sleep, toss your pajamas in the wash. If you're a before-you-go-to-bed showerer, you can wait a few extra nights between washings.

Not everything you wear gets dirty after you've worn it once. Jackets, dresses, or jeans can be worn several times before they need a cleaning. When your denim

Short-term stress isn't so terrible.

Being under chronic stress can wreak havoc on your health, but short-term stress isn't so terrible. Some of life's greatest joys - getting married, having a baby - can be stressful as well as exciting. Here, 7 reasons why stress shouldn't stress you out.

1. Stress gives life its zing
We are quick to blame stress for a variety of problems, such as heart disease, ulcers, abdominal obesity, and dementia. But Hans Selye, a Hungarian endocrinologist, initially coined the term "eustress," defining it as "stress that is healthy, or gives one a feeling of fulfillment or other positive feelings." Daniel Kirsch, Ph.D., president of the American Institute of Stress, agrees that positive aspects of stress are often overlooked. "Marriage or a job promotion are stressful situations but in a positive way," he says. "We may feel stressed and a little afraid but we're also excited. Those who try to avoid it at all costs have it all wrong. Eustress is what gives life meaning and hope."

Related:

Fruits and vegetables will help you look and feel younger.

When it comes to staying young, it's often what's on the inside that counts. Leading a healthy lifestyle doesn't just extend your years - it can keep you looking youthful, too. These 7 easy tips are anti-aging from the inside out.

1. Eat Your Fruits and Veggies
The antioxidants and phytonutrients in fruits and vegetables will help fight wrinkles and keep your skin hydrated and even-toned. Aim to get a wide range of colors on your plate - it's an easy way to ensure you get a variety of vitamins and other health-boosting nutrients. A produce-heavy diet will also help you maintain a healthy weight, which is key to looking and feeling young.

Related: Your Preventative Anti-Aging Guide

2. And Eat Plenty of Fish, Too
Lean protein (skinless chicken, egg whites, tofu) is crucial to maintaining muscle mass as you get older. And fatty fish (salmon, tuna) has an extra benefit: it's full of omega-3 fatty acids, which help protect your skin from the sun, keep your heart healthy, and

Try these tips to improve your productivity at work.

Staying productive at work is hard for a lot of us. Not because we're not capable employees, and not because we're not killing ourselves to get things done. Sometimes, staying productive at work is hard because the plan we've set for ourselves to manage our time just isn't working.

"Increasing your productivity is not necessarily about working harder - it's about working smarter," said Linda Descano of Citi's Women & Co. "Start by prioritizing and having a plan, and don't forget to take a break every now and then to recharge. Keeping an eye on the big picture at all times can give you the ability to add value and shape the direction of your work - which ultimately helps shape the direction of your career."

Check out these productivity tips that will have you maximizing your workday and conquering your task load in no time.

Make your inbox work for you.
One of the biggest productivity killers is failing to organize your email inbox. When your inbox is a mess, you end up

Salmon with Lemon-Horseradish Sauce

A recent study conducted by the Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research in Milan has raised questions about the benefits of fish oil supplements among people at high risk for heart disease who are already taking other risk-reducing precautions, like using cholesterol-lowering medicines. Even so, Good Housekeeping Research Institute Nutrition Director Samantha Cassetty, M.S., R.D., still sees a place for both fish and fish oil.

Related: Fish Oil Fraud Video

"Eating fish is a great diet strategy because it provides healthy nutrients and replaces less healthy ones (like saturated fats found in red meat)," she says. "For people who don't like seafood, omega-3 supplements may still be worthwhile, but they don't make up for a crummy lifestyle, so be sure to take other heart-healthy steps by limiting sugars and unhealthy fats, eating plenty of produce, choosing whole grains over refined ones, and getting enough physical activity."

Related: Salmon Recipes

Samantha also

Being a java junkie may actually be good for you.It turns out that being a java junkie may actually be good for you. Here, 4 ways coffee and caffeine boost your health.

1. Lowers your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease
Researchers in Florida found that older people with the highest levels of caffeine in their blood were more likely to avoid the disease in the years to come. The magic dose: three cups of the brewed beverage daily. Caffeine may block brain inflammation, say University of Illinois researchers, which could explain the protective effect.

2. Protects you from cancer
In one study, caffeine-fed mice developed 27 percent fewer skin cancers after being exposed to ultraviolet rays than sun-exposed mice who didn't get the jolt. Exercising boosted the effect - the combo led to 62 percent fewer tumors (and the ones they did get were smaller). Researchers think the findings will translate to humans, but warn even the biggest coffee drinkers not to ditch the sunscreen. Another study found that coffee drinkers who averaged 4